Senator Rob Sampson Sets the Record Straight After Opponent's False Claims

 

Many of you have probably received the above campaign flyer from my opponent or seen a letter to the editor making false claims about my voting record. While I appreciate the Star Wars theme, he has it backwards. I am not Senator "Vader."  I am on the rebel side fighting the Evil empire. I have never told a lie about my votes, my record, or my positions since first being elected in 2010.  My opponent has not even been elected yet.  It appears to me that he has no problem stretching the truth to tarnish my reputation.  I put this together to set the record straight.  I have itemized ALL his statements and shared documentation and facts for each.  Please review and judge for yourself. CLAIM #1:  The only no vote for healthcare for children and infants SB1004 – passed in 2021.  This bill allows children and stepchildren to stay on parents dental and vision insurance until AGE 26.  I was not the only no vote. There were also 16 no votes in the House.  This is another costly mandate that drives up premiums. SB377 – did not pass.  This bill would have increased the time a policyholder has to report to their insurance company that they have a newborn from 60 to 120 days.  This bill would have allowed those who fail to report to avoid premium payments that would fall to every other policyholder to pay. Mr. Robertson may not agree with me on these two bills but to claim that I voted against healthcare for children and infants is patently false.  I have supported countless policies to benefit the health of children. (2 Pinocchio’s) CLAIM #2:  The only no vote for mental and behavioral health services for children SB2 – passed in 2022.  This was one of several bills on mental health.  This bill was not the primary one.  This is kind of where all the ideas that were scrapped but still the pet projects of individual legislators ended up. I was not the only no vote.  There were also 17 no votes in the House. I voted FOR HB5001 – PA 22-47  AN ACT CONCERNING CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH which included: 988 suicide prevention License reciprocity Telehealth services Truancy intervention Youth service bureaus Mental health wellness exams I also voted FOR HB5500 – PA 22-58 omnibus public health bill Senate Bill 2 deserved a no vote because it is: Duplicative – The good policies were already passed in HB5001 Huge bill with 46 sections on task forces, and new spending including loan forgiveness for mental health professional students It is a “Gotcha Bill” made for campaign mailers. Lots of mandates on local school districts restricts school districts on recess requires local boards to hire a family care coordinator More “in loco parentis” – parents restricted from KNOWING what is going on with their own kids. Interferes with parental rights, Is mental health and education issue? Mr. Robertson is attempting to paint a picture that I am against children’s mental health by using this isolated vote.  There are countless other votes that prove otherwise. (1 Pants on Fire) CLAIM #3: No for access to absentee voting HB5262 Passed in 2022. This bill redefined the term “illness” as an acceptable reason to vote by absentee so it could be exploited by Democrats, one of many bills that will contribute to less election integrity.   I support our current absentee system and want to improve it with signature verification and VOTER ID.  The Democrats refuse both.  There were many NO votes in both chambers.  I am well known to support policy that balances access and integrity in voting.  Please watch my remarks on the Senate Floor here - https://youtu.be/28eOCWwBU38 My Floor Speech on the Democrats dangerous effort to undermine our election laws. Mr. Robertson can disagree with me on election policy, but it is dishonest to say I oppose absentee voting. (3 Pinocchio’s) CLAIM #4:  No for cash refunds for gift card balances SB179 Didn’t become a law – the bill died on house calendar in 2022 Killed by Speaker of the House. 24 Yes 9 No.  SUMMARY - Under current law, anyone accepting a gift card as payment must give the purchaser cash for the remaining balance on the card after the purchase if the (1) balance is under $3 and (2) purchaser requests it and provides the proof of purchase or a gift receipt for the gift card. This bill increases the balance limit from $3 to $5 and eliminates the requirement to provide the proof of purchase or a gift receipt. CLAIM #5:  No for protecting domestic violence victims SB1091 This was the domestic violence bill from 2021 that I worked on in the Judiciary committee for months.  Unfortunately, the majority Democrats spoiled this proposal at the last minute by inserting language requiring landlords to change locks within six hours of tenant’s request and not provide keys to others, even if they might be on the lease.  The problem with all this is that it makes the landlord and employee of both the tenant and the state a dangerous proposition.  A landlord’s obligations are merely what is in the lease.   I supported this bill and helped it get passed into law.  I cast my no vote after attempting to remove this additional language and debating at length on the floor.  They acted in bad faith, and it showed.  You can watch my floor speech here - https://youtu.be/fyzlw-t20ZA Watch as Senator Sampson calls out Senate Democrats for adding poison pill to Domestic Violence bill. I am certain Mr. Robertson knows my involvement with this legislation but that didn’t stop him from attempting to paint a different picture.  (2 Pants on Fire) CLAIM #6: Lone no for $25 cap on insulin HB6003 Passed in 2020. I was not the only NO - 4 no votes in the House.  Price caps don’t work despite being implemented many times, e.g., rent control, etc.  Ultimately, these restrictions create a short supply and ultimately drive prices even higher.  Socialist economics do not work. Also, the Democrats were thoroughly annoyed that President Trump was getting credit for fighting prescription drug prices and they wanted to make a political statement - not good policy. This is a rate hike for MOST consumer. The uninsured get no help at all in this bill.  In fact, they pay more. I have helped pass numerous policies to fight rising prescription prices.  You can watch my floor speech here - https://youtu.be/uaOXVAm1tO4 - I predicted this would be used unfairly by Democrats in a campaign attack ad. (1 Raised Eyebrow) Senator Sampson calls out Democrats for passing bills for politics not policy. CLAIM #7:  No for paid family leave SB1 Passed in 2019 – 21 to 15 in the senate, 79 to 69 in the House Of course, I voted NO.  