Arnold Jensen

Rep. Jensen, Sen. Berthel to Hold Mid-Session Legislative Discussion; Event Open to All Residents

OXFORD– Rep. Arnold Jensen, R-131st, and Sen. Eric Berthel are inviting residents to join them on Tuesday, March 31, when they will host a Pints and Policy discussion at the Black Hog Brewery. The event, which is open to all members of the public, is focused on connecting with constituents, discussing local priorities, legislative updates and any other state government-related topic. This relaxed gathering is open to all residents and will provide an opportunity to talk about state and local matters in a casual setting. When: Tuesday, March 31 Pints & Policy 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Where: Black Hog Brewery (115 Hurley Road, Bldg. 9A, Oxford) Rep. Jensen can be contacted at Arnold.Jensen@housegop.ct.gov or (800) 842-1423 with any questions or concerns related to state government. You can also follow his legislative activity by visiting his website or on Facebook by clicking here .

Jensen opposes bill stripping local zoning control  

HARTFORD – The General Assembly met in a special legislative session to take up a number of new bills, most notably an omnibus piece of legislation aimed at addressing the state's housing affordability crisis. Unfortunately, the bill brought forward by the majority party was not something Rep. Arnold Jensen (R-Oxford) could not support. This bill was very similar to H.B. 5002 which was passed earlier this year in regular legislative session and was later vetoed by Gov. Lamont. Among the many flaws in the new bill, "An Act Concerning Housing Growth," was the usurping of local town control on housing decisions, the creation of a new statewide housing authority and the elimination of off-street parking minimums required for new housing projects with fewer than 16 units. "Adding layers of bureaucracy and regulations does nothing but increase the cost of new housing that will further deter homebuilders from looking at Connecticut as a place to build more housing," said Rep. Jensen. "Our towns and cities should not have the state of Connecticut dictate the what, where and when of where housing is built in their communities. This bill will undoubtedly do more harm than good, and therefor I voted in opposition." The new bill will also allow the state to create a statewide housing authority, which can then build housing on state land. This paves the way for state-owned housing projects. Municipalities will be required to approve housing projects on properties that are converted from commercial to residential without a public hearing required, another assault on local control of zoning decisions. Off-street parking requirements are also eliminated for any development project under 16 units of housing. "It is unfortunate the majority chose to hastily pass this bill, rather than working more with residents in our towns and cities to address the need for more housing in our state. We need to work together across the aisle to come up better solutions for our residents." said Rep. Jensen.

Rep. Jensen Attends Amazon Facility Groundbreaking in Naugatuck

NAUGATUCK — State Rep. Arnold Jensen (R-Oxford) recently attended a groundbreaking and ceremonial steel beam signing at a new Amazon robotics fulfillment center on the Naugatuck/Waterbury border. According to Amazon, the multi-level, 3.2-million-square-foot robotics fulfillment center at 193 Sheriden Drive is a "first-mile" fulfillment center. The warehouse will essentially receive, store and then ship millions of products for customers. It will be Amazon's fourth robotics fulfillment center in Connecticut, with others located in North Haven and Windsor. "This investment from Amazon is impressive and will generate many solid jobs, in addition to tax revenue both to the state and the host communities," said Rep. Jensen. "Amazon is a huge company, with a sizable footprint all across the globe. These types of future-facing employment opportunities are exactly what we need in Connecticut." In addition to creating more than 1,000 full-time jobs once operational, the project is expected to create more than 300 construction jobs.

Jensen Supports Historic Property Tax Relief Plan

HARTFORD —State Rep. Arnold Jensen (R-Oxford) joined his House Republican colleagues on Tuesday proposed the largest expansion of Connecticut's property tax credit in state history, increasing the maximum credit to $1,000 and growing eligibility for additional relief to more than 800,000 residents. Under the Republican plan, every qualifying taxpayer would see an increase in their property tax credit. The proposal raises the maximum credit from $300 to $1,000 and sets a minimum credit of $400 for eligible filers. It also increases income eligibility thresholds by about $20,000 for single filers and $30,000 for joint filers. The plan particularly benefits joint filers by raising the eligibility threshold from $130,500 to $200,000. Under current law, thousands of these filers receive only the minimum $30 credit—or nothing at all. Overall, more than 800,000 filers would see more relief. "One of the biggest issues facing residents are state remain the high cost of living. This increase in the property tax credit is one small step we can take to put our state on a path to being more affordable for working families. Tax relief is a priority I will always fight for in Hartford," said Rep. Jensen. The Republican tax relief plan would use $501 million from the $1.9 billion in volatile revenue that’s targeted by Democrats who are plotting yet another off-budget fund. A chart outlining the proposed changes is below:

Rep. Jensen Touts Consumer Protection Bill

<p>State Rep. Arnold Jensen <strong>(R-Oxford)</strong> attended a bill signing ceremony today marking the passage of Public Act 25-44, &#8220;An Act Concerning Consumer Protection and Safety.&#8221; Rep. Jensen joined Gov. Ned Lamont and other supporters of the bill in Norwalk to mark the bill&#8217;s passage.</p> <p>The bill requires businesses to list any fee or charge for services on all advertisements or displayed prices; prohibits businesses from imposing any mandatory gratuity or, omitting any mandatory gratuity, from any advertised or displayed prices; and prohibits businesses from omitting any applicable federal, state or local tax, or mandatory fee on advertisements or displayed prices.</p> <p>Among other key provisions of the bill, are a new requirement that electronic or appliance manufacturers make products’ repair manuals, functional parts, and tools available to consumers (right to repair); requiring businesses that enter into a consumer agreement that includes an automatic renewal or continuous services provision to send consumers an annual reminder, and to enable consumers to stop the renewal or services through a website, email, or by telephone; and requiring landlords offering a unit for rent to include any fee, charge, or cost that the tenant must pay on a periodic basis.</p> <p>&#8220;Consumers deserve to be informed and protected the greatest degree reasonably possible,&#8221; said Rep. Jensen. &#8220;This legislation makes great strides in doing so, in particular in the areas of eliminating &#8220;hidden fees&#8221; for consumers, more transparency with rental and housing issues, along with a right to repair (rather than being forced to replace) electronic devices. I was happy to support this bill throughout the legislative process.&#8221;</p> <p>As a member of the legislature&#8217;s General Law Committee, Rep. Jensen supported the consumer protections outlines in the bill both in committee and again when the bill was voted on by the full House of Representatives.</p>