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Newsroom 2010 October 4, 2010 June 25, 2010 June 23, 2010 May 12, 2010 May 12, 2010 May 1, 2010 March 23, 2010 March 9, 2010 March 1, 2010 February 2, 2010 MAJORITY LEADERS’ JOBS ROUNDTABLE FOCUSES ON HOW INCUBATOR NETWORK HELPS SMALL BUSINESSES GROW, EXPAND Led by House Majority Leader Denise Merrill (D-Mansfield, Chaplin), the Majority Leaders’ Jobs Growth Roundtable heard presentations Monday from leaders of the Connecticut Business Incubator Network and its efforts to help new companies grow and expand. “As we can see from these presenters, the Business Incubator Network is making a big difference in helping companies grow and create new jobs in our state,” said Merrill, who along with Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney (D-New Haven), formed the jobs growth roundtable to spur business development and job creation. Among the experts giving presentations were: Ronald Buccilli, president of Connecticut Enterprise Center; Paul Striebel, programs administrator for Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology; Jeff Crandall, CCAT director of facilities; Rick Mullins, executive assistant to the president for community business programs at the Institute of Technology and Business Development at Central Connecticut State University; and Rita Zangari, executive director of the Technology Incubation Program at the University of Connecticut. The Network's vision is to stimulate Connecticut's economic development through business incubation activities, resulting in the creation of new jobs, new businesses and new investments. The seven participating incubator programs operate a total of ten facilities that are strategically located throughout the state. Together, the facilities provide a home to more than 64 start-up businesses. The program is designed to accelerate young start-up businesses from an emerging concept to a viable enterprise. They nurture the development of entrepreneurial companies, helping them survive and grow during the start-up period, when they are most vulnerable. GROWING ONE JOB AT A TIME By David Krechevsky Waterbury — Gar-Kenyon is hiring a new employee, and its chief executive says the state legislature can take some of the credit. Steven A. Fournier, president and CEO of the Naugatuck-based manufacturer, said Tuesday his company is taking advantage of a state job-training program.  STEVEN VALENTI REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN From left, Steve Fournier of Gar-Kenyon and Rich Dupont of Resource Development Associates listen to legislative leaders during a meeting of the business community at Platt Brothers in Waterbury on Wednesday. "We're adding at least one new employee as a result of the job training, and we intend to seek out another as well," he said. It may not sound like much, but for Gar-Kenyon, which has 25 employees, adding two more would be an 8 percent increase. That's the kind of result Democratic leaders of the state legislature touted during a news conference and meeting with local business leaders Tuesday morning. The event was held at The Platt Brothers & Co., which manufactures deep-drawn metal parts and zinc products at its facility at 2670 South Main St. House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan, D-Meriden; House Majority Leader Denise W. Merrill, D-Mansfield; and Rep. Jeffrey J. Berger, D-73rd District and House chairman of the Commerce Committee, joined about 20 business people in a cramped conference room to discuss measures passed in the recent session that are intended to help businesses and spur job growth. In particular, Merrill cited legislation that resulted from a Job Growth Roundtable she convened. The roundtable included business and labor experts and economists, who were asked to determine the "impediments to job growth" that exist in the state and what to do about them. "We ended up passing a bill out of the recommendations of that panel, and actually it was a bipartisan bill," Merrill said. "Everyone came to the table with their best ideas." The bill includes provisions for up to $500,000 in loans and lines of credit for small businesses and nonprofits; sales tax exemptions for machinery, supplies and fuel used in renewable energy industries; and tax credits for small businesses that create jobs or hire workers with disabilities, among other initiatives. "What we kept hearing was that growth is going to come from smaller businesses that hire one, two or three people," Merrill said. "And when you think of the thousands of businesses there are in Connecticut, if everybody hired just one person, we'd have 50,000 new jobs right there. So we tried to pass some new credits that would target those (businesses) just hiring a few people. … We hope that's going to work." It's working for Gar-Kenyon, which makes aviation parts, said Fournier, who added that other small manufacturers need help as well. "I'm very interested in the job-training money and the lean manufacturing training," he said. "I think those are two critical things for manufacturers here in the state." The state itself is relying on lean manufacturing principles as part of a new law to streamline the permitting process