Advocacy in Action | March 6, 2025
S.B. No. 831: Advanced Notice of An Employee's Work Schedule to Certain Employees
Scott Dolch, CRA President & CEO, testified before the Labor & Public Employees Committee to oppose SB 831, which mandates advanced notice of work schedules for certain employees.
The CRA argues that the bill would harm small business owners, including franchisees, by imposing rigid scheduling requirements. Scott emphasized that the restaurant industry relies on flexibility due to unpredictable factors like reservations, weather, and employee absences. He warned that the bill would lead to understaffing, eliminate shift-swapping, and reduce on-call opportunities, ultimately harming both employers and employees. The CRA urges the committee to reject the proposal.
House Bill 6881: An Act Concerning Arts, Culture & Tourism
Scott also testified before the Commerce Committee in support of House Bill 6881 - An Act Concerning Arts, Culture, and Tourism last week.
While acknowledging the intent of the bill, he emphasized the proven economic benefits of investing in the hospitality industry, noting that every $1 invested yields an $8 return for the state. Instead of conducting another study, he proposed establishing a "Connecticut Hospitality Fund" by reallocating the revenue generated from the 1% meals and beverage tax increase.
Since its implementation in 2019, this tax has raised over $415 million, including $107 million in fiscal year 2024 alone. Scott outlined a plan to reinvest these funds: 50% would be distributed to municipalities to support local hospitality, 30% would go to the Connecticut Office of Tourism to enhance marketing efforts, and 20% would be dedicated to workforce development programs. He urged the committee to support this initiative, highlighting its potential to strengthen small businesses, boost local economies, and invest in the state’s hospitality workforce.
Latest on Tariffs
On Tuesday, March 4th, the Trump Administration imposed tariffs on three of the United States' biggest trading partners: Canada, Mexico, and China. Imports from Canada and Mexico are/were subject to 25% tariffs, and imports from China are subject to 20% tariffs - doubling the tariff placed on Chinese imports last month.
These actions have already provoked responses from all three of the aforementioned countries. Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, announced retaliatory tariffs on $107 billion of American goods (a tariff on $20.84 billion will become effective immediately, and tariffs on the remaining $86.85 billion will become effective in 21 days). Beijing retaliated with tariffs up to 15% on a variety of U.S. farm exports.
On March 6th, Mexican President Claudia Shienbaum successfully negotiated a 1-month pause on tariffs imposed on Mexico, delaying them until April.
During Trump's address to a joint session of Congress on the 4th, he conceded that "it may be a little bit of an adjustment period", and that Americans "...have to bear with [him] again and this will be even better."
Bill Tracker
The Connecticut Restaurant Association actively monitors a wide range of legislation throughout each legislative session. During the first weeks of the 2025 Legislative Session, several bills of interest were introduced. It's important to note that the introduction of a bill does not guarantee its passage.
To give you a sense of the breadth and variety of legislation we are tracking, here are just a few of the bills currently on our radar. Should any of these bills progress through the legislative process, we will provide timely updates and additional information to keep you informed. The below webpage will be updated weekly.
A reminder, the introduction of a bill does not guarantee its passage, and we will provide updates as needed.