Nuccio Supports Relief for Small Businesses
HARTFORD — State Representative Tammy Nuccio (R-Tolland) has put her support behind two proposals to aid the state’s small businesses hardest-hit by the pandemic.
A member of the legislature’s Commerce Committee, Nuccio voted yesterday in favor of HB-5759, which would require the state to provide at least 5 days’ notice before issuing any emergency order that would restrict businesses.
“Business owners are used to reacting to all sorts of unforeseen challenges. Whether it’s a sudden snag with a vendor or an unexpected rush of customers, they respond and adapt. But COVID was totally different. The state mandated businesses to buy PPE, limit their capacity or even close indefinitely with just a few days’ notice. It was especially challenging when certain reopening orders were made public on a Friday and managers were left scrambling to adjust their scheduling before Monday. Our small business community should have been treated like a partner in the state’s response, not given guidance at the very last moment and expected to comply,” Nuccio said.
Following its unanimous approval by the Commerce Committee, the bill awaits further action in the House and Senate.
Nuccio also expressed her support for the continued suspension of the “experience rate” component of the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Tax, which funds unemployment benefits for workers. Businesses have been temporarily exempted from the experience rating during the pandemic, but with those orders expiring and the unemployment trust fund facing an impending deficit, small businesses could be facing a larger tax bill at the worst possible time.
Nuccio argues that companies would not have laid off their employees in the first place had they not been mandated to close.
During a public hearing last week in the Finance Committee, Nuccio stressed that the continuation of tax relief needs to be a priority of the legislature and governor as businesses finally return to full capacity. “It’s what I hear most frequently about in my conversations with the small businesses in my district. If the state comes back to them for these additional tax dollars, it may put many business owners over the edge. We need to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Nuccio said.
Nuccio co-sponsored HB-5954, a proposal by the House Republican Caucus to amend the General Statutes to continue the suspension of the experience rate. Following a public hearing on the bill last month, it awaits further action in the Labor Committee.
Rep. Nuccio urges her constituents to visit cthousegop.com/RestartCT to learn more about what House Republicans are doing to reopen and revitalize the state of Connecticut.
###