at the state Department of Environmental Protection. Other new legislation included a tax credit promoting "angel investing," which aims to encourage venture capital firms to invest in startups in Connecticut, and a brownfield remediation liability law, touted by Berger, that establishes a group to study brownfield issues and offers some relief for municipalities. "How we address this becomes the most important jobs bill that we can do," he said. "Because when we clean up a brownfield, we bring in a new business, we have a business that expands, we create jobs, and we create tax revenue." Donovan said the legislature faced difficult challenges during the session, including balancing the state budget. But he said the results were positive. "You look around at all the other states; What's New York doing? What's Rhode Island doing? What's California doing? We're done. We're done," he said. "We balanced our budget, we're done."  STEVEN VALENTI REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN House Majority Leader Denise Merrill speaks to business leaders as State House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan listens during a gathering at Platt Brothers in Waterbury on Wednesday. Not everyone agreed. Joseph F. Brennan, senior vice president of public policy for the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, said the legislature still faces a budget challenge. "In our mind they didn't really do much other than avoid the real issues for another session," he said, noting the budget was balanced with help from the federal government, one-time revenues and borrowing, among other items. Brennan added that while some positive bills for business were passed, many that would have harmed businesses were on the table until the last minute, such as the paid-sick-leave bill and bills affecting business-related taxes. "It's hard to describe the session as positive, because with a week to go it looked bleak," he said. "But we did see passage of positive bills for the first time in a while." SPEAKER DONOVAN, MAJORITY LEADER MERRILL, REP. BERGER 
State House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden); House Majority Leader Denise Merrill (D-Chaplin, Mansfield); House Chair of the Commerce Committee, Rep. Jeff Berger (D-Waterbury) and members of the Waterbury Business Community met today at Platt Brothers in Waterbury to talk about legislative accomplishments of the General Assembly's 2010 session, particularly measures that impact jobs creation. Among the measures passed this session: The Majority Leaders' Job Growth Roundtable (HB 5435) The Job Growth Roundtable law provides:
In addition, an Angel Investor Tax Credit program will be created under the new law. A tax credit equal to 25 percent of an investment would be allowed for investments up to $125,000. A student loan forgiveness program also will be created for green technology, life science and health information technology. Students obtaining two-year or four-year degrees meeting certain requirements would qualify for up to $10,000 in loan forgiveness for their education and subsequent employment in the designated fields. Measure to Streamline the Permitting Process (HB 5208) The legislation requires the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to examine all of its permitting processes and report on recommendations for speeding up the permit process for businesses. The DEP is required to make all reasonable efforts to review initial permit applications for problems within 60 days and make final determinations within 180 days. The bill automatically extends any general permit beyond its original expiration date, provided a renewal has been filed. The bill also creates an Office of Permit Ombudsman within the Department of Economic and Community Development to work with Connecticut companies seeking permits from the state departments of Environmental Protection, Public Health and Transportation. Other provisions include:
Help for Micro Businesses The legislature enacted several forms of assistance for smaller businesses (sHB 5498). The legislation:
Creation of a Job Corps (SA 10-2) The legislature created the State Job Corps Task Force to study how the state may, under federal and state law, implement a program similar to the Works Progress Administration created by President Roosevelt in 1935, to use unemployed workers to construct public works projects in the state. Brownfield Remediation Liability (sHB 5436) This bill expands the scope of several brownfield clean-up programs and establishes a working group to study brownfield issues. It qualifies municipal and nonprofit development agencies for directors' and officers' liability and general liability insurance under an existing brownfield clean-up program. It allows the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) commissioner to use the funds from another brownfield program as a funding source for two newer programs opened to municipalities and private developers. The bill allows municipalities to fix the assessment on contaminated property before the owner begins remediation. It also allows them to forgive back taxes on a contaminated property if a developer proposes to remediate it under a state-approved