Legislative Advocacy
Legislative Advocacy
Established decades ago as the Connecticut Retail Merchants Association and renamed the Connecticut Retail Network in 2023, this organization has always been the “Voice of Retailing” in Connecticut. But what does that really mean? It means retailers have unique business issues and challenges that need to be addressed. Although we share the same burden of taxes and regulations like other businesses, we also have retail-only issues. Because of those issues, the founding fathers of CRN decided it made better business sense to break away and create our own trade association and have our own dedicated lobbyist to look out for retailers’ legislative issues. That focused, concentrated approach in dealing with legislative and regulatory issues that only impact retailers has driven the agenda for CRN from the time we were formed until today – and tomorrow.
Simply put, CRN is a full-time lobby firm at the Capitol for retailers only. Our legislative agenda each year is dedicated to working only on retail issues – protecting your interests above all others. No other trade association in Connecticut, no Chamber of Commerce in Connecticut, can claim that. We are working full time, on every issue in every session, with one principle in mind: find out how this issue impacts our members, the retailers of Connecticut, and how we can make sure legislative action improves the retail climate in our state.
Come join CRN today. Together We Are Stronger. We are confident you will see for yourself that our focus is on retailers and that our members are our first priority.
Get involved
CRN understands that no matter how much we work on your behalf at the state Capitol, nothing is as powerful as a local businessperson and local legislators making a connection. In political parlance it is called “grass roots”; in the real world it is called getting to know your neighbor. And retailers like you make the community and neighborhood stronger.
Also, local retailers like you have an enormous impact on how legislators react to the issues facing them. In fact, many times it is because of your involvement that legislators make the decisions they do. From time to time as issues arise, we will need your help. And as your full-time lobbyist in Hartford, we not only appreciate your willingness to help, we understand how powerful your voice is. We know because we have witnessed firsthand how powerful your voice can be. Combined with our presence at the state Capitol every day and every session, your willingness to contact your legislators either through emails, phone calls or in-person meetings makes CRN the Voice of Retailing in Connecticut.
Legislative news and notes
For the latest information about what is happening in the world of politics and on the floor and in the halls of the state Capitol, we invite you to read our weekly Friday Facts. It’s sent to our members weekly in the form of an email, and it gives members a quick snapshot of the issues pending before the General Assembly, as well as insight into what is going on behind the scenes at the state Capitol.
While Friday Facts is a great place for you to get the latest legislative news, we recommend you also check out these sites:
Federal Links
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Education
- Department of Energy
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Department of Justice
- Department of Labor
- Department of Transportation
- Department of Treasury
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Food and Drug Administration
- House of Representatives
- National Conference of State Legislatures
- Securities and Exchange Commission
- U.S. Senate
- The White House