Government Affairs REPORT

Top Assembly leaders to speak at Connecticut Business Day, March 1

(Feb. 23, 2006) The leaders of the 2006 General Assembly and Gov. Rell's budget director will participate at this year's Connecticut Business Day, Wednesday, March 1 at the state Legislative Office Building.

• Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams (D-Brooklyn), Speaker of the House James Amann (D-Milford), Senate Republican Leader Lou DeLuca (R-Woodbury) and House Minority Leader Robert Ward (R-Northford) will talk about the key issues of the session.
• Robert Genuario, secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, will outline Gov. rell's budget priorities.

More than ever, Connecticut’s business leaders must participate in the state’s legislative process. Here’s why:
• There are many constructive initiatives in the General Assembly this year that need the vocal and visible support of the business community.
• And there are many anti-business proposals that legislators need to know would hurt your business and our economy.

Lawmakers need to be encouraged to to keep building and maintaining a competitive business environment in Connecticut. Participants will alsol have the chance to talk to state legislators from your area about what they can do to make Connecticut more competitive for jobs.

To register for this free event, contact CBIA’s Adam Ney at neya@cbia.com or 860-244-1900.

200 at breakfast meetings last week

“Watch what we say, watch what we do, and hold our feet to the fire.” This was heard overwhelmingly from legislators at jointly-sponsored CBIA/local chamber breakfast meetings last week in Branford and Bristol. With jobs the #1 issue at the legislature this year, legislators are talking about how to make Connecticut a better place to do business.

But these same legislators cautioned the more than 200 businesspeople attending these meetings to make sure the General Assembly follows through. As a Bristol legislator said, “Each caucus has their own [jobs] agenda. It’s whether they’ll follow through ...”

Help legislators follow through. Participate by speaking with them at a CBIA Legislative Breakfast Meeting. Here are the next meetings:
• Watertown — Feb. 23
• Middletown — Feb. 23
• Mystic — March 3
• North Haven — March 8

To attend or host a breakfast meeting, contact Elizabeth Sawyer at 860-244-1169 or sawyere@cbia.com.