Sen. Hwang: Closure of Hubbell’s Newtown Facility is “Another Kick in the Gut” to CT Economy

Sen. Tony Hwang: Closure of Hubbell’s Newtown Facility is

“Another Kick in the Gut” to CT Economy

Sen. Hwang Hopes Job Loss Serve as “Wake Up Call” for Majority Party Policymakers and Governor Lamont in Hartford

Did Governor’s Office Ever Meet With Hubbell?

Sen. Tony Hwang, who represents Newtown, issued the following statement today after Hubbell Inc. informed employees at their Newtown facility that they have made the difficult decision to close that plant over the coming six months. The Newtown facility employs 140 people.

“This is another kick in the gut to our economy. I know I speak for many when I say that our hearts go out to the 140 workers and their families who are impacted by this terrible news. I hope this announcement, compounded by the recent bad news of Hubbell announcing the closure of its plant in Bethel and the United Technologies Corp.’s announcement of its corporate headquarters moving to the Boston area, will serve as a wake-up call to the majority party and Governor Lamont at the State Capitol. No more political spin. Admit and address the fact that our predicament reflects a continuing trend that is not working.”

“The newly signed legislation regarding Paid Family and Medical Leave, minimum wage increases and regressive tax increases have the potential to really have a negative impact on jobs in Connecticut. I have great concern also for how small and mid-size businesses – the true engines of our state economy – are going to handle these new bureaucratic burdens and multitude of new taxes and increased cost of simply doing business in Connecticut.

“Connecticut lost 1,500 jobs in May. Connecticut has now recovered only 80.8 percent of jobs lost in the Great Recession compared with a gain of 245.5 percent in the U.S. economy, and Connecticut is last among the New England states in job recovery. These numbers speak volumes: We have got to become more friendly to businesses large and small in this state.

“I remain committed to passing policies which put Connecticut on a more reliable, sustainable path and which get our state away from tax hikes, government spending hikes and revenue grabs. And that path must prioritize transparency. We have got to regain the trust of Connecticut taxpayers and business owners.

“Finally, it is my understanding that Hubbell officials contacted the governor’s office as early as December to discuss the company’s struggles. This raises new questions. Was there a follow-up on the part of the governor’s office? Were meetings held? If so, what was discussed?”

Senator Tony Hwang represents the 28th State Senate District, which includes Fairfield, Westport, Weston, Easton, Newtown and Sandy Hook.