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State Sen. Rob Sampson, Ranking Member of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, issued the following statement in response to Gov. Ned Lamont’s recent decision to appoint Connecticut’s first “Chief Equity and Opportunity Officer,” a taxpayer-funded position with an annual salary of $175,000.

“Private industry and higher education are finally recognizing the pitfalls of the DEI experiment. In recent months, corporate giants like Walmart have closed their DEI programs, and some universities have quietly followed suit. These institutions are learning what Connecticut’s majority Democrats refuse to acknowledge: DEI initiatives are costly, divisive, and ultimately ineffective.

“Unlike private enterprises, which directly feel the consequences of mismanagement, Governor Lamont and legislative Democrats have no such accountability. They spend taxpayer money freely, doubling down on ideological ventures like this, even as everyday citizens bear the cost.

“Last legislative session, Governor Lamont and his allies proposed an astonishing DEI expansion that would have installed a co-commissioner in nearly every state agency, from the Department of Motor Vehicles to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. These second-in-command positions would have had sweeping authority to alter policies based on a radical, Marxist-inspired definition of ‘equity.’ The proposal carried a potential price tag of hundreds of millions of dollars and would have profoundly disrupted state governance.

“As Senate Ranking Member of the Labor and Public Employees Committee, I stood firmly against this initiative, warning Democrats that imposing such an unfunded and ideological mandate on Connecticut residents would not go unchallenged. I fought hard to block this deeply flawed proposal, and in the end, their willingness to advance less-extreme ideas spared taxpayers from this enormous burden—at least for now.

“Governor Lamont’s executive decision to unilaterally create the Chief Equity and Opportunity Officer position is a consolation prize for the far-left agenda, but it is no less troubling. While this singular appointment avoids the massive spending of the initial proposal, it still represents a step in the wrong direction, institutionalizing identity-based governance at the expense of unity and merit.

“I remain committed to dismantling this unnecessary and divisive position and opposing all efforts to inject identity politics into state government. Connecticut’s future depends on policies that prioritize opportunity and excellence over ideological conformity. I will continue to fight for common sense and fairness in every corner of our state,” said Sen. Sampson.

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