Connecticut saw a 1,600 decrease in “nonfarm industry” positions in December, while November private sector gains (3,300) were revised down to only 300, according to the latest report issued by the state Department of Labor […]
The Department of Economic and Community Development, which awards low-interest, forgivable loans and tax credits to businesses, has been all too forgiving and generous, according to a new audit. Loans and tax credits made to […]
A bill granting up to 30 years of property and sales tax exemptions for data centers in Connecticut passed in the House of Representatives 133-13 under an emergency certification. Although the legislation has been in […]
A bill that would award a massive tax break to data centers is being fast-tracked through the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee and will receive emergency certification for a vote in the House of Representatives […]
Gov. Ned Lamont labeled his proposed budget “Connecticut’s Comeback” and that may be true in regard to Connecticut surviving the fiscal impact of the pandemic better than expected, but, according to the governor’s economic report, […]
In a break from the progressive wing of their party, the Moderate Democratic Caucus issued a statement rejecting calls for increasing Connecticut’s tax rates, a statewide property tax and a proposal to break the state’s […]
The Connecticut Restaurant Association estimates that as many as 600 restaurants have closed permanently as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent business restrictions but another wave of closures in the leisure and hospitality […]
Republicans from the House of Representatives held a press conference today outlining a plan for the state to provide relief for bars and restaurants that remain either closed or under strict capacity guidelines due to […]
Connecticut continued its nearly eight-year streak of losing more residents to other states in 2019, as the state saw a net loss of more than 22,000 residents, the fifth highest number of outmigrants in the […]
Waterbury had one of the highest increases in the percentage of residents renting apartments in the country, while Hartford, on the other hand, saw one of the highest increases in homeownership over the last ten […]
The Connecticut State Legislature will begin its 2023 session on January 4th and will adjourn on June 7th. The “long session,” as non-election years are called in Hartford, will be centered around the biennial budget. The Office of the State Comptroller reports that state government found a way to spend $47.11 billion in 2022 and, if trends continue, we can expect that number to grow even more going forward. Concerns over energy prices, inflation, and general cost of living continue to dominate the headlines and the threat of a recession hovers over economic forecasts.
What will our elected officials be working on to improve policy outcomes for Connecticut residents? What tax reform proposals will there be? What can be done to lower home heating bills? How will state and local budgets be affected by fewer federal resources? How will schools be implementing to curriculum requirements?
While we wait to see the thousands of individual and committee bills that while dominate the myriad policy debates this year, Yankee Institute is hard at work promoting free-market solutions to the problems we face from Stamford to Putnam and Mystic to Salisbury. To that end, we have produced a new edition of our Charter for Change. The Charter provides commonsense reforms to make Connecticut’s government work for its residents.
Though the list of reforms may be exhausting to review, it is far from exhaustive! And that’s why we want to work with you to build a broad-based coalition to encourage sound policy reforms to enable Connecticut residents to forge a better future for themselves and their families.
It’s also imperative that we do so. As we noted in a report and CT Mirror op-ed last year, the debate over whether we’re in a national recession really misses the point for Connecticut residents. We had more people employed in the private sector in 2007 than we do today. Our economy has grown at one of the slowest rates in the nation for the past decade, and we are getting outpaced year after year. We’re not attracting innovation and industry. We’re losing some of our best and brightest as they seek other parts of the country where it’s easier to make a living.
But together, we can reverse this trend.
At Yankee Institute, we know Connecticut is a state with boundless opportunity, and we intend to help make our state more than a place where people are just able to make ends meet! Connecticut should be a place where everyone can thrive – and with your help, it will be.