Gov. Lamont issues executive order establishing Equity and Opportunity Office

Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order establishing an Office of Equity and Opportunity “that will be responsible for leading Connecticut’s efforts to ensure that state government is a leader in equity and inclusion with the goals of eliminating institutional and systemic barriers,” according to a press release.

Lamont’s office indicated the office will be paid for through existing appropriations and will be led by a “chief equity and opportunity officer” appointed by the governor and will ensure “state government offices are representative of the people they serve and that people from different racial, ethnic, gender, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds have a voice in the decision-making processes concerning the policies and practices of state government.”

“State government is accountable to the public and we have a responsibility to maintain trust and confidence by demonstrating our commitment to fairness, inclusivity, and social progress,” Lamont said in a press release . “By doing everything we can to create a fair, equitable, and inclusive environment representative of the people who live in our state, we can address historical and ongoing disparities and promote social justice.”

The executive order comes following a report released in 2023 by the Commission on Racial Equity in Public Health called Dismantling Structural Racism Within State Government that called for state agencies to develop equity plans; increase equity through hiring and promotion; and implement regular training and mentoring around diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Labor and Public Employees Committee attempted to put that report and recommendations into motion this past session with Senate Bill 414 , which called for, among the other recommendations of the report, establishing 28 diversity officer positions across Connecticut state agencies at a cost of $5.8 million.

Lamont’s budget chief, Jeffrey Beckham, pushed back against that plan in public testimony advocating for a chief equity and opportunity officer within the Office of the Governor. Ultimately, the bill was passed out of committee but went nowhere. Lamont’s executive order has revived at least some of the recommendations contained in the Commission on Racial Equity in Public Health’s report.

“Leadership buy-in from the very top is imperative to ensuring that equity initiatives are prioritized and implemented,” said Pareesa Charmchi-Goodwin, executive director of the Commission on Racial Equity in Public Health. “We are proud to see our recommendations and the work of many leaders across the state reflected in today’s executive order.”

Goodwin and leadership within the Commission on Racial Equity in Public Health, under the sway of the nonprofit organization Health Equity Solutions, lobbied to kill popular bi-partisan legislation to allow association health plans for businesses this past session, arguing they were racially discriminatory, and putting to bed one of the business industry’s primary goals.

Republican leaders, however, voiced some criticisms with Sen. Rob Sampson, R-Wolcott, saying it is a “colossal waste of taxpayer money,” and that the policy “failed to get across the finish line because it was a terrible idea.”

“The focus on ‘equity’ – not to be confused with ‘equality’ – is all about ignoring merit and hard work in favor of categorizing every individual citizen based on their race and gender for the purpose of supposedly redressing the wrongs of the past,” Sampson said. “Here we now see the governor going around the legislative process, creating bigger government, endorsing shortsighted policy and wasting precious taxpayer dollars.”

House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, said the move will add a “mind-numbing layer of bureaucracy to manufacture illogical outcomes,” and that Lamont should focus on making state government more responsive and reducing telework for state employees .

“The primary worry for Connecticut residents isn’t about the inclusiveness of their state government, but its effectiveness in providing services. They need timely responses when they contact state agencies for information or assistance,” Candelora said in a statement. “Governor Lamont should prioritize a more basic yet crucial goal: bringing state employees back to the office.”

While DEI offices and directors are relatively rare in Connecticut state government – some agencies like the Department of Transportation and the Public Defender’s Office maintain those positions – they are much more prevalent within Connecticut’s public college and university system, which spends $4.2 million annually paying for DEI staff.

Meanwhile, issues surrounding racial equity positions and issues have caused some state agency upheavals: Daryl McGraw, DEI director of the Public Defender’s Office was suspended following some problematic social media posts and then TaShun Bowden-Lewis, Connecticut’s first Black Chief Public Defender who was fired over numerous allegations about her conduct, has filed a lawsuit alleging racial bias .

“State government has a responsibility to approach our work through an equity lens,” Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Commissioner Michelle Gilman. “This executive order is an important step forward as we work to ensure that every person who seeks state services or employment is greeted with equal opportunity.”

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