The union representing professors and faculty at the University of Connecticut say state lawmakers should reject tax cuts and instead fund state employee raises, according to a message posted to the union’s Facebook page. “We […]
Connecticut’s state employee managers have endured numerous wage freezes over the last decade due to budget deficits, which has led to managers earning less but having more responsibility than the employees they oversee, according to […]
The Connecticut Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Authority, which oversees the paid family and medical leave program, presented a draft budget that includes a 3 percent raise for all staff starting in 2022, estimated […]
The new year will bring another round of wage increases for state employees and a new payroll deduction for everyone else, and House Republicans are calling of Gov. Ned Lamont to suspend both in light […]
An updated study published by the Yankee Institute on Wednesday found that Connecticut government employees earn 28 percent more than comparable private sector employees, largely due to public employees’ generous retirement benefits. That difference adds […]
Sitting in our family room last night, my eyes fell on a pair of upholstered chairs routinely occupied by my husband and son. The arms of both have grown frayed and a little shabby over […]
At this moment, real police reform is within reach. But last week, the House of Representatives passed a bill that continues to protect powerful labor union interests. As the Senate prepares for special session tomorrow, […]
A provision in the contract between UConn Health and the University Health Professionals bargaining unit allows UConn Health to raise employee salaries or issue bonuses in order to “meet competition or market demands at any […]
A contractual wage increase for unionized state employees — totaling roughly $353 million — officially went into effect today, as Connecticut faces an unprecedented unemployment and budgetary crisis. Governor Lamont and the General Assembly have chosen once again to cower in the face of […]
UConn Health Center is facing $114 million loss in revenue after the coronavirus pandemic emptied beds and ended a large number of medical procedures, according to the budget presentation given to the UConn Board of […]
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.