Friday, Dec. 11, 2009

• Will lawmakers tackle the state budget?
• Health reform in US Senate: Possible compromise, but still costly
• Manufacturers: Help us reignite state economy
• State seeking to change UC tax structure
• Streamlining group seeks business ideas
• Why are health care costs so high?
• DEP seeks costly new standards
• Congress looking at many workplace issues
• Business credit lifeline shrinking in state
• What do you think about the state's economic plan?
• Energy management options for businesses

Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009

• New budget gap opens as state revenues, jobs drop
• Gov. Rell will not seek reelection
• State's Unemployment Trust Fund runs out
• Health care reform now in US Senate
• DEP proposing to restrict water usage, increase costs
• Federal paid sick leave mandate proposed by Dodd
• State lags in US education scorecard
• Manufacturers reeling from recession
• President signs NOL tax relief

Monday, Sept. 28, 2009

• Budget work not finished yet
• New state laws and fees in effect Oct. 1
• UC, workers' comp benefits to rise
• Prevailing wage mandated for stimulus projects
• Federal 'card check' bill still on deck
• How to (re)grow Connecticut's economy
• News media say 'listen to Connecticut's businesses'
• Regional air quality pact may trump public input
• Changing landscape of health care reform

Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2009

• New budget finally passed, but ...
• Now comes the hard part
• Outcry over 'public option' should give state pause on health reform
• Court decision on campaign finance under appeal
• Why the congestion on state's transportation stimulus dollars?
• What can lawmakers do to improve Conn.'s economy?
• New project 'opens doors' to better test scores

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

• Unimpressive scorecard for General Assembly
• Special session: Democrats' budget, other proposals approved
• New laws include two that would bring huge expansion of state government
• Business-related legislation in 2009 (download PDF)
• DelGobbo to lead DPUC; Downes retires
  

Monday, June 15, 2009

• Job. No. 1: State budget that helps economy, jobs
• Experts say jobs will lag recovery
• Moving state toward major increase in control, costs
  Session ends well, but 'too close for comfort'
  Businesses were key to stopping several harmful measures
• Negative energy policies avoided; two controversial measures fail
• Reform initiatives move closer; green jobs promoted
• Decisions on Bradley board, highway tolling deferred
• Relief for small businesses approved
• Status Report: Of business-related legislation (download PDF)
• Court expands 'timely' workers' comp ruling
  

Friday, June 5, 2009

• Businesses successfully battle paid sick leave mandate, 'captive audience' proposals
• No new budget, no help for job creation
• False 'reform,' truly higher health care approved this year
• Other results

Friday, May 29, 2009

• House pushes Connecticut toward being first state to mandate paid sick leave
• Gov. Rell calls for 'painful' cuts, but no tax increases in budget proposal
• Time for 'disconnected' legislature to reconnect with state's people, businesses
• Many more health care mandates approved
• SustiNet proposal should be changed
• State still not sure about highway tolls
• Legislature expands Fair Pay Act
• More stimulus funds for unemployment benefits

Friday, May 22, 2009

• Lawmakers not focused on the economy, despite deepening crisis
• Connecticut needs real health care reform, not bigger-government schemes
• Senate approves anti-employer communication bill
• Paid sick leave mandate in House
• Prevailing wage law expanded in House proposal
• Proposal will hike workers' comp costs for employers
• Gov. Rell signs new law protecting small businesses
• Status report of business-related legislation

Friday, May 15, 2009

• Manufacturers frustrated, concerned about future in Conn.
• Paid sick leave mandate worsened
• Expansive and expensive ‘SustiNet’ is wrong answer to needed health care reform
• House approves state employee concessions

Friday, May 8, 2009

• Poll: Residents against tax increases that will harm employers, cost jobs
• Actions not connecting with talk on reducing health care costs
• State budget hole deepens to $1.3 billion--this year alone
• Too-costly paid sick leave mandate up for next committee vote
• Lawmakers to study major health care proposal
• Disability insurance proposal rejected by committee
• Little to gain, much to risk in state power authority idea
• Smart-growth proposal moves ahead
• Update on public hearings: Transportation and government streamlining
• Connecticut manufacturers to showcase at Capitol on May 13
• Status Report of Business-related Legislation (PDF file)

