General Assembly adjourns for the year
Mixed bag for retailers and other business groups
State Capitol news and notes
Other news and notes from around the state
CRMA Golf outing update
- The Legislature adjourned for the short session, and for retailers it was a mixed bag.
- While on the one hand we are pleased that the comprehensive privacy bill that passed had the necessary protections for retailers included in it and that a harmful predictive scheduling bill failed to pass, there were some bills that did pass that were harmful to business.
- Specifically, we are disappointed that the General Assembly passed SB163, the captive audience bill. We will be participating in a coalition of business organizations urging Gov. Lamont to veto the legislation, as it negatively impacts an employer’s ability to engage in normal workplace discussions.
- And while the General Assembly passed a budget and tax package that provides tax relief including a continuation of the gas tax cut, it failed to give direct relief to consumers via sales tax reductions.
- Included in $24 billion budget, in addition to the $600 million in tax cuts, the General Assembly did put $40 million into the Unemployment Trust fund to pay down the debt the state owes to the Federal Government. We are disappointed that the General Assembly did not put more into that fund.
- The good news overall is that the General Assembly is DONE for the year with NO plans to come back into special session. CTNewsJunkie takes a look at winners and losers during this year’s session here.
Other news and notes from around the State Capitol
- Connecticut legislators voted this year to raise legislative compensation for the first time in 21 years, increasing the $28,000 base legislator salary to $44,000, also increasing the salaries for the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of the state, treasurer, comptroller, and attorney general by linking those salaries to the compensation of state judges. CT Mirror has the details here.
- The Senate gave final approval this week to a plan to give unionized state workers a set of raises and bonuses. The plan, negotiated by Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration and a coalition of public sector labor unions, provides three years of 2.5% raises and step increases as well as a total of $3,500 in bonuses for most workers. CTNewsJunkie has the numbers here.
- Just days after the end of the 2022 legislative session, the 2022 election season gets underway in earnest with Republicans and Democrats gathering in conventions to select their respective candidates for statewide office. There is already controversy among the Democrats, as CTNewsJunkie reports here.
- Less controversy is anticipated at the Republican State Convention, with the exception of the contested race for the U.S. Senate nomination. CT Post has the story here.
News and notes from around the state
- There were 15,602 applications submitted for cannabis retail business licenses, according to state officials. Twelve will be selected. Hartford Business Journal reports on the flood of applications here.
- A Holocaust survivor, a corporate attorney, a scholar and Islamic Chaplain, and the interim president of the University of Connecticut will be inducted by the National Immigrant Heritage Center into the Immigrant Heritage Hall of Fame this July. CTNewsJunkie reports on the plans here.
- Nearly all of Connecticut is in the red zone for COVID-19 infections, with more than 15 cases per 100,000 people and a positivity rate of more than 10%, according to state data released Thursday. The Hartford Courant has the latest data here.
- The West Hartford-based University of Saint Joseph plans to start a new fund in honor of long-time Connecticut men’s college basketball coach Jim Calhoun, who helped launch the school’s men’s basketball program in 2017. Hartford Business Journal reports on the plans here.
- Internet provider GoNetspeed is expanding construction of its high-speed “fiber-to-the premises” infrastructure in five more towns in the Greater New Haven region, and is looking to expand further in Connecticut. New Haven BIZ reports on their plans here.
- Former state legislator Caroline Simmons, now the Mayor of Stamford, told businesses in her community this week that she will pursue specific steps to improve aspects of Stamford’s appeal to business. Fairfield County Business Journal has the details here.
- Avelo Airlines begins flying nonstop from Tweed New Haven Regional Airport to four new non-Florida destinations this week, with flights to Charleston, S.C. (CHS) and Myrtle Beach, S.C. (MYR), Nashville (BNA) and Savannah, Ga., (SAV). The New Haven Register has the details here.
CRMA Golf Outing
- If you haven’t done so already, please visit the CRMA website to review our invitation and fill out a registration form for this year’s CRMA Golf Outing, coming up next month on June 28.
- The Golf Outing is one of the biggest annual fundraisers for CRMA to support our work on behalf of Connecticut retailers year-round. Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated.
- We hope you will join us – or support this event in other ways. We are returning to the Wampanoag Country Club in West Hartford this year for a day of camaraderie, delicious food and great fun!
- We hope to see you with us on Tuesday, June 28th!