plan. Lastly, the bill establishes an 11-member working group to examine brownfield issues and requires it to report its findings and recommendations to the Commerce Committee by January 15, 2011. MAJORITY LEADER MERRILL PRAISES ENACTMENT Citing the need for job creation as the most important challenge facing Connecticut, state House Majority Leader Denise Merrill (D-Mansfield, Chaplin) on Wednesday praised the enactment of the Act Concerning the Recommendations of the Majority Leaders' Job Growth Roundtable (HB 5435). "Since 1990, the population of the state has grown 7 percent and yet we have fewer jobs today than we had 20 years ago," Merrill said. "This legislation will provide the necessary capital to encourage businesses to locate and expand in Connecticut and create the jobs we need to dig out of this recession and return to greatness." As Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed the Majority Leaders' Job Growth legislation into law, Merrill, who championed the bill through the House, said it would answer the state's need for private risk-investment capital at all stages of business development with a special focus on small business. "Connecticut has lost more than 101,000 jobs - 6 percent of the state's total workforce – since the beginning of the recession in 2008. This legislation is long-overdue," Merrill said. "It will encourage business innovation and attract high-tech jobs to our state. It will send the message out to investors and entrepreneurs across the country that Connecticut is the state where they should invest," she said. The legislation is an outgrowth of the Majority Leaders' Job Growth Roundtable initiative that was led by Merrill and Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney (D-New Haven). The immediate goal of the legislation is to jump-start job creation, while laying a foundation for long-term economic growth. Incentives for entrepreneurship and innovation, infrastructure, and education are all contained in the bill. The Job Growth Roundtable law provides:
In addition, an Angel Investor Tax Credits program will be created under the new law. A tax credit equal to 25 percent of an investment would be allowed for investments up to $125,000. Funding for this program would come from the redirection of the Insurance Reinvestment Fund tax credits, which are valued at $200 million. Under the new jobs law, a student loan forgiveness program also will be created for green technology, life science and health information technology. Students obtaining two-year or four-year degrees meeting certain requirements would qualify for up to $10,000 in loan forgiveness for their education and subsequent employment in the designated fields. The bill passed 140-4 in the House and was unanimously approved by the Senate. SPEAKER DONOVAN SAYS JOBS BILL House Speaker Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) said the comprehensive jobs bill signed into law by Governor Rell today "will begin to reenergize Connecticut's economy, give hope to the thousands of unemployed, and help grow the small businesses that will fuel our recovery." "Beyond balancing the state budget, nothing was more important in the most recent legislative session than taking action to put people back to work and make Connecticut competitive again," Speaker Donovan said. "That Democrats, Republicans and the Governor all came together to make this legislation happen speaks to the importance of creating jobs. We need to encourage innovation, capitalize on our assets, and look for new opportunities for businesses to expand their operations." Speaker Donovan added, "I am especially grateful to Majority Leaders [Rep.] Denise Merrill and [Sen.] Martin Looney for their efforts in producing many of the recommendations that resulted in this bill." HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APPROVES The state House of Representatives voted Saturday to approve what Majority Leader Denise Merrill called a top priority of the General Assembly session – the proposed Act Concerning the Recommendations of the Majority Leaders' Job Growth Roundtable (HB 5435). "This is – quite simply – one of the most important pieces of legislation this year," said Merrill (D-Mansfield, Chaplin). "Since the recession began in 2008, Connecticut has lost more than 101,000 jobs. That's six percent of the state's total workforce. If we don't create jobs, our economy will not come back strong." Merrill said that for the past 20 years the state has been last in the nation in job creation. Among other things, the bill attempts to help small businesses get access to capital by creating a small loan pool. It also provides opportunities for training and rehiring of the recently unemployed. "We need to help get people into new jobs, especially those who have been out of work for many months. We need to get people back to work now in order to jump-start our economy," she said. Matthew Nemerson, president and chief executive officer of the Connecticut Technology Center, said, "This bill is ground-breaking. It will send a clear message that Connecticut is willing to invest precious dollars into creating high quality jobs. It will bring attention to the state from both investors