Rep. Miller Testifies to Establish Task Force on CT’s Business Climate

A measure that would establish a task force to recommend proposals to make Connecticut more business-friendly will encourage business expansion and job growth and help the state recover from the current recession, state Representative Lawrence G. Miller told the General Assembly’s Commerce Committee Tuesday.

The measure (House Bill 5318), which was considered at a Commerce Committee public hearing, was introduced by Representative Miller, R-122nd District, to spur business growth and alleviate unemployment in Stratford and Shelton and elsewhere in the state.

“With the unemployment rate in Connecticut now at about 7 percent, we must do everything we can to help our state pull out of the recession,” Representative Miller said. “That means focusing on measures that will stimulate business expansion and lead to the creation of more jobs. One of the most effective steps we can take is to improve the business climate in our state. Connecticut has a reputation as a state that is hostile to business, which has made attracting new employers and encouraging existing ones to remain here and expand extremely difficult. The task force I am proposing can play a crucial role in changing the way potential employers view our state and help restore prosperity and job growth at a time when we need it most.”

“Many of my Shelton and Stratford constituents have shared their concerns with me about the state legislature’s seeming indifference to the plight of people who have lost their jobs and their homes,” Representative Miller said. “They are worried about how they and their families will get through a recession that is the worst our state has seen in decades. When they see legislative committees wasting their time considering bills that could lead to more job losses, it should come as no surprise that many voters increasingly view the legislature as out of touch with the people it is supposed to serve.”

“Many residents who called me were particularly outraged about a proposal (House Bill 5811) that was considered at an Environment Committee public hearing Monday that would require large egg producers like the Kofkoff Egg Farms in Bozrah to buy bigger cages for their hens,” Representative Miller said. “While the merits of the bill are debatable, one thing is certain: it would force the last remaining commercial egg-laying operation in Connecticut to shut down for good. Kofkoff Egg Farms employs 300 people and is Bozrah’s biggest taxpayer. If this legislation becomes law, the total statewide impact of the loss of this industry would amount to $186.7 million per year. Do we really want to kill 300 Connecticut jobs and devastate Bozrah’s economy? Is this the kind of message we want to send to potential employers who might be considering a move to our state? I don’t think so.”

“At a time when thousands of people are being thrown out of work and are worrying about how they will survive, it is a slap in the face to everyone who fears for their economic future in Connecticut that one of the General Assembly’s most high-profile committees would even consider a measure like this,’ Representative Miller said.