Two leading Democrats in the state House have introduced 10 bills aimed at encouraging job growth and economic development, including measures that expand eligibility for the angel investor tax credit program and create a small business hotline.
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Two leading Democrats in the state House have introduced 10 bills aimed at encouraging job growth and economic development, including measures that expand eligibility for the angel investor tax credit program and create a small business hotline.
Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz (D-Berlin) and House Majority Leader Matt Ritter (D-Hartford) said their legislative package has widespread support among House Democrats, and is expected to also garner backing from minority Republicans.
“This legislation represents the hundreds and thousands of conversations every member of the House Democrats had this fall with their constituents and local businesses,” Ritter said.
The bills are largely general outlines of legislative ideas and aren't fully fleshed out, but they include efforts to:
• Expand the types of businesses that are qualified to receive cash investments under the angel investor tax credit program;
• Create a small business hotline providing prospective and existing small business owners with individualized information and guidance regarding business formation and development, technical and financial assistance from the state, and networking resources;
• Turn the technical high school system into an independent agency;
• Provide income tax credits to college grads who remain in or move to Connecticut to work;
• Create a taskforce to study the effectiveness, impact and cohesiveness of workforce development programs and initiatives;
• Require employers, including the state and political subdivisions, to provide equal pay to employees in the same workplace who perform comparable duties.
All the bills will start in various legislative committees, where they will need to be approved before moving on in the legislative process.
– Greg Bordonaro
