Should Connecticut repeal the estate and gift taxes? Should members of the military and their spouses be forced to jump through the red tape of Connecticut's occupational licensing laws? These are just two of the many bills that were debated throughout this week. Below is a run down on which bills Yankee testified on and our position.
As Connecticut’s legislature moves forward debating bills, know that Yankee Institute is at the capitol giving voice to the hard-working people of Connecticut. In just the last week, Yankee Institute has testified in person or in writing on 13 bills brought up for public hearings. Here is a list of the ideas we supported and opposed.
In its administrative report to the governor, the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, which is tasked with investigating claims of discrimination in employment and housing, claimed that it had “the best production rate" of any similar agency by securing $10,250,000 in discrimination settlements from employers and property owners during FY16. But some employers and property owners liken the CHRO's practices to “extortion” and claim they are forced to settle with claimants to avoid a longer and more costly fight.
Connecticut is naughty both for energy policy and energy prices. According to the Pacific Research Institute’s most recent 50 State Index of Energy Regulation, Connecticut has a lot of work to do. The state’s regulatory scheme ranks 47 in the country. The Index measures the regulatory burdens placed on consumers and producers of energy by each state, ranking them accordingly.
Nice states encourage and reward risk takers, both with policy and general attentiveness to their job creators. Unpredictability, projections to increase taxes, and constant regulatory creep are factors that reduce business confidence and, ultimately, reinvestment in a state. Naughty states disregard the concerns of employers.
In recent years, Connecticut has not been friendly to business or entrepreneurship, particularly start-up activity. In fact, in a new survey of small businesses conducted by the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, more than nine in 10 small businesses indicated that public policy did not “facilitate the efforts of small businesses in the state.” Given this climate, it is no wonder the state does so poorly in 50-state rankings.