CT Dept. Of Labor: Unemployment Rate Continues Its Drop, Now at 4.4%; State Has Estimated 100,000 Jobs Available

(Wethersfield, CT) – Today, Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo released the April jobs report showing a continued drop in the unemployment rate, down another 0.2% to 4.4%. Employers in the state added an estimated 1,600 jobs. March job number revisions show that 3,700 jobs were added, revised down from the estimated 4,600 reported …
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Legislature Adjourns 2022 Legislative Session, Bids Adieu to Numerous Members

In the waning days of the 2022 legislative session, which adjourned at midnight Wednesday, lawmakers passed a $24.2 billion adjusted budget-tax package for FY 23, approved raises for themselves, state employees, and Constitutional officers, and bid farewell to numerous legislators who have announced they won’t be returning (the current total estimate is north of 30).  …
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Finance Panel Okays Lamont’s Tax Plan, Minus Republican Support; Vote on Spending Plan Expected Thursday

Hopes for a bipartisan, election-year vote on a revenue package dissolved with the unveiling of the proposal in the Finance Committee Wednesday, with Republicans and a handful of Democrats voicing concern about the state’s revenue cap and the state’s long-term fiscal stability.   Nonetheless the proposal, which includes a new child tax credit and Governor Lamont’s …
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State Lawmakers Okay Temporary Gas Tax Cut, Sales Tax Holiday on Certain Clothing Items and Free Public Bus Service

The state House of Representatives today overwhelmingly approved a temporary suspension of the state’s 25-cents-per-gallon excise tax on gasoline and a second, one-week sales tax holiday on clothing and footwear under $100.  The legislation also included provisions for suspension of public transit bus fares. The gas tax cut and the transit fare relief are effective …
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Hartford Business Journal: Former House Speaker Aresimowicz returns to state Capitol, lobbying for one of CT’s most influential firms

Hartford Business Journal: Former House Speaker Aresimowicz returns to state Capitol, lobbying for one of CT’s most influential firms March 14, 2022 Robert Storace https://www.hartfordbusiness.com/article/former-house-speaker-aresimowicz-returns-to-state-capitol-lobbying-for-one-of-cts-most HBJ PHOTO | STEVE LASCHEVER Gaffney, Bennett and Associates Inc. Managing Partner Jay Malcynsky (left) with the newest recruit to his New Britain-based lobbying firm, former House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, …
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Asserting its Legislative Authority, the State Senate Today Voted in Concurrence With the House to Codify Select Executive Orders

The CT Senate today approved, along party lines and in concurrence with the state House of Representatives, a measure codifying and extending certain Covid-19 Executive Orders (EOs) in whole or in part. Senate President Marty Looney, D-New Haven, said the Special Act approved by the General Assembly asserts the Legislature’s authority to review, oversee, and …
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Governor Lamont Unveils 2023 Midterm Budget Proposal

Flush with billions of dollars in federal relief funding and a swelling budget surplus, CT Governor Ned Lamont today unveiled a proposed $24.2 billion midterm budget for FY23 that increases spending by 2.4% over the FY23 budget adopted last year.   The budget proposal is $5.6 million below the Constitutional spending cap and has a built-in …
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Governor Lamont Offers Preview of Proposed Tax Relief Plan

Governor Lamont’s today provided a preview of a $336 million mid-term tax relief package he plans to present to the Legislature when it convenes the 2022 session on February 9th. Office of Policy and Management Secretary Melissa McCaw noted that, because Connecticut is using federal money from the American Recuse Plan Act to balance the …
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Comptroller, Labor Committee Co-chairs Announce Launching of Covid Relief Fund for Essential Workers

Interim Comptroller Natalie Braswell, flanked by the co-chairs of the Legislature’s Labor Committee and labor representatives, today announced the launching of a $34 million CT Essential Worker Covid-19 Assistance Fund to help those affected by the pandemic. The Fund was approved by the General Assembly to support the critical workforce that has helped keep the state …
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