CRMA previews the upcoming legislative session with Senate President Martin Looney
Legislature to officially begin next week
News and notes from around the State Capitol
News and notes from around the state
2022 Legislative Preview.
- This week, in the final installment of an exclusive series for Connecticut retailers, CRMA President Tim Phelan sat down, via Zoom, with Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney of New Haven for a preview of the legislative session which begins on Wednesday.
- Phelan and Senator Looney covered several topics of particular interest to retailers during their brief conversation, which you can watch by going here.
- This is the fourth in a series of conversations with the Legislative Leaders of the four caucuses of the General Assembly, leading up the start of the 2022 legislative session.
- We encourage you to watch these recorded conversations and send us any thoughts you have about issues that retailers may be facing in the General Assembly this year.
- Previous conversations with Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly and House Republican Leader Vin Candelora can be seen on the CRMA website here.
- We hope this series of discussions has been of interest to you, as a member of the retail business community in Connecticut.
Legislature to officially begin next week.
- The General Assembly goes back into regular session next Wednesday, February 9 for its so-called “Short Session.” Adjournment date this year is May 4, 2022.
- CRMA will continue to be your voice at the Capitol throughout the session and will be using our FF and other methods to keep you updated on all the important issues that will come before the Legislature this session.
- We encourage all members to reach out to us throughout the session if you have any questions about any issues. We are here for you – so please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
News and notes from around the State Capitol.
- Ned Lamont unveiled a series of tax cuts that he plans to propose when the legislative session opens next week. CTNewsJunkie’s Christine Stuart has the details here.
- While we appreciate the fact that Governor Lamont has included tax relief in his proposed budget, we are disappointed that he did not include any relief in the form of sales tax reductions or expansion of the sales tax holiday.
- CRMA feels strongly that consumers deserve to see the benefit of tax relief when they shop, and retailers deserve that chance to have more customers shopping in-state.
- We will continue to advocate for this during the Legislative Session and will keep you posted on our progress.
- Connecticut Comptroller Natalie Braswell is projecting a General Fund surplus of $1.48 billion for Fiscal Year 2022. Fairfield County Business Journal has the announcement here.
- Another legislator has announced he won’t be seeking re-election this fall. Litchfield Republican state Representative David Wilson announced he will not run for a fourth term in the House. The Hartford Courant has the announcement here.
- Cynthia Jennings, a former Hartford City Council member, has announced she is running for the 2022 Independent Party nomination for Secretary of the State, joining a crowded field of Republicans and Democrats seeking to succeed retiring Denise Merrill. New Haven Independent has the story here.
- The Connecticut Treasurer’s office is making it easier for people to find and reclaim millions of dollars in uncashed checks, abandoned security deposits, forgotten insurance policies and other financial assets, called unclaimed property. CT Mirror details the new policies here.
- We know one item that the Treasurer’s office can’t claim as abandoned property: unredeemed gift cards. Thanks to a law advocated by CRMA and passed by the General Assembly, gift cards have no expiration date and no escheating back to the state.
News and notes from around the state.
- Connecticut’s first application window for businesses aiming to participate in the recreational cannabis market opened Thursday. Connecticut Post details the new process for prospective businesses here.
- Quinnipiac University’s board of trustees has approved a $244 million investment to construct three new buildings at its Mount Carmel Campus in Hamden, including a new business school. Hartford Business Journal has the details here.
- Webster Financial Corp. and Sterling Bancorp have announced the completion of their merger and the relocation of the combined entity’s headquarters from Waterbury to Stamford. Fairfield County Business Journal reports on the merger here.
- Federal authorities have opened an investigation that touches on two major state spending and construction programs, one that finances local school construction and the other a project to redevelop the State Pier in New London into a wind energy hub. The Hartford Courant has the details here.
- Connecticut continued to show promising declines in its COVID-19 metrics this week, as the state reported additional reductions in hospitalizations and its weekly test positivity rate. The Hartford Courant reports on the latest state data here.