December 17, 2020

Rep. McGorty, House Republicans Push for Restaurant Relief

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HARTFORD—State Representative Ben McGorty (R-Shelton) joined House Republicans in calling for new measures to provide a lifeline for the Connecticut bar and restaurant industries after the governor walked back claims he would provide them with financial relief.

House Republicans say their legislation will seek to:

Establish a $50 million targeted pandemic relief grant fund for those with qualifying monetary losses;
Install yearlong suspensions of liquor permitting fees, and food licensing fees for certain restaurants;
Delay by 90 days the due date for municipal real and personal property tax payments;
Direct the state’s Department of Economic & Community Development to partner with financial institutions to create a low interest loan program.

“I’ve repeatedly called for relaxing permitting fees for bars and restaurants in this state, and now’s the time for the governor and legislature to get serious about that,” Rep. McGorty said. “How can a bar be expected to renew their liquor license for $2100 and pay the $100 application fee, cover their payroll, rent, PPE, and other expenses, all while operating at a limited capacity?”

“The bars and restaurants on our main streets are critical to local economies, drawing people to our communities and nearby businesses while providing vital income for thousands of residents,” said State Representative Vincent Candelora (R-North Branford), House Republican Leader-elect. “They’re hanging on by a thread—taking action as early as possible in the legislative session could be critical to the survival of many of these businesses, most of them desperate for the state to take action that will show them that we’re partners in securing their future.”

Wednesday’s announcement from House Republicans comes amid a lack of clarity from Governor Lamont, who hasn’t spelled out how he’ll use remaining CARES Act funding or whether he’ll deliver the monetary aid he’s pledged to the industry, which employs roughly 160,000 workers statewide. McGorty and his Republican colleagues have proposed shoring up the unemployment compensation fund to blunt unemployment tax increases, and they’ve shared the frustrations of employers who say they’ve found life difficult under restrictions established through the governor’s executive power.