Register today for our November 10th Live Broadcast
Federal vaccine mandate date set
Capitol news and notes
News and notes from around the state
- As we go to print today for this week’s FF, we are just 5 days away from our final Live! Broadcast for the year.
- On this Live! Broadcast we will focus our attention on legislative issues by honoring a member of the General Assembly, Rep. Kerry Wood (D-Rocky Hill). In addition to having Rep. Wood join us, we will also have a roundtable discussion featuring two of CT’s leading political reporters, Chris Keating of The Hartford Courant and Christine Stuart of CTNewsJunkie.
- We hope you can join us for this last Live! Broadcast of the year. You can register for the event by going here – and if you are interested in being one of our sponsors, you can go here for more information.
- Looking forward to have you join us!
Federal Vaccine mandate update
- While CRMA’s focus is on state legislative issues, we also cannot ignore action taking place in Washington. Particularly what is taking place regarding mandated COVID-19 vaccines for employers with over 100 employees.
- This week, the Biden Administration’s new Jan. 4 deadline for employers to implement a vaccine mandate was announced. We know this will be difficult to enforce, and might lead to staffing challenges at many retail business that are already struggling. The Hartford Courant reports here on what the deadline may mean in Connecticut.
- Also, the National Retail Federation will be hosting a call today at 3:00pm to review in more detail the guidelines that have been issued by the feds for business to follow.
- We will be participating on this call and will update members with any additional information on this important issue.
Capitol news and notes
- CT’s budget outlook continues to look good. This week Comptroller Kevin Lembo reported that the state currently has a surplus of $482million dollars. You can go here to read more about that.
- State labor officials acknowledge that state residents have been told they must repay millions of dollars in excess unemployment benefits they collected, but the matter is more complex than many realize. CT Mirror has the latest information here.
- While the Republicans won in New Britain, Bristol, Windsor Locks, Plainville, and Killingly, Democrats handily defeated Republicans in Guilford and Coventry, defeated a Republican-turned-Independent in Stamford, and did well in Avon and Simsbury. The Hartford Courant’s Chris Keating has the highlights here.
News and notes from around the state
- Connecticut will loosen mandatory quarantine requirements for unvaccinated students exposed to the COVID-19 virus and give school districts the option of keeping students in classrooms if they do not develop symptoms. CTNewsJunkie has the details here.
- A public audit released on Thursday identifies a series of problems at the Department of Public Health that state officials blame on short staffing. CT Examiner reports on the audit findings here.
- Over 100 small businesses, including retailers, crafts makers and food trucks, are expected to participate in a new Winter Fair in downtown Hartford, officials announced this week. The initiative will take place most weekends and some weekdays between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Hartford Business Journal has the story here.
- Avelo Airlines’ first flight from Tweed New Haven Airport this week headed to Florida, as economic officials and state and local leaders saluted the new passenger service. New Haven BIZ has the details here.
- Philip Morris International is relocating to Stamford. The company is moving its headquarters from 120 Park Ave. in New York City to take occupancy at 677 Washington Boulevard in late 2022. Fairfield County Business Journal reports the story here.
- Connecticut Foodshare’s annual “Turkey and Thirty” campaign, its annual tradition of raising food and funds to meet its goal of providing 50,000 Thanksgiving turkeys to Connecticut families this year, is underway. We-ha.com reports on the kick-off here.