and entrepreneurs across the country." "Right now, Connecticut does not have an adequate amount of risk capital to attract or hold on to the fast-growing, innovation-based firms where most of the new jobs are being president and chief executive officer of the Connecticut Technology Center," Nemerson said. The legislation is an outgrowth of the Majority Leaders' Job Growth Roundtable initiative that was led by Merrill and Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney (D-New Haven). Merrill said she was heartened by the fact the bill was approved by both Republicans and Democrats in a unanimous vote last week by the Appropriations Committee. The immediate goal of the legislation is to jump-start job creation, while laying a foundation for long-term economic growth. Incentives for entrepreneurship and innovation, infrastructure, and education are all contained in the bill. The Job Growth Roundtable's recommendations include:
Under the jobs bill, a student loan forgiveness program would be created for green technology, life science and health information technology. Students obtaining two-year or four-year degrees meeting certain requirements would qualify for up to $10,000 in loan forgiveness for their education and subsequent employment in the designated fields. In addition, an Angel Investor Tax Credits program would be created under the bill. A tax credit equal to 25 percent of an investment would be allowed for investments up to $125,000. Funding for this program would come from the redirection of the Insurance Reinvestment Fund tax credits, which are valued at $200 million. Details of the report on the Majority Leaders' Job Growth Roundtable initiative can be found at www.housedems.ct.gov/jobgrowth. COMMERCE COMMITTEE OKS MAJORITY LEADERS' JOBS BILL The legislature's Commerce Committee voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to approve the proposed Act Concerning the Recommendations of the Majority Leaders' Job Growth Roundtable (HB 5435) and send it to the floor of the House for action. House Majority Leader Denise Merrill (D-Mansfield, Chaplin) said the bill is one of the most important pieces of legislation of the year. "This is something that is long-overdue and must be acted upon as soon as possible," Merrill said. "We need to attract high-tech jobs to the state and this bill has the potential to do just that." For the past 20 years, Connecticut has been last in the nation in job creation and Merrill said the state cannot afford to allow new jobs to go to other states that have welcomed them with open arms. "We need a strategic vision and systematic approach to economic development. We need to take full advantage of our state's many assets. And we need to refocus attention on small business where many of the new jobs are created and make Connecticut competitive once again." The legislation, intended to encourage business innovation and entrepreneurship, is an outgrowth of the Majority Leaders' Job Growth Roundtable initiative that was led by Merrill and Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney (D-New Haven). In addition to lawmakers, the roundtable was made up of academics, economists, labor and business leaders, and venture capitalists. The goal of the legislation is to jump-start job creation in the state in the short term, while laying a foundation for long-term economic growth. Incentives for entrepreneurship and innovation, infrastructure, and education are all contained in the bill. Specifically, the Job Growth Roundtable's recommendations include:
Majority Leader Merrill championed the bill in testimony she gave recently. "In these times, with scarce resources, the best action our state can take is to make it possible for talented people and great ideas to take root. This new strategy of 'innovation economics' can transform Connecticut into a center of innovation that can be a magnet for entrepreneurs across the region. Details of the report on the Majority Leaders' Job Growth Roundtable initiative can be found at www.housedems.ct.gov/jobgrowth. COMMERCE COMMITTEE HEARS ABOUT MAJORITY LEADERS' JOBS BILL House Majority Leader Denise Merrill (D-Mansfield) testified today before the Commerce Committee in support of her legislation encouraging business innovation and entrepreneurship. The bill (HB 5435) is an outgrowth of the Majority Leaders' Job Growth Roundtable initiative Merrill headed along with Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney (D-New Haven). In addition to lawmakers, the roundtable was made up of academics, economists, labor and business leaders, and venture capitalists. The goal of the legislation is to jump-start job creation in the state in the short term, while laying a foundation for long-term economic growth. Incentives for entrepreneurship and innovation, infrastructure, and education are all contained in the bill. "In these times, with scarce resources, the best action our state can take is to make it possible for talented people, and great ideas to take root. This new strategy of 'innovation economics' can transform Connecticut into a center of innovation that can be a magnet for entrepreneurs across the region. There are many people already in our state that want to launch new businesses and within an hour's drive there are is one of the largest concentrations of entrepreneurs who operate outside of the Silicon Valley," Merrill said in her testimony. Specifically, the Job Growth Roundtable's recommendations reflected in HB 5435 include:
