State Senator Ryan Fazio shared an update on the recently concluded 2024 Legislative Session, highlighting legislative achievements and challenges faced by the state and his district. Fazio expressed his gratitude for the privilege of serving, stating, “There is not a day that I am in the Capitol that I do not feel that incredible honor.”
Fazio celebrated the successful passage of S.B. 333, a bill designed to restore certain municipal rights. “My bill, S.B. 333, to return fundamental rights to towns and cities to change their municipal charters how they desire on issues related to the disposition of public property and planning & zoning passed the Senate and House with bipartisan support,” Fazio noted. The bill reverses a previous law that had stripped municipalities of the ability to amend their charters on land use issues without public debate.
The senator acknowledged the support from municipal organizations, including the Council of Connecticut Municipalities and the Council of Small Towns. “Next year, we will work on making more progress,” he added, signaling his intent to continue advocating for local control.
Fazio also highlighted reforms to the 8-30g affordable housing laws, which aim to ease the process for towns to obtain moratoriums from the law. This legislation, inspired by the experiences of towns like New Canaan, was incorporated into H.B. 5474. “Our proposal to make it easier for towns to get consecutive moratoriums was inspired by the denial of a second moratorium to New Canaan,” Fazio explained, expressing hope that these reforms will assist towns in securing necessary moratoriums.
A significant victory for local control was the defeat of H.B. 5390, the transit-oriented development bill proposed by Desegregate CT. The bill aimed to enforce permissive zoning around train and bus stations, allowing as-of-right development for buildings up to nine units and larger developments with a 30% affordable housing component. It also included penalties for non-compliance, potentially disqualifying towns from substantial funding programs.
“I was happy to help defeat H.B. 5390, the ‘transit-oriented development bill’ from the activist group Desegregate CT,” Fazio stated. He argued that the bill undermined local control and imposed overly aggressive pro-developer zoning policies. By introducing multiple amendments and indicating a potential filibuster, Fazio and his colleagues successfully prevented the bill from being called to a vote in the Senate, leading to its eventual defeat.
While celebrating these local control victories, Fazio also addressed less favorable legislative outcomes, including the passage of excessive state spending packages. He expressed concern over the lack of significant action to reduce the state’s tax burden, improve the energy portfolio, and make healthcare more affordable. “All these issues and more will return in months and years to come—and we’ll need to bring people together to create the right solutions!” Fazio emphasized.
The senator also highlighted his involvement in other bipartisan initiatives, such as energy reforms aimed at increasing competition against Eversource for specific infrastructure projects and reforms to reduce bureaucratic barriers for state employment, particularly for individuals without a college degree.
