At halfway mark: Some progress, more concerns

(April 4, 2008) As the legislature passes the halfway mark for the 2008 session, it’s helpful to review the issues most important to Connecticut’s residents and business community and consider how lawmakers are progressing on them.

A recent poll of state residents by Zogby International found that people are most concerned about taxes, state spending, economic growth, job creation, education, and health care. Twice as many people said that business taxes are too high rather than too low and two-thirds said taxes and spending are too high.

CBIA’s 2008 Government Affairs Program mapped a blueprint for lawmakers to make Connecticut more competitive and foster job creation. Its major components were promoting:

• More-competitive business costs and lower taxes
• A top-notch education system to produce a skilled workforce
• A dependable transportation infrastructure
Lawmakers were also urged to reject proposals that would weaken business confidence and discourage economic investment.

While some progress has been made, numerous proposals still alive would weaken Connecticut’s business climate. This edition reports on how the General Assembly stands at the halfway point in the major issue areas.