CRMA to work with State leaders to combat ORC
News and notes from the State Capitol
News and notes from around the state

  • Earlier this week, CRMA President Tim Phelan attended a press conference spearheaded by CT AG William Tong to highlight the need for state and local officials to work together to combat Organized Retail Crime.
  • ORC has plagued the retail industry for years now, but the recent uptick in brazen and more violent tactics taken by these groups has all parties agreeing that something must be done.
  • That is why we were pleased to join Attorney General Tong and Gov. Lamont when they announced on Wednesday that the state is creating a task force, in partnership with government, retailers, law enforcement, and neighboring states, to focus on organized retail crime. We-ha.com reports on the news conference announcing the plan.
  • We look forward to working with the task force, and will keep you posted on its progress.

 

News and notes from the State Capitol

  • Vowing to fight for voting rights and help her party attract the state’s growing Latino population, Hilda Santiago stopped ​“exploring” Thursday — and officially announced her candidacy for secretary of the state. New Haven Independent has the story here.
  • Edith Prague, longtime lawmaker and advocate for the elderly from Columbia, died Wednesday at age 96, leaving behind her a legacy of public service in elected and appointed offices, education, and social work. CTNewsJunkie looks back, here.
  • A group featuring several current and former government officials challenged Gov. Lamont and the legislature to overhaul a property tax system they say traps hundreds of thousands of residents in poverty, stymies economic growth, undermines schools and discourages regional collaboration. CT Mirror’s Keith Phaneuf has the details here.
  • No decision yet as to whether the State Capitol will be fully open when the legislative session begins in February. CT Examiner reports on what to expect in 2022, in an interview with House Speaker Matt Ritter, here.

 

News and notes from around the state

  • Connecticut added 5,600 jobs in November, the state Department of Labor announced Thursday, locking in the state’s 11th consecutive month of job growth. Hartford Business Journal reports on the latest numbers here.
  • The MetroHartford Alliance is aiming for a good year ahead in 2022, with 53 companies in the recruitment pipeline, according to Alliance leaders. Hartford Business Journal has the story here.
  • The amount of money bet on sports in Connecticuttopped $131.7 million during November, with the majority coming from bets placed on mobile devices such as smartphones and computers.  com has the numbers.
  • Former Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton has been chosen to oversee billions of dollars in federal infrastructure funding that has been awarded to Connecticut. Lamont announced the appointment; The Hartford Courant’s Chris Keating has the details here.
  • A digital COVID-19 vaccination card now available from the state Department of Public Health will not lead to a mandatory vaccine passport, Gov. Ned Lamont said this week. The Hartford Courant has the story here.
  • Connecticut has reached another grim COVID milestone: More than 9,000 residents have now died with the disease, according to state data released Thursday. CT Post has the news here.