Like bad medicine, no amount of honey can hide the bad taste. Connecticut legislators are poised to pass several laws that will raise the cost of doing business and living in Connecticut. Two pernicious bills, […]
A coalition of communists, socialists, labor unions and other progressive groups will be uniting to demand a “tax the rich, fund public education, cap the rent and more” budget at the state Capitol, May 17. “Equity […]
Connecticut Halls of Power Turning into Union Halls On May 8, the Appropriations Committee favorably voted on two bills — benefiting ‘Big Labor’ — that will make doing business in the state more burdensome. […]
Connecticut’s struggling small businesses will be saddled with more obligations and costs if a bill expanding paid sick time passes. On May 8, the Appropriations Committee favorably voted on S.B. 1178, which covers all […]
Connecticut’s race to the bottom in best individual income tax has stalled — ranking 47th for the third consecutive year. Only New Jersey, California and New York received worse marks, according to a recent Tax […]
According to Connecticut’s Office of Policy and Management’s and Comptroller’s latest estimates, overall revenue grew 4.4% from Fiscal Year 2022 to 2023 with a rise in non-tax revenue overcoming a decrease in tax revenue. Total […]
Connecticut Voices for Children and Yankee Institute want to express their united opposition to HB 6929: An Act Concerning the Film and Digital Media Production Tax Credits. The Connecticut Department of Economic and […]
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.