This is bad policy, not a freedom like my opponent claims. It includes Mandated payroll tax, even for some people who cannot use the program. Competes with private insurance industry, I wrote the GOP amendment to fix this and instead work with existing carriers. The Democrats rejected my proposal in favor of socialism and big government waste. This policy has undermined the disability insurance marketplace and hurt thousands of people. Waste and fraud are rampant. You can watch my remarks in committee here - https://youtu.be/cWg8EaMai98 and on the senate floor here - https://youtu.be/JfMKIgOkS4w Mr. Robertson gets credit for not fibbing on this one. (1 Checkmark) Senator Sampson challenges committee leaders on new payroll tax. Paid Family Leave is bad policy for Connecticut. CLAIM #8: No for women’s reproductive freedom HB5414 Passed in 2022. This was a party line vote. The bill did not make any measurable change to abortion rights (let alone “reproductive freedom.”) The bill was wholly political, partly about refuting the TX law which CT cannot control.  That will be decided by the courts.  The bill also allows APRN’s to perform abortions.  Mr. Robertson is using a vote loosely related to abortion rights to make a statement about my position on abortion.  He didn’t need to do that.  I am personally Pro-Life and happy to say so.  However, I have only tried to pass two common sense laws in our state.  1) Put an end to late term / 3rd trimester abortions, and 2) require parental notification for minors.  This is necessary to prevent abusers and rapists from escaping justice.  (1 Pinocchio) CLAIM #9:  The only no for mothers who are breastfeeding HB5158 Passed in 2021. Again, I was not the only no vote.  There were also 10 no votes in the House.   This bill does not prevent breastfeeding.  This is a mandate on employers requiring them to provide a space, an outlet, and a refrigerator to employees who are breastfeeding.  This bill is unnecessary.  There is no problem that is being addressed.  There are no complaints on file.  The law already existed, and it has no penalty.  This is a wholly political bill designed for use during elections as a gotcha bill against the few principled Republicans who opposed it.  Watch my remarks on the floor here - https://youtu.be/e2X2BtkOfdQ Mr. Robertson again stretches the truth to falsely damage my reputation.  (2 Pinocchio’s) Senator Sampson discusses more political gamesmanship in the Senate and costly mandates on business. CLAIM #10:  No for raising the minimum wage to $15 HB5004 Passed in 2019. This was a party line vote.  I led the fight against it on the senate floor as Ranking Republican on Labor committee.  This is a ban on jobs that pay less than $15 per hour.  History shows us that entry level employees are hurt by this.  They do not benefit.  The result is less job opportunities, less business, hurts economy, causes inflation. I encourage anyone who favors a high minimum wage to watch my floor remarks here - https://youtu.be/h2wL1CBWW9g Mr. Robertson gets credit for not fibbing on this one. (1 Checkmark) Senator Sampson speaks on the economic impact of raising the minimum wage to $15. CLAIM #11: The only no for police officers to express their religion on duty SB133 Passed in 2022. I was indeed the only no vote in either chamber.  I stand by it.   Police officers need to wear a uniform, not promote a political or religious ideology while on duty.  I am disappointed that the many other members who knew this was wrong were scared to say no. Mr. Robertson stretches my vote to require police officers to remain in uniform instead of promoting political or religious ideology to imply I am infringing on their religious freedom.  (2 Pants on Fire) CLAIM #12: The only no to make Juneteenth a holiday SB350 Passed in 2022.  I was not the only no vote.  There was another no vote in the House.  This is a completely dishonest interpretation.  This bill did not make Juneteenth a holiday.  It was already a national holiday.  This bill made it a paid holiday for state employees.  You can watch my remarks here - https://youtu.be/m3g5-54CcfA Mr. Robertson again stretches the truth about my position to create a false image of my record.   (3 Pinocchio’s) Senator Sampson supports Juneteenth but questions another paid holiday for state workers. CLAIM #13: The only no for small business childcare incentives SB408 – passed in 2022. I was indeed the only no vote, but this bill was just a study (at taxpayer expense) on the issue, and not any new policy or program.    Section 1. (Effective from passage) The Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, in consultation with the Office of Early Childhood and the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority, shall identify the economic barriers experienced by persons seeking to open a childcare center, group childcare home or family childcare home and develop a plan to address such barriers. Not later than January 1, 2023, the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, regarding such plan to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to commerce. Mr. Robertson knows this was just a study and not an actual policy but that didn’t stop him from claiming I am against small business childcare incentives. (2 Pinocchio’s) CLAIM #14: No for affordable healthcare SB416 Did not Pass.  This is a bill that interferes with private contracts between insurance companies and providers.  There were 4 no votes in the Senate.  Bill died on house calendar.  Apparently, not everyone that it was a good idea.  The Democrat Speaker of the House is more responsible for it not passing than anyone. It’s not the role of government to stick their nose into private contracts. Mr. Robertson makes the ridiculous claim that I am against “affordable healthcare” based on a vote on a bill that did not become law, and that is more likely to raise premiums than lower them.  (3 Pants on Fire) There is no excuse for deceiving voters.  I hope you will stand with me.  The November election is our chance to fight for and defend what we believe in.   Reach out to your friends and neighbors and let them know of the importance of this election and how voting for me will ensure that our voices will continue to be heard at the State Capitol. It has been an honor and privilege being our voice in Hartford.  I would like the opportunity to continue fighting for you! Sincerely, State Senator Rob Sampson   #proudamerican June 15, 2021 Sen Sampson sets the record straight on the state budget - a great example of the fire and passion he has become known for.  July 28, 2020 Sen Sampson speaks eloquently on the state of our state on the subject of crime, police, and the political divide - and challenges his colleagues to stop with the political games and begin working toward good policy that benefits the people we represent.

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