Basic Information
Full Name: Jason Bennett
Office Sought: CT House of Representatives,
District 125
Contact Information (Email, Phone, Website): jason@jasonbennettforct.com, (203)
978-3948, www.jasonbennettforct.com
General Questions
Top Three Priorities if Elected
The top three issues I will prioritize if elected are: (1) growing our local economy through innovation; (2) defending women’s reproductive freedoms; and (3) working to improve gun safety and reduce gun violence.
On the economy, we have long talked about reducing taxes and keeping them down. I support all of these efforts, including the largest tax cuts in state history that were delivered during the Lamont administration. The taxpayers in our district work hard and will not benefit from paying more taxes. However, I firmly believe that lawmakers need to focus more of their attention beyond the tax code and do more to help jumpstart our economy through innovation. As a Chief Technology Officer and small business owner, I am immersed in new developments in the private sector. I work side by side with private equity. I have a good sense of where the modern economy is and where it’s potentially headed. What we do know is that it’s changing fast, and I participate in these changes firsthand. I want to be a State Representative who takes the lead in bringing our small businesses together, hears them out on what they need to succeed, and delivers that message to Hartford. I also want to help ensure that local small businesses are educated on existing resources to help them succeed, such as AdvanceCT and Connecticut Innovations, the state’s venture capital arm. If elected, I will deliver regular conversations on these topics in the district, so that I can hear local businesses and they can hear me. It’s what I want as a small business owner myself.
Reproductive freedoms are simple to me. Not long ago, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that 50 years of a woman’s legal ability to make her own reproductive choices was no longer good enough to be considered a fundamental constitutional right. For years, we have seen not only around the country, but right here in Connecticut, one legislative session after another of bills being introduced in the Connecticut Legislature to restrict and roll back women’s reproductive freedoms. These efforts in Connecticut are repugnant to me, and I plan to be a champion for choice and a reliable firewall against efforts that would negatively impact women’s reproductive freedoms right here in New Canaan, Stamford and Darien.
Regarding gun safety and gun violence, the first job of government is to protect its citizenry. I am aware that we have responsible and law-abiding gun owners in our district. Guns are also fatal weapons, and many gun deaths are preventable. Any parent with kids in our schools knows that they regularly practice lockdown drills because of the possibility of unthinkable events that continue to happen in far too many places. We have more work to do in coordination with our police departments and responsible gun owners to ensure that firearms are stored safely and prevented from getting into the hands of malicious actors. Many gun owners in this district agree with me. I look forward to actively working with responsible members of our community in this area, and specifically helping responsible gun owners by providing more transparency about their rights.
Professional, Volunteer, or Public Service Experience
My extensive professional experience as a technology entrepreneur with a substantial background in large corporate roles, provides me with the exposure to the challenges small businesses face and the solutions they need. My volunteer experience as a crisis counselor shows that I have a track record of empathetically connecting with people. My view of a good representative is someone who brings this balance of experience to public service.
Policy Questions
Local Control: How do you propose to protect your district’s control over zoning decisions? What is your approach to balancing affordable housing needs with preserving the town’s character?
First, as I have discussed with voters in the district, I am pleased that the Town of New Canaan recently earned a four-year moratorium from developers having any rights to appeal local planning and zoning decisions to the State under C.G.S. Section 8-30g. My family and I love New Canaan, which is why we moved here from New York City several years ago. Preservation of character is an overwhelming sentiment of the district’s voters throughout New Canaan, North Stamford and Darien, and I respect and agree with this sentiment. I also support changes to, or even a reworking of 8-30g with the aim of creating a realistic path for seniors, our teachers, police, and other vital members of our community to afford to live in it. We live in an expensive area and the answers are not easy. But as a State Representative of this district, I would advocate for other members of the Legislature to begin thinking outside the box so we can develop solutions that reduce developers’ potential power over local planning and zoning bodies. For a few simple examples, we can amend state law to allow for greater credits toward affordable housing from two and three-bedroom units; greater credit for senior housing specifically; and changing the law’s threshold for affordable housing qualification to be based on the surrounding area’s income, rather than the state median. Also, given New Canaan and Darien’s size and proximity to Stamford and Norwalk, I would like to explore the concept of the State looking at our towns and cities as geographic areas for purposes of affordable housing mandates, rather than maintaining specific housing obligations on each and every municipality.
Utilities: What steps have you taken/will you take to address rising costs of electricity, natural gas, and water? Please explain your stand on the current situation with Aquarion.
