Rep. Fishbein, House Republicans: Smart Policies Will Help Business Community

State Representative Craig Fishbein (R-90) joined House Republican Leader-elect Vincent Candelora and their House Republican colleagues on Thursday calling on the state’s elected leaders do more to assist the state’s struggling business community.

“Since March, businesses across our state have been struggling to stay open and profitable, and to keep their employees working, while being severely restricted or in some cases mandated to close at certain hours based on incomplete and constantly-changing guidance from the state. It has to stop,” Rep. Fishbein said. “Businesses need stable, comprehensive rules and guidance, not a haphazard approach that changes on a day-to-day basis, especially when those changes affect their ability to remain open and viable.”

House Republicans on Thursday outlined actions that need immediate attention, including: shoring up the state’s Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund, allowing businesses more time to pay the second half of their personal property taxes, and delaying the implementation of the new paid family leave payroll tax that will see the state take more money from the paychecks of cash-strapped employees.

“Administering grants and bridge loans using federal money is nice, but recovery is more than handing out taxpayer dollars. Heading into a second wave it’s critical that we focus on well-defined guidance and a comprehensive structure to enforce COVID restrictions rather than fine-based scare tactics that local leaders have no interest in lobbing at people on their main streets,” House Republican Leader-elect Vincent Candelora said. “Employers and residents also need a fully-engaged General Assembly whose members want to be meaningful partners in responding to the pandemic. Ruling by executive order should not be the norm, especially when the legislature heads into session in just a few weeks.”

The state’s unemployment compensation trust, funded by businesses, ran out of money in August. Connecticut’s Department of Labor has reported more than 1 million applications for unemployment benefits since March, and current weekly filers total 188,000. It’s anticipated that by December’s end Connecticut will have borrowed more than $800 million from the federal government to pay benefits. Employers, not state government, will have to pay back those loans—with interest that begins to accrue in the new year. House Republicans on Wednesday wrote to the state’s Congressional delegation urging an extension of the interest-free period.

“It’s upsetting to see businesses that were built and sustained by the hard work of men and women across our state being hampered by these tax payments, or being forced to close, even temporarily, without regard to their ability to meet safety guidelines,” Rep. Fishbein said. “These aren’t faceless corporations; they’re the local bar, small restaurant and small manufacturer that employs many of your neighbors. The state has, in many situations, taken away their ability to pay staff, make ends meet and remain in business.”

House Republicans said the governor should delay by 90 days the deadline by which businesses pay their personal property taxes, shifting it to April 1 from Jan. 1. The request is in line with a previous executive order (7s), and businesses would have to apply to the municipality for a deferral.

Rep. Fishbein also agreed that a delay in the new payroll tax to fund the state-run paid family leave program would help alleviate another burden on non-union Connecticut workers. Rep. Candelora restated his concern about the solvency of the new program, which won’t provide workers access to benefits for until a year after the mandatory paycheck deduction starts Jan. 1.

“Putting yet another new tax on non-union Connecticut workers who are already dealing with reduced hours, layoffs and job losses is the absolute wrong message to send,” Rep. Fishbein said. “That money would be better off staying in the pocket of the struggling worker who needs every penny to provide for their family.”