Creating Jobs: Bold Action for the Future.

Our state economy is suffering from decades of policies that sent good paying industrial jobs overseas to enrich millionaires and billionaires on Wall Street. We need to turn things around.

That's why I have been pressing for legislation to build our state's economy for the future - create new industrial jobs in Connecticut by investing in a clean energy economy, public transportation and the manufacturing to supply these new investments. Of course, I also pressed for legislation to help people through the recession. While there is more that I will keep working to get done done, I am pleased to have approved sweeping jobs and economic development legislation:

Creating jobs by helping local businesses grow:

I pushed for legislation to create jobs for people now. That is why I am pleased to have approved legislation to:

• Provide business tax credits for small businesses (fewer than 50 employees in Connecticut) creating new full-time jobs - three-year credits, maximum credit is $ 200 per month for new employee, for small businesses that create new, full-time jobs filled by new employees who reside in Connecticut.
• Provide the similar business tax credits for businesses hiring Connecticut residents with disabilities.

One of the big things that I pressed for, in this time of tight credit, is action to make credit and capital available for businesses to grow in our state. That is why I was pleased to enact legislation to:

• Establish a $15 million revolving loan program for small businesses and nonprofit organizations to provide up to $500,000 loans and lines of credit to businesses and nonprofit organizations employing fewer than 50 people.
• Provide capital and support services to local businesses developing new concepts - authorizing $5 million in bonds available for businesses principally located in Connecticut and at least 75% of its employees work here.
• Create personal income tax credits for "angel investors" - people who invest at least $ 100,000 in Connecticut start-up businesses in certain sectors.
• Replace the Insurance Reinvestment Tax Credit Program to better ensure that the investments go to growing our state economy.
• Authorize $500,000 in bonds for a pilot program to help manufacturers convert their facilities into green operations or implement energy efficiency measures by using lean manufacturing strategies.

Here are some other important ways that the legislation helps businesses to create jobs:

• Requiring the Department of Economic and Community Development to take more steps to promote exports and manufacturing by assigning enough available staff to (1) provide technical assistance to businesses regarding exporting and manufacturing, (2) help groups of businesses in the same industry implement policies designed to improve their overall competitiveness.
• Allowing the use of Manufacturing Assistance Act funds to promote exporting, including sponsoring export support programs, helping companies access U. S. Department of Commerce export assistance services, and providing export-related marketing materials and website improvements.
• Exempting from the sales and use tax items sold, stored, used or consumed in the renewable and clean energy technology industries.
• Establishing a 12-member task force to determine how state agencies and departments can reduce or eliminate duplicative procedures and paper usage.The task force must determine how technology can help agencies and departments achieve these goals.

Helping workers and working families:

At the same time as we work to help businesses to create new jobs, it is important to help working people and their families weather the recession and prepare for the future. That is why I was pleased to approve legislation that:

• Allows certain laid off workers an extension in the state COBRA health coverage from 18 to 30 months.
• Requires the Community-Technical Colleges to develop programs providing job-related skills and workforce credentials for the training needs of unemployed Connecticut residents.
• Reimburses people for student loans and training grants for Connecticut residents with educational backgrounds and jobs related to green technology, life science, or health information technology and holding jobs related to these fields.
• Allows qualified E-1 and E-2 electricians to be paid for work under the solar photovoltaic rebate program.
• Creates a new mortgage crisis job training program providing job training and job placement assistance to borrowers who are unemployed, underemployed, or in need of a second job.

Plus, I was especially pleased to have approved legislation to require the state to invest in the budget and facility needs of the Vocational-Technical high schools. For far too long, these important schools have been left behind by state bureaucrats.

Investment in a high-tech future:

The legislation recently approved to enhance the UConn Health Center will ensure good paying jobs for New Britain and Newington residents who work at that facility. But this legislation does much more than this for New Britain:

• It requires $5 million investment in the creation of a cutting-edge cancer treatment facility in the City of New Britain.
• It creates a new Enterprise Zone in the New Britain to encourage the growth of biotech and other high-technology manufacturing in the city.

In addition, I approved legislation that creates a Chemical Innovations Institute at the UConn Health Center to help make our area a center for high-tech research and development and encourage business growth in our new Enterprise Zone.

More work to do:

Even with this important legislation, there is still much to do to build our state economy for the future and ensure the kind of good paying jobs the people of our state need. I will continue to advocate for ever bolder job-creating policies.