Sen. Sampson “Enough is enough” on Covid Fee Announcement.

Hartford – On Monday, September 14, 2020 Governor Lamont announced a newly implemented fee structure for those not complying with Covid-19 orders including:

$100 for not wearing a face mask, $500 for hosting an event that exceeds the size limit (25 indoors, 100 outdoors), and $250 for attending social gatherings above the allotted size.

This announcement comes right after the Governor’s recent extension of his executive powers through February 2021 and his allowing the executive branch to pressure the CIAC to cancel high school football for the fall 2020 season.

State Senator Rob Sampson (R-16) released the following statement in reaction to yesterday’s announcement of the newly implemented fees:

Enough is enough. The Governor has gone too far with yet another announcement with no information or specifics. Introducing a fee structure shows how little Lamont thinks of Connecticut residents, that we are all just children who need to be micromanaged.  He has apparently forgotten grade school American history.  We the people hold the power and the government is supposed to work for us, not the other way around.

If Connecticut continues to do well with an infection rate of under 1% of the population, it is because of our diligent friends and neighbors making good choices on their own. The overwhelming majority of residents and businesses continue to be vigilant maintaining the changes enacted to slow the spread of coronavirus.   Since he is quick to take credit for Connecticut being one of the safest places to be in the entire country, why is the Governor not allowing the final stage of reopening to occur, including getting our legislature back to work?

The only motivation for keeping the entire state under the Governor’s thumb is to use that authoritative advantage for political gain.

I have consistently been the loudest voice in the state senate for returning the legislature back to work so we can resume making the laws for the state of Connecticut.   Back on May 1, 2020, I was first to speak up when the Governor exceeded his authority by determining which businesses should be allowed to operate and which ones must remain shuttered, when I wrote a letter to Attorney General Barr asking for assistance.  Letter to AG Barr 5-1-20

I followed that up by filing a lawsuit with several business owners to stop this overreach.  You can learn more at www.ctbizfreedom.com.  Sadly, our case remains mired in our Connecticut courts even as a remarkably similar case proved victorious in Pennsylvania just yesterday.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/09/14/judge-strikes-down-pennsylvania-virus-policies-414489

Since then, Governor Lamont has continued to insert himself into court actions, business contracts and lease agreements, and creating a whole host of confusing policies that tend to contradict each other.

Governor Lamont renewing his emergency powers for an additional five months is unacceptable. Schools are in session, workplaces are opening back up, and the legislature just met at the end of July for special session. That in itself, proves that conducting government business is possible, but it would have to include public input including proper hearings and involvement from the legislative branch.

Earlier this month, I wrote a letter to Governor Lamont asking for him to end his emergency powers and return the law-making authority of our state to the legislature where it belongs.  09-04-20 Letter to Governor Lamont – End Executive Powers

Ironically and ridiculously, Democrats claim that current “metrics” prevent the legislature from returning to their regular role in state government, yet we are still expecting to be called into a second special legislative session later in September.  The docket is full of divisive social policies and overtly political bills designed for maximum impact on this November’s elections.  Note that there is a reason why we do not vote on bills a month before election day.

As I said in my recent letter, “there is no way to justify calling the legislature into special session while simultaneously arguing that you are extending your emergency powers because it is unsafe for us to meet, particularly when the agenda for the session will not be focused on the looming budget deficit, business closures, landlords forced into bankruptcy, nursing home visits, nor any other true emergencies that our state faces.”

These new fines are just a slap in the face to Connecticut residents who are effectively slowing the spread of the virus on their own by making good choices.

I will continue to stand up and speak out against our Governor abusing a global pandemic for political gain, all with the tacit assistance of Hartford Democrats.   Connecticut residents deserve better.