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Weston Rep. Shaban Disappointed At Stall Of Brownfield Bill

REDDING, Conn. -- State Rep. John Shaban, R-135, ranking member of the state Legislature’s Environment Committee and a longtime supporter of brownfield remediation initiatives, expressed his disappointment that the Brownfield Land Bank Bill was excluded at the last minute from the veto override session held last week.

John Shaban.

John Shaban.

Photo Credit: File

The bill, PA 16-115, passed unanimously through the House and with only one vote against it in the Senate during the regular session but was vetoed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in early June based on technical reasons.

“I was proud to support the bill, which would have continued our work on brownfield redevelopment by establishing a framework for nonprofit land banks to acquire, remediate and sell brownfields,” said Shaban, who co-sponsored the legislation.

Shaban noted that the governor’s office had supported the bill from the onset, and he had hoped that the General Assembly could override the veto this year to get the Land Bank initiative moving and fix the technical issue next session.

The House and Senate overrode a number of vetoes last week, including legislation to implement a new service delivery model for the nonemergency medical transportation for Medicaid recipients, a bill regarding the compensation of investment officers appointed by the state treasurer and a bill to study the impact of proposed regulations on small businesses.

Despite the setback, Shaban said he believes the brownfield legislation will eventually go through.

“The governor’s office has actively supported the state’s brownfield redevelopment efforts, so I am confident that the bill will be fixed and passed next year," he said.

Shaban, who represents Easton, Redding and Weston, will not return to the General Assembly in 2017 due to his current run for U.S. Congress.

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