News

Lawmakers pass bill to empower UConn Health to purchase Waterbury Hospital.

A bill creating a $500 million reserve fund against potential federal cuts to social programs cleared the Senate Thursday afternoon, albeit on a much more partisan and contentious vote than had been the case in the state House the day before.

Although it looks like the federal government shutdown will soon be at an end, Gov. Ned Lamont said he has signed a declaration enabling the Connecticut General Assembly to adopt legislation appropriating the funding necessary to create an emergency state response reserve. The reserve will facilitate the state response to millions of dollars in federal cuts toward health and human services that are being made by President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans, Lamont said.

A reworked housing bill encountered spirited resistance from House Republicans Wednesday, although nothing changed in the seven hours of debate, and the bill passed 90-56, mostly along party lines. Five members did not cast a vote.

As the nation endures its longest federal government shutdown on record, Connecticut leaders are moving to shield the state’s most vulnerable residents from the fallout.

With the average rent in Connecticut near $1,975, a new poll from the Regional Plan Association found that nine in ten residents believe Connecticut is “not doing enough” to expand affordable housing. Nearly as many blame outdated zoning rules and infrastructure limits for the problem.

The longest shutdown in U.S. history is starting to wind down after a bloc of Senate Democrats joined Republicans on a deal to reopen the federal government, but Connecticut’s senators opposed the agreement because it made no guarantee to extend the policy at the heart of the shutdown fight: expiring health care subsidies.

Aside from housing, state lawmakers will take up legislation on immigration, food assistance, health care and more when they meet Nov. 12-13.

MyCTSavings is a state-sponsored retirement savings program, for employers with 5 or more full- and/or part-time employees that do not offer a retirement plan. When businesses enroll, their employees can save for retirement through payroll contributions into a Roth IRA. The program is free to businesses, and more than 50 payroll companies work with MyCTSavings to provide payroll integration with your existing payroll process.

The legislation, which awaits signing by Governor Ned Lamont, includes a provision enabling licensed CPAs form other states in “good standing” to practice in Connecticut.

The bill passed in the Connecticut House of Representatives with no opposition on April 28 and the Senate on May 29 and will now move to be signed by Governor Lamont.

The boards of directors of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) have approved expansion of accountancy’s model legislation to include an additional path to CPA licensure. The optional path maintains public protection while providing added flexibility and options for CPA candidates.

It’s not common to have legislation proposed that no one speaks against. That’s the case, however, for House Bill 7020, which would offer more flexibility for state residents to become certified public accountants.

Many private schools across Connecticut object to a bill to eliminate tax exemptions for faculty and staff housing for private secondary schools, saying they already contribute to the towns where they're located and this could affect their operations.

Faced with a slumping economy and likely big cuts in federal aid, state legislators are once again weighing whether to turn delinquent taxpayers over to collection agencies — and block renewal of their driver’s licenses or vehicle registrations.

Governor Ned Lamont announced that he is encouraging businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities in Connecticut that have been impacted by recent actions from the federal government to report that information to the state so that it can be compiled into a central database and provide state policymakers with a better understanding of how these directives are affecting various groups, geographical regions, and sectors of the economy.

Members of the House of Representative’s Tax Equity Caucus and advocates called on the Connecticut General Assembly and the governor on Tuesday morning to support what they called “economic populism” in the form of tax relief for middle class and working class people.

A proposed tax on sweetened beverages returned to the Connecticut legislature on Monday, reviving a years-long debate over the balance between public health policy, small business burdens, and the goal providing free school meals to all students.

Warning of a potential recession and “flurry” of layoffs, Connecticut’s state Senate leadership are looking for the state Department of Labor to take a proactive approach to a potential surge in unemployment.

At the March State Board of Accountancy meeting, the issue of advertising attestation services and peer review enrollment was addressed. Previously, the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) prohibited CPAs from advertising attestation work unless they were enrolled in the peer review program.