Transform Connecticut: CBIA’s 2023 Policy Solutions

Connecticut’s stable fiscal picture provides a foundation that allows us to unlock Connecticut’s tremendous economic potential. However, that means taking a hard look at our challenges and embracing meaningful change.

Soaring inflation, supply chain disruptions, the state’s high cost of living, and the labor shortage crisis remain significant threats to our economic growth.

There are nearly 100,000 job openings in the state, while 85% of employers experience difficulties finding and retaining employees.

CBIA’s 2023 Transform Connecticut policy solutions target those challenges, opening doors to opportunity for all communities and residents—tackling the high costs of living and running a business, implementing pathways to rewarding careers, and leveraging the state’s many strengths to make our economy more vibrant, robust, and equitable.

These solutions, supported by a bipartisan group of 84 lawmakers—almost half the General Assembly—and a growing coalition of businesses and organizations, are specifically designed to:

• Lower the state’s cost of living
• Develop and provide more housing options
• Help residents struggling with student loans
• Remove workforce barriers, including the sales tax on training programs and occupational licensing restrictions
• Access hidden sources of talent such as legal immigration
• Ease the tax burden on small businesses and incentivize investment
• Promote Connecticut as a destination for businesses large and small