An Act Concerning Police Accountability, passed during special session in July, overruled a provision in the Connecticut State Police union contract that exempted certain personnel records from the state’s Freedom of Information laws, but state […]
A bill that would determine prevailing wage rates for large building and highway construction based on “dominant collective bargaining agreements” will likely be voted on by the legislature during special session. Although much attention has […]
Gov. Ned Lamont may be running the state via executive order, but lawmakers have also been holding virtual informational hearings, listening sessions and committee votes. However, Republican Senate Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, says that […]
Gov. Ned Lamont announced Tuesday that he is extending the public health emergency declaration until February 9, which also allows his executive orders to remain in effect. The governor’s emergency powers were set to expire […]
A Connecticut State Police contract passed by the legislature in 2019 is being interpreted broadly by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection to block freedom of information requests, according to the Connecticut Freedom […]
At a press conference before a public hearing on Gov. Ned Lamont’s bill to toll trucks, Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, presented the fiscal note for the bill, which states that the revenue […]
Senate Democrats gave tepid support for Gov. Ned Lamont’s plan to toll trucks following a long caucus meeting, but a special session on the matter remains in limbo as a bill has yet to be […]
Protesters from No Tolls CT and a small group of union leaders gathered at opposite ends of the circular driveway to the governor’s mansion on Tuesday, while inside Gov. Ned Lamont and legislative leaders attempted […]
Senate Republicans unveiled their latest transportation funding plan which would use $1.5 billion from the state’s Rainy Day Fund to pay off pension debt and remove pension payments from the Special Transportation Fund, thereby freeing […]
**Update: Gov. Ned Lamont announced Friday that the Department of Revenue Services will revise its guidance to eliminate the sales tax on items from grocery store aisles** As Gov. Ned Lamont heads into meetings with […]
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.