Op Ed: How Public Act 25-33 quietly stole zoning power from local governments

By G.Donavan—Published in my private capacity as a natural woman, without prejudice. All rights reserved.

In what appears to be a textbook case of bait-and-switch legislation, Connecticut’s Public Act 25-
33—originally introduced as a benign environmental initiative—was transformed into a sweeping
tool for centralized control over land use and local zoning. What began as a bill concerning pesticides and environmental protection (SB9) took a dramatic turn with the quiet insertion of Senate Amendment Schedule A (LCO #8466) on May 15, 2025.

This amendment introduced a State Permitting “Matrix”—a new bureaucratic apparatus
jointly authorized to the Connecticut Siting Council (CSC) and the Department of Energy
and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

It passed both chambers and was signed into law by Governor Lamont on June 10, 2025—with little to no public awareness of its implications.

A “Matrix” for Control

Under the new law, the CSC and DEEP are now empowered to:

• Develop and adopt a State Permitting Matrix governing how large-scale infrastructure, energy, and development projects are evaluated.
• Streamline approvals by circumventing traditional local zoning processes.
• Align projects with state or federal “sustainability goals”, many of which are inspired by international policy frameworks like the UN Agenda 2030.

This Matrix structure is not a mere advisory tool—it is a compliance framework, carrying the full force of imposed statutes.

Once implemented, centralized agencies could push top-down development on towns, including energy infrastructure, wireless facilities, and high-density housing projects, regardless of local opposition or ecological concerns.

Why This Matters

The Matrix model dis-empowers municipalities, disregards community character, and opens the
door for regional, unelected authorities to dictate the future of Connecticut’s towns. This aligns
disturbingly well with the “regionalization” agenda warned about by authors like Rosa Koire (Behind the Green Mask). She described how vague-sounding “sustainability” plans are often a trojan horse for consolidated land control, and corporate-driven governance.

Timeline of Stealth

March 3, 2025: Public hearing held with no mention of a permitting matrix.
May 15, 2025: Senate Amendment Schedule A is quietly introduced and adopted.
May 28, 2025: House adopts the amendment and passes the bill with the matrix inserted. June 10, 2025: Governor signs it into law without any public press conference or
acknowledgment of the matrix’s long-term impacts.

What You Can Do

• Demand Transparency: Call your state legislators and ask why such a sweeping change was hidden inside a late-session amendment to a pesticide bill.

• Push for Repeal or Oversight: Advocate for public hearings and independent review before the Matrix is formally implemented by DEEP or CSC.

• Document Local Impacts: Start logging how DEEP and Siting Council decisions change once the matrix is active.

• File FOIA Requests: Demand correspondence and internal memos surrounding Amendment 8466’s drafting, including communications with lobbyists, NGOs, or federal agencies.

Connecticut citizens deserve honesty, transparency, and true self-governance—not backroom
deals and regulatory capture masked as “environmental progress.”