Nearly two years after the 2020 presidential election ignited a national firestorm of election fraud claims that culminated with the January 6 riot at the Capitol by protesters, the Connecticut Office of the Secretary of […]
In an op-ed for The Connecticut Post entitled “The simple math of addressing climate change,” Rep. Christine Palm, D-Chester, wrote that the Transportation and Climate Initiative program, which would require fuel wholesalers to purchase emission […]
If you’ve renewed your vehicle registration lately you may have noticed two separate fees on your bill: The Clean Air Act fee and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction fee. Together, they add an additional $15 to […]
A panel of experts argued that healthcare provider consolidation through hospital mergers and private equity takeovers are limiting competition in the health care industry and driving health care prices higher, during an online informational forum […]
A member of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association’s Board of Directors says he is trying to use his position to steer the state’s largest business association toward supporting the Transportation and Climate Initiative. Kevin […]
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed on to the Transportation and Climate Initiative program without legislative approval, but he may soon need voter approval if Massachusetts is going to remain in the controversial cap and trade […]
Connecticut trade unions are joining environmental and social justice advocacy groups in sending a letter to Connecticut lawmakers urging them to pass the Transportation and Climate Initiative program with a greater focus on equity and […]
Proponents for the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) plan to use a special legislative session in September to implement the program in Connecticut, according to a key supporter. Legislative leaders haven’t yet announced formal plans […]
International oil giant BP has been lobbying for Connecticut’s General Assembly to pass the Transportation and Climate Initiative program to lower transportation emissions, but the company could end up profiting from the cap and trade […]
With the six-month grace period for businesses to register and make contributions toward Connecticut’s paid family and medical leave program coming to an end, the PFML Authority says that only 19,000 businesses have not yet […]
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.