Friday, May 1, 2009

• Anti-employer bills get the OK from more committees
• By design, Connecticut's economy has grown with tax credits
• MIT expert backs individual mandate in health care reform
• DEP enforcement bill needs tightening
• Proposal 'amps up' size and cost of state government
• Energy choice could be taken away
• Small-biz regulatory burden to get lighter
• Long-term costs to disability proposal
• Streamlining group gets ideas to 'lean on'
• Status report of business-related legislation

Friday, April 24, 2009

• Paid sick leave: Costly mandate to be voted on by committee

• Tax proposals will cost IT jobs, weaken state's competitiveness
• Unions, governor say OK to concessions; will save taxpayers millions
• Don't start another fiscal crisis while solving this one, say economists
• 'We want real health care reform, not expensive state plan,' say chambers
• Bill restricting employer-employee communications moving quickly, quietly
• More funds are reopening business energy programs
• Streamlining group to hold public hearings
• CBIA's Weekly Capitol Review / Looking ahead to next week
• Status Report of Business-related Legislation

Friday, April 17, 2009

• Tax proposals land direct hit on Connecticut's growth industries
• Budget talks start: Will state spending be cut? 
• Extra: CBIA audio commentary on budget proposals
• State says steep cost for business tax proposal
• Job losses continue
• Committee strikes blow to employers' free speech 
• Extra: CBIA video report on 'captive audience' proposal
• Decision time approaching on ways to reform health care
• Proposal to nix Social Security disability offsets
• Status Report of Business Related Legislation

Thursday, April 9, 2009

• Tax proposals creating doubts about Connecticut in business community
• State 'Power Authority' will cost taxpayers, expand government 
• House OKs bill to lighten small-biz regulatory burden
• New way found to increase employers' workers' comp costs
• Major health care proposal would put state in deeper fiscal hole
• Trial bar pushing to expand statute of limitations
• Credit conditions improving
• Statecost: State should turn to cost-effective social services through nonprofits
• Status Report of Business Related Legislation

Friday, April 3, 2009

• Committees' tax and spending plan would jeopardize jobs
• Connecticut business leaders rally in D.C.
• Committee votes to reform high-school graduation standards
• Will brownfield legislation move forward this year?
• Graying population means declining tax base
• Status Report of Business Related Legislation

Friday, March 27, 2009

• State should stay with proven tax policy to re-grow economy
• Speak up at budget talks
• Proposals would push state government farther into energy, retirement plans
  
• Reform is cornerstone of Public Health Committee's work
• 'Card check' slows in Congress, persists in legislature
• Green jobs are red-hot
• Hollow endorsement of DEP proposal
  Baram elected in 15th House District

Friday, March 20, 2009

• Will Connecticut tax its way into a deeper recession?
• Changes to sales and use taxes will change Connecticut
• Understanding the value of tax credits
• Good ideas in Public Health Committee
• Big price tag for state, municipalities
  Stimulus dollars here, projects selected, tolls discussed
  Two good proposals, and one not so, approved
  Higher Education aims for 'green-jobs' future
  State workers' comp fund would compete with healthy market
  Government streamlining group begins work

CBIA's Status Report of business-related proposals (PDF)

The whole ball game: How a bill becomes law

Friday, March 13, 2009

• Survival not a certainty for many Connecticut businesses
• A closer look at three health care reform proposals
• Labor Committee again approves job-stopping bills
• DEP continues with overly aggressive agenda
• Federal 'card check' introduced, state proposal advances
• Connecticut needs to join the movement to reform schools
• Business-friendly proposals advance from Commerce Committee
• Energy proposals could shift, not reduce, costs
• Positive and negative measures approved in Insurance
• CBIA's Status Report of business-related proposals

Friday, March 6, 2009

• 400 business leaders to lawmakers: Economy is issue No. 1
• Many employers 'on the edge' and urge rejection of labor bills
• Tax forum highlights impact on businesses
• Small businesses: Help us help the economy
• Stimulus funds for transportation en route to CT
• Health care costs: Lawmakers can't have it both ways
• Public hearing set for high school reform proposal
• New and improved small claims court?

