To the Editor:

Passed through the House by a vote of 84-59, House Bill 6107 creates new statewide zoning mandates that will ultimately limit local control here in the 112th District. By requiring towns to adopt new regulations like building accessory dwelling units “as-of-right” and disallowing per-unit parking requirements, it opens the door for potentially-unwanted development of residential neighborhoods in every town in Connecticut.

If signed into law, towns could only “opt-out” of these provisions with a two-thirds vote of both the local zoning board and legislative body (Board of Selectmen or Legislative Council).

While House Republicans fought hard to limit the scope of these mandates, the result was still a clear intrusion of state government into our local affairs, and I joined my colleagues in voting against it.

To be clear, we should prioritize housing by empowering residents to become homeowners and create generational wealth in our communities.

But whether it is in new taxes on your family or business or in the gradual regionalization of our zoning processes, problematic expansions of state government are not the answer, and I will continue to oppose them as your representative in Hartford.

That is not to say there isn’t some promising work being done up at the Capitol this year. House Republicans have been pushing for legislation to address the ongoing damage caused to our Main Street businesses over the past year, including an historic unemployment benefit reform deal which was praised by leaders in the state’s business community.

Overall, this session has shown the importance of staying engaged and touching base with your state legislators, and I am always here to discuss issues and pending legislation that directly affect you.

Sincerely,

Tony Scott, State Representative for the 112th District

Monroe and Newtown

Legislative Office Building, Room 4200

300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford May 28, 2021

Rep Scott can be reached at www.repscott.com.