Advocacy in Action | March 13, 2025
S.B. No. 1447: Establishing a Fee on Retail Deliveries
Scott Dolch, CRA President & CEO, testified before the Transportation Committee to oppose SB 1447, which proposes a 28-cent tax on food deliveries to fund the Special Transportation Fund. The CRA argues that the tax would disproportionately impact small, independent restaurants, which make up 97% of Connecticut’s full-service restaurants.
Scott emphasized that restaurants are already struggling with rising costs and that the tax would lead to higher prices for consumers, reducing demand and making small businesses less competitive. He also noted that similar delivery tax proposals have been widely rejected in other states and that imposing such a tax would have negative economic ripple effects, potentially leading to job losses and reduced services. He urged the committee to reject the proposal.
S. B. No. 1456: Dedicating a Portion of the Meals Tax Revenue to Arts, Culture & Tourism
Scott also testified before the Commerce Committee in support of SB 1456, which proposes allocating 10% of Connecticut’s meals and beverage tax revenue to tourism promotion. The testimony highlighted the economic importance of tourism in Connecticut, noting that it supports jobs across multiple sectors, including hospitality, restaurants, and entertainment.
Since 2019, the 1% meals and beverage tax increase has generated over $415 million, with $107 million collected in fiscal year 2024 alone. Increasing the state’s tourism budget by over $10 million would make Connecticut more competitive with neighboring states and create a sustainable model for tourism growth. This funding has the potential to expand the economy, create jobs, and enhance the state's appeal as a travel destination.
Latest on Tariffs
President Trump has paused the implementation of a 25% tariff on many imported Mexican and Canadian goods covered by the United States-Mexico-Canada free trade treaty. He still plans to impose reciprocal tariffs starting on April 2.
In February, the National Restaurant Association requested a full exemption for food and beverage imports, citing an estimated $12.1 billion in increased costs if a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports was in place.
In an escalation of the ongoing trade war with Europe, on Thursday, March 13, President Trump warned of a 200% tariff on European alcohol. This tariff is in response to the European Union's retaliation against U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs, which went into effect on Wednesday. The EU announced tariffs on €26 billion ($28 billion) worth of U.S. goods, including agricultural products and bourbon. Latest updates here.
Webinar: Talking Taxes - Making Your Story Matter on Tax Policy
Talking Taxes - Making Your Story Matter on Tax Policy
🗓️ Wednesday, March 26, 2025
📍 Online
🕛 2pm ET
👉 Registration Required
💸 Free
Favorable tax policy is important for the vitality of the restaurant industry, but it can also be hard to advocate for complex tax issues. This webinar from the National Restaurant Association will help by making talking about taxes easier.
This year, Congress will be considering a major tax bill that will include several policies that would support restaurant operators. This webinar will give you tools to share your story with lawmakers to help them understand how their decision on tax policy will impact you.
The discussion will include:
- Tax policy 101 – What is a deduction? What is a credit? And why do they matter to me?
- Tools to figure out how tax policy impacts my business and how to easily talk about why it’s important.
- Where is Congress in the policy process and how you can get involved.
Bill Tracker
The Connecticut Restaurant Association actively monitors a wide range of legislation throughout each legislative session. It's important to note that the introduction of a bill does not guarantee its passage.
The CRA Bill Tracker gives you a sense of the breadth and variety of legislation we track throughout session, as well as an overview on the status of each bill. This webpage is updated weekly, and we will keep you informed on any movement through our Advocacy in Action emails and text alerts.