“We’ve got folks throughout this state who have been without jobs for months, good people who are struggling to manage basic household bills,” said Williams, who represents Watertown and Woodbury. “For them, the very real possibility of their government directing millions more in state money toward throw-away political trinkets and negative campaign commercials is a real slap in the face.”

The legislature convened July 31 to tweak sweeping campaign finance reform laws enacted in 2005—laws struck down recently in federal court. Court rulings declared the prohibition of lobbyist money unconstitutional as well as supplemental grants triggered through spending by a candidate’s opponent.

Among the solutions offered by super-majority Democrats was a provision increasing the grant for major-party gubernatorial candidates by $3 million to $6 million.

Democrats passed their plan—rejecting a viable Republican plan along the way—but couldn’t gain enough support within their party to trump a veto from Gov. M. Jodi Rell. Democrats in the state senate regrouped Aug. 5, voting to override Rell’s veto and sending the bill to the House once again.

Williams, who represents Watertown and Woodbury, urged his constituents to register for CT Alert via a recently-launched Web site www.ctalert.gov. The system provides a way for authorities to get critical information to hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses in times of emergencies, such as natural disasters or even a public health crisis. Local and state officials teamed to develop it.

“Anyone in law enforcement, or anybody in crisis management for that matter, would say that good communication is among the most critical aspects of a response plan,” he said. “We’re taking that fundamental principle seriously in Connecticut. There’s no doubt that this system will help residents.”

Some communities in Connecticut used the system during headline-grabbing spring storms that knocked out power and wreaked havoc in the lives of residents.

Lawmakers recently approved a reduction to the costs of fishing and hunting licenses in their effort to eliminate this fiscal year-s budget deficit. The Democrat-led legislature increased the fees during last year’s budget-balancing act—a measure Williams opposed.

While the reduction in fees is welcome news for Connecticut sportsmen, many find little reason to celebrate because they already bought their licenses at the old, higher rate.

Williams said his office received many telephone calls from people demanding refunds.

“Hunting and fishing is an expensive-enough endeavor without the cost of a state-issued license, which is why I voted against the increase last year,” Williams said. “Ending this year’s deficit budget recently was the correct move, but residents, rightly so, are fed-up with the yo-yo game. Unless we can promise the people who paid the higher fee bigger fish or bigger deer, we’ve got an imbalance we need to fix. It’s an issue of fairness.”

Williams, who represents Watertown and Woodbury, said he’ll support a proposal to dole out credits to residents. State senators have approved legislation that would see the state’s Department of Environmental Protection apply the difference in cost when people who bought more expensive licenses this year buy their licenses next year.

The legislative session ends May 5.

HARTFORD—Rep. Sean Williams today co-sponsored legislation that would immediately stimulate Connecticut’s long-suffering job market by repealing the state’s Business Entity Tax and offering tax credits to companies that create full-time positions. What’s more, the proposal from Watertown and Woodbury legislator Williams would require that Jobs Impact Statements accompany bills and amendments—a move addressing the business community’s complaint that the legislature habitually passes bills without considering how they affect employers.

Several Democrats spoke in favor of the proposal offered by Williams and his colleagues, yet those super-majority legislators inexplicably voted against it.

“When we started this legislative session, every lawmaker I know said creating and maintaining jobs was their top priority,” Williams said. “But few people in the majority have done a thing about it. In fact, many have done the exact opposite—proposing bill after bill that handcuffs employers.”

Williams and Republicans attached their pro-jobs proposal to a Democrat plan to create a commission to study how the state can generate more revenue—in other words, tax residents and businesses.

The Republican proposal was rejected 105-38.

His jobs-creation proposal included:

- Repeal of the Business Entity Tax on all businesses.

- Creates Small business revolving loan fund (direct loans only)–$25 million cap on the program.

- Job Creation Tax Credit Program—creates a tax credit for employers who employ 100 employees or less. Employers may receive $4,800/per employee for every hire off of unemployment.

- Requires that Jobs Impact Statements accompany bills and amendments

- Create DECD ombudsman to help streamline the permitting process for businesses.

WATERTOWN—More than 60 World War II veterans were at Swift Middle School today to receive special citations honoring their service to our country. Roughly 200 people, including friends and family of the veterans, packed into the auditorium for the ceremony organized by Watertown Town Clerk Lisa Dalton and the Secretary of the State’s office. Local fire and police officers joined Watertown-area veterans and Boy Scout Troops 52 and 140 in kicking off the event with a wonderful flag presentation, followed by rousing patriotic tunes performed by members of the Governor’s Foot Guard. Swift eighth-grader Amanda Orsillo read a nationally-recognized poem inspired by her grandfather, who was among those honored later in the program.

State Rep. Sean Williams, of Oakville, credited Dalton for her hard work finding local veterans to participate. He also talked about the good work of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post—the largest in New England. What’s more, Williams explained the long-term effects of their wartime efforts.

“That’s because of you,” Williams said about the legislature’s ability to write laws. “It’s because you paved the way for us to be able to do that. We should be reminding ourselves of that every day.”

Sen. Rob Kane also paid credit to this country’s World War II veterans.

“It was a different life, there was certainly more sacrifice and more selflessness than what we see here today in 2010,” Kane said. “This truly is the Greatest Generation and I thank you.”

Secretary Susan Bysiewicz shared a veteran-related story from her family, as did Watertown council Chairman Ray Primini. Veterans in the room followed them by telling their own stories.

“Kicking the cans down the road just doesn’t work. We have just three weeks to eliminate this budget hole without increasing taxes and without devastating social service programs,” said Williams, who attended the Capitol news conference. “This recession has forced people throughout this state to make some of the toughest financial decisions of their lives, so it’s more than fair for them to expect that their leaders do the same. That means streamlining government—eliminating or consolidating programs whose results don’t merit the amount of money taxpayers spend on them.”

The proposal offers a flexible menu of choices to create savings from concessions that have all been validated by the non-partisan Office of Fiscal Analysis.

The hallmarks of the savings:
•  $58 million in line item cuts to 2009 levels;
•  $64 million in early retirement for state workers;
•  $10 million in state agency consolidations;
•  $6.4 million to shed state office leases;
•  $20 million in privatization of state functions;
•  $150 million in state worker concessions, including wage freezes, furlough days and health care;
•  $3.8 million in legislative pay cuts, elimination of franked mail and travel.

The budget also makes significant investments in job creation and retirement security:
•  $200 million will be paid into the state employee pensions;
•  The Business Entity Tax is eliminated to save companies $32 million;
•  A Small Business Revolving Loan Fund of $25 million is created;
•  Tax credits of up to $17.5 million will be available to companies that hire off unemployment rolls.

Williams said that the legislature took the first step toward filling the state’s budget hole Tuesday when the House voted to erase the current state budget deficit of $350 million for 2010. The legislature cannot adjourn on May 5 without finishing the job and addressing the $700 million that looms July 1.

Republicans outlined a variety of small and large potential savings in the state work force. Williams noted that if all state workers agree to freeze wages for one year it would save $183 million. One furlough days results in a $9 million savings, he noted.

He called upon Democrats to immediately come together as we did on April 13 and work toward a reasonable solution.