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January 2007 Vol. 84, No. 11 One voice does make a differenceBe sure legislators hear from you this year Related articles: If you ever needed confirmation that one opinion — whether expressed in words or in the voting booth — really can make a difference, consider Connecticut’s recent statewide elections: Elissa Wright of Noank, elected to represent the 41st District in the state House of Representatives, had tied with her opponent in the primary. The lack of one more vote meant the tie had to be broken by a coin toss. In the 134th House District, a mere 10-vote lead allowed Trumbull’s Tom Christiano to unseat the incumbent, Jack Stone. And Joe Courtney won a seat in Congress, representing Connecticut’s 2nd District, by just 91 of the nearly 250,000 votes cast, beating incumbent Rob Simmons. Clearly, every voter’s “voice” counted. Now that newly elected lawmakers are about to begin their terms in office, the voices of constituents — including businesspeople — can still make a difference. In fact, frequently expressing your opinions to legislators on issues affecting business is especially crucial now that Connecticut’s new campaign-finance law is in effect. (It became effective Jan. 1). The law prohibits campaign contributions from board members and other principals of state contractors or prospective contractors, and their spouses and dependent children, as well as from registered lobbyists. “The new campaign finance law means it’s more important than ever for business leaders to communicate with legislators on a regular basis,” says CBIA President and CEO John Rathgeber. “Legislators need to know how the issues they’re debating affect Connecticut companies’ ability to compete in the global marketplace and to create good jobs here.” That’s true for a number of reasons. For one thing, many legislators have little or no direct business experience. Even if you communicated with some legislators in the past, you need to develop ongoing relationships, especially during the legislative session. (This year’s session runs from Jan. 3 through June 6.) Throughout the session, legislators talk to hundreds of people who are pushing various causes. If businesspeople aren’t among them, “business” can seem like a faceless entity. You need to help legislators see your business as a place where people come to work every day to earn their living. Another reason to communicate is that the General Assembly this year will have 22 brand-new legislators — people who might not have direct business experience and who will not have the benefit of having heard from businesspeople in past legislative sessions. In addition, there will be new people in several leadership and chairmanship positions. Leaders and committee chairs have a lot of influence over which bills come up for a vote and which ones don’t. You can find out who the leaders and chairs are by visiting cbia.com/gov. Key business issues to be on agendaImportant issues affecting Connecticut businesses will be on the legislative agenda this year. CBIA, for instance, will be urging legislators to make economic development and job creation their top priorities, just as they did last session, by improving the state’s business climate in three areas: competitive business costs, a skilled workforce, and dependable transportation and energy infrastructures. Legislators’ biggest task will be to adopt a spending and tax package for the next two fiscal years. Gov. Rell will submit her proposed budget in February. As things stand now, a revenue shortfall is predicted for the next budget, assuming that programs in the current state budget continue unchanged. Health care will also be getting a lot of attention. The president pro tem of the state Senate and the speaker of the House have already begun talking about the need to expand access to health care coverage. Last year’s “play or pay” health care tax is also likely to resurface, along with proposals for government-run health care. CBIA will be stressing quality initiatives and cost control as the best ways to improve access to care. Certain other issues crop up at the legislature year after year — for example, attempts to repeal the workers’ compensation reforms enacted in the 1990s. Those reforms have significantly reduced the costs of Connecticut’s workers’ compensation system while still providing generous benefits for injured workers. Nevertheless, organized labor and plaintiffs’ trial attorneys keep trying to chip away at the reforms, and will likely do so again this year. Need to speak with one voiceBefore contacting a legislator, arm yourself with information about a particular issue or bill. You can do that by visiting cbia.com/gov or by contacting one of the CBIA staff experts shown below. Share the information with your employees, and encourage them to contact legislators, too. “We want this information to go to as many people as possible, so we can all speak with one voice when contacting legislators,” says CBIA’s Rathgeber. Unity among the business community has proved successful in past legislative sessions, when CBIA assembled coalitions of many diverse business groups interested in achieving the same goals — for example, winning passage of the workers’ comp reforms and defeating the recent “play or pay” health care legislation. “Having everyone in the business community conveying the same message — that Connecticut needs to make more improvements in our business climate — will make a positive impression on legislators,” Rathgeber says. How to make your voice heardHere are ways to let legislators know your concerns:
If you have questions about getting involved or contacting legislators, call CBIA’s Public Affairs Department at 860-244-1900.
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