2018 State House Voting Records

The following table illustrates how members of the Connecticut state House voted in 2018 on a series of key bills (see below), either in committee or on the House floor. If a representative sponsored a bill, and did not have an opportunity to vote on it, that is also reflected in these records.

While these bills represent just a fraction of all legislation considered during the session, they were chosen as the framework for CBIA’s 2018 legislative voting records because of their potential impact—positive or negative—on Connecticut’s economic competitiveness and business climate.

2018 Key Bills

Manufacturing Jobs (SB 261): Helped address the state’s critical shortage of skilled manufacturing workers by extending the apprenticeship training tax credit to smaller manufacturers. Passed Senate 36-0; House 148-0; vetoed by governor. Senate veto override failed 18-13. CBIA Position: Supported.

Bioscience Investment (SB 266): Promotes greater investment in the state’s bioscience sector by providing a tax credit to venture capital firms. Passed Senate 36-0; House 139-11; signed by governor. CBIA Position: Supported.

Biosimilars (SB 197): Brings a lower-cost, generic version of biosimilar medicines to Connecticut, creating substantial savings for patients and the healthcare system. Passed Senate 36-0; House 123-24; signed by governor. CBIA Position: Supported.

Employer Gag Order (HB 5473): Drastically limited what employers can discuss in the workplace, including business-related legislation or regulations and their support for various civic, fraternal, or community organizations. Passed Judiciary Committee 25-14; Labor Committee 7-5; no action taken by House. CBIA Position: Opposed.

Paid FMLA Mandate (SB 1 and HB 5387): Costly and unsustainable new mandate on private sector businesses with two or more employees that required $13.6 million in startup costs and another $18 million annually to administer. SB 1 passed Labor Committee 7-6; failed in Finance Committee. HB 5387 passed Labor Committee 7-6; Finance Committee 26-25; no action taken by House. CBIA Position: Opposed.

Shift Schedules (SB 318 and SB 321): Restricted how employers schedule workers, requiring businesses in select industries to pay one-half of an employee’s regular pay for canceling or reducing a shift within 24 hours of its scheduled start. SB 321 failed in Committee on Children 6-7; SB 318 failed in Senate 16-20. CBIA Position: Opposed.

Regulatory Penalties (HB 5266): Authorized state agencies to waive civil penalties for first-time, unintentional regulatory violations that don’t result in bodily injury or pose a significant threat to human health or the environment. Passed Government Administration and Elections Committee 9-8; Finance Committee 28-20; no action taken by House. CBIA Position: Supported.

Overdue Debt Collection (HB 5491): Placed additional restrictions on a creditor’s right to collect overdue debt, significantly impacting small businesses. Passed Banking Committee 10-9; no action taken by House. CBIA Position: Opposed.

State Employee Benefits (SB 367): Implemented a review of state employee compensation and retirement benefits to determine the long-term cost impact on Connecticut’s economy. Passed Appropriations Committee 46-5; no action taken by Senate. CBIA Position: Supported.

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