Friday, Feb. 27, 2009

• Mandated paid sick leave: Bad idea even in good economic times
• Big health care proposals in focus at Monday hearing
• Good ideas, but no consensus yet on health care reform
• Special election in Naugatuck on Monday for 70th House seat
• Assembly OKs bill to close this year's budget gap
• Time to base state's budget on state's performance
• Business tax credits: Critical for job growth, capital investments in Connecticut
• Proposals expand government, compete with private sector
• Proposal encourages brownfield redevelopment
• Smart growth bills in Monday hearing

Friday, Feb. 20, 2009

• Q Poll: People want smaller government, not higher taxes
• Tax proposals are job-stoppers
• Hearing on paid sick leave mandate set for Feb. 24
• Proposed changes to unemployment benefits come at high cost to employers
• Reducing health care costs could be accomplished, if only ...
• Lower electric rates coming for some
• Tolls: The ball starts rolling
• Proposals boost economic development, regional efficiency
• High school reform still a priority
• Time to talk

Friday, Feb. 13, 2009

• Dangerous equation: Uncompetitive tax burden on employers = fewer jobs in CT
• Paid sick leave: Not everybody benefits
• Senate leadership in Insurance Committee have common goals for health care reform
• DEP enforcement proposal goes too far
• GOP lawmakers propose plan to close this year's state budget gap
• Planning & Development Committee to hear property tax proposals
• Approved stimulus bill to send states less

Feb. 6, 2009

• Stronger economy, smaller government in Gov.Rell's budget
• Business tax measures in Finance Committee would stall state's hopes for recovery
• Resizing state government for tough times
• How we got there, what others are doing
• Paid sick leave mandate is costly -- but only to private sector
• Economic impact of proposed regulations needs greater scrutiny
• Talks on budget, labor and transportation set for Connecticut Business Day

Jan. 30, 2009

• Gov. Rell to outline two-year, no-tax-increase budget
• Job concerns grow; how will Assembly respond?
• Federal stimulus dollars welcome, but fall short of fixing budget crisis
• Eye to eye: Senate committee leaders share priorities on reforming health care
• Labor Committee: The good, the bad and the costly
• New energy office in Connecticut's energy future?
• 'Smart growth' promoted
• Will businesses be heard at the Capitol?

Jan. 23, 2009

• Deficit balloons; long-term damage to state's economy
• CT residents to state: Scale back, focus on core services
• Fairfield County businesses among hardest hit by crisis
• CBIA on the air: 'Economy is issue No. 1'
• How to secure a better future for Connecticut's economy
• New group set to explore employee misclassifications
• New Year, ... but old approach by Labor Committee
• State reaching out to small businesses

Jan. 16, 2009

• CBIA releases its 2009 Agenda: A plan to keep Connecticut competitive
• Lawmakers cut this year's budget gap
• Another delay in health care reform report
• Big questions, few answers at Economic Summit
• How would new regulations affect state's economy?
• Labor Committee starts slowly, unsurely
• Federal update: 'Fair pay' bill advances, 'card check' slows
• Amazing days for nation, state

Jan. 9, 2009

• Economic storm shapes mood at State Capitol as lawmakers return
• CBIA: Gov. Rell sends right message
• CBIA reports from the Capitol
• List of legislative committees, their leaders and deadlines
• Obama wants to boost business growth
• The state of Connecticut businesses: Surveys show gloomy view of economy, worries about legislature
• New Year, higher workplace costs

CBIA, 350 Church St., Hartford, CT 06103/860-244-1900