House Republican Press Release

April 25, 2006

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Scribner Votes for Jobs Initiative

Brookfield Legislator Says Bill Will Help Connecticut Economy

HARTFORD – Representative David Scribner (R-Brookfield) today voted for a jobs bill before the House of Representatives that aims at improving Connecticut’s stagnant economy, and increasing jobs in the state.  The bill, SB 702, An Act Concerning Jobs for the 21^st Century, previously passed the state Senate unanimously Friday night.

House Republicans offered a handful of amendments which would have improved the bill. One such amendment would require that the General Assembly’s non-partisan Office of Fiscal Analysis prepare an economic impact statement on bills that would impact businesses in the state.  Another would have sped up the property tax relief in the bill for manufacturing equipment, which is scheduled to phase out over five years.  The amendments were defeated on a mostly party-line vote.

“The amendments we offered would have been a definite improvement to the bill,” said Scribner.  “Unfortunately the legislature’s Democrats want to do this half-way.  We have a nearly $700 million budget surplus and it would have been a great thing to give some of that money back to the people and the businesses who paid it. Despite that, this is a positive although small step in the right direction.”

The bill has now been transmitted to Governor M. Jodi Rell who has already indicated that she will sign it.