CRMA holds another short visit with key legislator
News and notes from around the State Capitol
News and notes from around the state
2022 Legislative Preview
- This week, CRMA President Tim Phelan sat down, via Zoom, with Connecticut Senate Republican Leader Kevin Kelly to discuss the upcoming legislative session, which begins on February 9.
- Phelan and Sen. Kelly covered several important topics in their brief conversation, which you can watch by going here.
- This is the second in a series of exclusive visits with the Legislative Leaders of the four caucuses of the General Assembly, leading up the start of the 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.
- Last week’s conversation between Mr. Phelan and House Republican Leader Vin Candelora can be seen on the CRMA website here.
News and notes from around the State Capitol
- Republican Bob Stefanowski, who lost to Democrat Ned Lamont by 44,372 votes four years ago, opened his second campaign for governor this week. CT Mirror reports on the details here.
- Republican State Senator Kevin Witkos of Canton, first elected in 2008, announced this week he will not be a candidate for re-election this year. Witkos made the announcement in a video, which can be seen here. CTNewsJunkie has more on his decision here.
- Sen Witkos has been a good friend to CRMA and the retail industry and we will miss his support, but wish him the best.
- Governor Lamont has scheduled Tuesday, March 1, 2022, as the date to hold a special election to fill a vacancy for state representative in the 5th Assembly District of the House of Representatives. The seat, which consists of portions of Hartford and Windsor, became vacant on January 10, 2022, following the resignation of Brandon L. McGee Jr. The announcement is here.
- State Rep. Sean Scanlon (D-Guilford) is creating an exploratory campaign for statewide office, becoming the first Democrat to express interest in running for State Comptroller since Kevin Lembo stepped down due to ill health. Hartford Business Journal has the update here.
- West Hartford Republican Town Council member Mary Faye has announced she will seek her party’s nomination for State Comptroller this year. Faye is in her third term on the Council, and has previously run unsuccessfully for Congress and State Representative. We-ha.com has more about her here.
- The state Department of Consumer Protection has clarified a key part of the state’s recreational marijuana law that has created some confusion.
- DCP indicates that for every 25,000 residents in a town or city, there may be one licensed adult-use cannabis retailer and micro-cultivator. A municipality with fewer than 25,000 people can host one retailer and micro cultivator. Hartford Business Journal has the details here.
- A special master charged with remapping Connecticut’s five congressional districts fulfilled his court-ordered task this week and submitted a plan that balances the districts’ populations while making as few changes as possible to their current boundaries. CTNewsJunkie highlights the map here.
- Republicans at the State Capitol are calling for more legislative oversight of funds flowing to municipalities across Connecticut. CT Mirror has the details here.
News from around the state
- Connecticut’s weekly COVID-19 test positivity rate and its number of hospitalizations fell to their lowest points in weeks as officials voiced cautious optimism that the state may be nearing the end of its last significant surge of COVID-19. Yet the state also reported 241 COVID-19 deaths this week — the greatest number in 12 months. The Hartford Courant updates the numbers here.
- NBC Sports has announced that its announcers for next month’s Winter Olympics will be broadcasting the games from a Stamford studio and not from Beijing. Fairfield County Business Journal has the details on NBC’s decision here.
- You may have seen advertisements recently for ShopBlackCT.com, a volunteer initiative and not-for-profit website featuring more than 1,700 Black-owned businesses in CT. A team of volunteers give their time, energy and talent to keep the site operating. Listings of Connecticut-based, Black-owned business on com are free.
- CT Next has selected New Haven resident Onyeka Obiocha as its new executive director. CTNext is an entrepreneurship program overseen by the state’s quasi-public venture lending arm, Connecticut Innovations. Hartford Business Journal has the announcement here.
- Former UConn men’s basketball coach Kevin Ollie has won his four-year legal battle with the university over the years and compensation remaining on his contract when he was fired in March 2018. Ollie must receive $11,157,032.95 within the next 10 business days. The Hartford Courant reports on the decision here.