SPEAKER DONOVAN'S PANELS ON GREEN JOBS AND ELECTRIC RATE RELIEF
RELEASE REPORTS OF RECOMMENDATIONS Speaker of the House Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden) and Energy Committee co-chair Rep. Vickie Nardello (D-Bethany, Cheshire, Prospect) today announced the release of two reports from separate working groups that the Speaker created earlier this year to investigate the issues of green jobs and electric rate relief in the state. The two groups, which are both chaired by Rep. Nardello and are made up of a bipartisan group of legislators, state officials, energy experts, business associates, and utility representatives, have been working side-by-side to develop a packet of short and long-term recommendations that the legislature will consider during the current session. The reports contain all of the recommendations provided by each of the panel's members. Speaker Donovan created both panels specifically with the goal of bringing various stakeholders together in order to discuss how to continue growth in Connecticut's "green sector" and reduce utility rates for businesses and families – both critical issues to stimulating job growth in the state. "We know that the quickest way to recovery is by reducing costly burdens on people, and through the creation of jobs," Speaker Donovan said. "Our high energy rates are causing homeowners and businesses considerable pain, and we have a real opportunity to create a green economy here in Connecticut that can be an economic development leader in the state and a model for the nation." Rep. Nardello said, "High energy costs mean fewer jobs and fewer dollars. The recommendations of the panels will be vetted through the legislative hearing process with the expectation that the legislature will consider final bills that determine best practices for providing rate relief and developing green jobs." MAJORITY LEADERS' JOBS GROUP ANNOUNCES PLAN A group led by House Majority Leader Denise Merrill (D-Mansfield) and Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney (D-New Haven) today announced a series of recommendations designed "to jump-start job creation in Connecticut and lay the foundation for long-term prosperity." The Majority Leaders' Job Growth Roundtable – legislators, academics, economists, labor and business leaders, and venture capitalists – issued a report calling for a series of initiatives aimed at business innovation and entrepreneurship, infrastructure, government efficiencies, and education to spur job creation and economic development. The report called the initiatives "the surest path toward providing a positive climate for economic development, creating quality jobs that can be sustained in a competitive world, and ensuring that there will be skilled workers available to fill those jobs." Rep. Merrill said, "For too long, Connecticut has taken a 'business as usual' approach to job retention and job creation. We need the kind of strategic vision and systematic approach to economic development that can provide our state and its residents with the prosperity and security that all deserve. We must take full advantage of the many assets we have in our state. We need to make Connecticut competitive again. It is clear that "business as usual" will no longer work. "Our group put a lens on Connecticut assets that can be leveraged, on small businesses, long the backbone of our economy, and on opportunities in high-tech precision manufacturing and emerging technologies that truly can be the engine that drives our economic future." Sen. Looney said, "House Majority Leader Merrill and I convened a job growth study group and over the last two months reviewed the state's current economic position. We believe these urgent measures need to be acted on in order to improve our economic competiveness. We must reorganize Connecticut's economic development agencies, restructure tax credits, and offer incentives to small businesses, all with one goal in mind - grow jobs." Among the key recommendations (details can be found in the full report at www.housedems.ct.gov/jobgrowth/):
Invest in all stages of business growth
Reinvigorate industry clusters
Export Assistance
Realign Tax Credits
Innovation in government
Invest in mass transit
Energy efficiencies and green jobs
Educate a workforce for in-demand jobs The report states, "To build innovative and entrepreneurial businesses, we need a workforce with the skills and knowledge in areas that are necessary for a competitive edge in the global marketplace."
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Members: Representative Denise Merrill Senator Martin Looney Senator Gary LeBeau Representative Chris Perone Representative Brendan Sharkey Representative Jeffrey Berger Representative Peggy Sayers Fred Carstensen Bill Cibes Richard Cole Karla Fox Elliot Ginsberg Theresa Hopkins-Staten Ed Marth Mike Meotti John Meyers, Consultant Matthew Nemerson David Pepin Bob Tessier Lyle Wray |