Rising energy costs are felt by everyone in our community. Unfortunately they are not an easy or overnight fix; otherwise, they would have been addressed already. However, I believe that the General Assembly can conduct greater oversight of the large utilities like Eversource, and working with the Governor’s Administration, increase both competition and the speed of alternative and renewable energy delivery. The current setup of electricity supply, which was enacted by bipartisan legislation beginning in 2017, was commendable at the time in order to save jobs and preserve a large share of the state’s electricity supply from the Millstone nuclear power facility in Waterford. This setup currently accounts for a large share of the “public benefits” charges that customers see on their electric bills, and which became a source of consternation after a significant rate hike in July that Eversource could have spread out over a much longer period. As commendable as this bipartisan deal might have been at the time, I firmly believe that we need more competition and to do more to introduce additional energy supply in Connecticut and this district.
Some of these steps simply require investment in our future by building new infrastructure and creating jobs in the process, such as the potential offshore wind project in partnership with the Connecticut Wind Collaborative, a group of industry leaders across the state and region. Solving this issue will require thinking outside the box. There are technologies in pilot stage right now that use geothermal drilling, and another clean method that uses ocean waves to produce energy. We need to look at all possibilities of generating energy and come up with a comprehensive, diverse supply that keeps up with the times. Similarly with water costs, increasing the efficiency of water delivery with upgrades to pipelines when necessary may have some cost in the short-term, but will pay dividends going forward.
We can also address rising energy costs for our generation and our children’s by acknowledging and fighting the climate crisis, which is real and which we are now experiencing in Connecticut every summer, and doing so is also one of my campaign priorities.
With respect to Eversource’s potential sale of Aquarion Water Company— especially to the State— I have concerns about the impact of the loss of property tax revenue and the potential for cost increases like many residents. If elected, I will do everything in my power to work with other members of the General Assembly to ensure that if the State does go through with such a purchase, protections and direct benefits accrue to affected municipalities, including those in this district. I view such efforts as a potential obligation of any representative of this district.
Economy: How will you address the economic challenges posed by inflation? What legislative measures will you support to ease the financial burden on households and businesses in your district?
Inflation itself is a macro national and global cycle that is largely addressed by monetary policy.
Inflation rates fortunately appear to be finally easing after a hard stretch over the last year or so. However, I will support legislative measures that ease the growing costs of living, including reducing taxes on retirees’ income, state income tax credits for childcare expenses (to also allow more adults to reenter the workforce), and other tax relief for small businesses. Beyond legislation, I also want to utilize the visibility of public office to recruit, attract, retain and support new small businesses to CT. As a State Representative with a technology and business background, I want to do more than just vote on growing our economy. I want to be a vocal supporter of the existing and future businesses in our district, to be there frequently to listen to their needs, and to represent them, as well as households and families, at the Capitol accordingly.
Supermajority: What does having a supermajority in the Connecticut legislature
mean to you and to your district?
While no “supermajority” exists in the legislature, it is clear that the moderate Democrats of
Fairfield County and others actually work pretty well with the Governor, as well as with Republicans in the minority who engage in the policymaking process. Despite possible misconceptions to the contrary, Democrats across the state do not come to the table as a monolith group of lawmakers, but have different constituencies, different politics and different perspectives. I am not aware of a recent scenario in which only the Governor’s potential veto stood between any clearly harmful legislation and the 125th House District. In any event, as a hopeful member of the Fairfield County Democratic delegation, I am confident in my ability to work with any engaged member in the legislative process to get good things done for our community, and to protect it consistent with our interests.
Bipartisanship: How would you describe the current political environment in Connecticut? If elected, how will you contribute to improving the tone of political discourse and foster cooperation among different political viewpoints?
In contrast to what we see and read about in Washington, D.C., I have heard from other members of the General Assembly that bipartisanship is fortunately still alive in Hartford. The parties may disagree on many issues, as they were formed to do, but members from both parties do still work across the aisle. Even if we disagree strongly about the best ways to protect the wellbeing of our community, that spirit of cooperation is an invaluable asset in any system of government. If elected, I will always work to listen, understand, and communicate with representatives of all parties in state government, including Democrats and Republicans with whom I may not agree.
Your View: What should we have asked that we did not?
“Why am I running?” I am running for several reasons, but the most important three are my daughters, one in first grade and three-year-old twins. I look at them and I want to do everything in my power to ensure they have the same fundamental rights that my wife and our generation had, and to be a part of investing in the success, safety, and wellbeing of everyone in our district’s next generation.
