Sen. Miner Opposes Senate Passage of Labor Bill Burdening Struggling Businesses & CT Families

April 13, 2022

Today State Sen. Craig Miner (R-Litchfield) issued a statement in opposition of the Senate’s passage of S.B. 317, which extends taxpayer-funded unemployment benefits to employees that go on strike against their employer for at least two consecutive weeks, with as little as two employees initiating and sustaining the strike.

 

After hearing hours of compelling debate from Senator Miner and Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats offered an amendment that moves the legislation’s effective date ahead by two years, to July 2024.

 

“My time on the labor committee caused me to dig deep into the implications of exactly what we do here as a legislature. My question for this measure is, why now, why after Covid business shutdowns and what will be the effect?

 

“This measure widens the horizon to an almost infinite pool of employees and significantly changes the understanding of who is eligible to receive unemployment benefits. In the last two years, we thought the situation with Covid was so significant because we didn’t know who would be the next to become ill, or even worse. The Governor made the decision to close the doors of businesses in the state and told employers and employees that we’re here to help. In 2022, we now have that unemployment tax bill at the foot of businesses and taxpayers who did nothing wrong,” said Senator Miner.

 

“We should be hearing the pleas from the business community, which is still reeling from the pandemic’s lasting effects. This bill makes matters worse for them. It will subject our small businesses to proceedings with the Dept. of Labor that otherwise would not occur. We should be encouraging businesses to continue to hire, and at the same time, encouraging people to go to work to fill needed roles. This measure does neither and now is not the right time for this discussion in Connecticut,” he said.