CRMA LIVE BROADCAST series kicked off this week
News and notes from the State Capitol
News and notes from around the state

  • On Wednesday of this week, CRMA held the first in our new LIVE BROADCST series.
  • This all-new series kicked off with a session featuring state Commissioner of Economic and Community Development David Lehman and a panel of leading retailers.
  • It was an informative presentation by Commissioner David Lehman with important updates, and direct answers to timely questions posed by Connecticut retailers. In addition, the panel of retailers shared their experiences of running a retail store during COIVD and planning for an uncertain future.
  • We know you are busy, so we are making all of our LIVE BROADCASTS available on demand! Invest 60 minutes into making sure you are informed with the latest information affecting retail in Connecticut. In case you missed it, you can see it here!
  • Also, PLEASE mark your calendar for our next LIVE BROADCAST.
  • Join us on October 13 for the next in our compelling series of exclusive LIVE BROADCASTS, featuring leading voices — national and local — with insight into what’s ahead for retail. You can register here today!

 

News and notes from the State Capitol

  • Ned Lamont would like to extend his COVID-19 emergency declaration for at least 90 days, after it expires on Sept. 30. It would be the sixth extension, with some changes, since the pandemic began last year.  CT Mirror has the details here.
  • The field of potential candidates for Secretary of the State next year continues to grow, following incumbent Denise Merrill’s announcement that she would not seek re-election. The latest possible candidate is State Rep. Josh Elliott of Hamden.  CT Examiner has the story, here.
  • On Tuesday of next week, Sen. James Maroney (D-Milford), will host a task force that he put together to review potential privacy legislation for the 2022 Legislative session.
  • CRMA will be watching that task force very closely. Any privacy legislation will have an impact on all sizes of retailers, so this a very important task force which will have a direct impact on our industry. We will keep you posted on the task force as it moves along with its work.

 

News and notes around Connecticut

  • Connecticut continues to add jobs, with approximately 70% of the jobs lost during March and April of 2020 now restored. The state added 11,000 jobs in July and an estimated 3,300 more in August. The Hartford Courant has the data here.
  • Two incumbent mayors were upset in Democratic primaries on Tuesday. Hamden Democrats chose Lauren Garrett over three-term incumbent Curt Leng and Stamford Democrats preferred State Rep. Caroline Simmons over eight-year incumbent David Martin.  Both primary winners will face opposition in November.  Hearst newspapers share their view of the results here.
  • Wallingford’s Planning & Zoning Commission voted this week to prohibit cannabis retail stores, the latest municipality to do so. Meriden Record-Journal has the story here.
  • A new survey has found that Bridgeport is the nation’s second most diverse city. Fairfield County Business Journal reports the results here.
  • Burnout rates in the U.S. workforce remain high, according to a new study from insurer The Hartford, and women are increasingly reporting higher rates of job-related exhaustion. New Haven BIZ has the study results here.
  • 70% of recent COVID-19 cases in Connecticut are among unvaccinated people, new state data shows. The Hartford Courant has the latest update from state officials here.