Increasing the Minimum Wage

Posted on Jan 31, 2012 in Featured, Research, Tax and Budget Yankee Institute Policy Brief: Connecticut’s Minimum Wage Overview: According to recent news reports, State Rep. Zeke Zalaski (D-Southington) will host a press conference today in which he is expected to announce a proposal to increase the state’s minimum wage. Though well intentioned, this policy option is deeply misguided and will impose yet another obstacle to job growth in...
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Government’s Thumb on the Election Scales

Posted on Oct 18, 2011 in Electoral Reform, Featured, Research Connecticut’s taxpayer-funded campaigns program paid for nearly half of state campaign spending in 2010 according to new research from the Yankee Institute for Public Policy. The Citizens’ Election Program (CEP) accounted for $26.1 million of the $53.5 million spent by all candidates for state offices. “Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay for the campaigns of candidates they oppose,”...
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Victory at US Supreme Court

Posted on Jun 27, 2011 in Electoral Reform, Press, Research HARTFORD – The United States Supreme Court ruled today that a key component of taxpayer funded campaign schemes like that used in Connecticut unconstitutionally violates the First Amendment free speech rights of candidates, their supporters, and taxpayers. Ruling in Arizona Free Enterprise Club’s Freedom Club PAC v Bennett, the Court threw out the use of taxpayer-financed matching funds,...
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YIPP Poll: Unhappy with Malloy

Posted on Jun 14, 2011 in Polling, Research, Tax and Budget HARTFORD – Gov. Dannel Malloy’s job approval rating has dropped to 42 percent, and a majority of voters say they would not vote to re-elect him in the wake of the legislative session that saw passage of the largest tax increase in state history, according to a new survey of likely Connecticut voters conducted by Pulse Opinion Research on behalf of the Yankee Institute. Download the poll now:...
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77 Higher Taxes for Connecticut

Posted on Jun 13, 2011 in Research, Tax and Budget HARTFORD – According to a new tally by the Yankee Institute, the State of Connecticut will impose at least 77 separate tax increases over 24 categories as part of the changes recently made by the General Assembly. 1. Raises income tax on individuals making as little as $50K and couples making at least $100K a. Expands the number of brackets from 3 to 6 b. “Bracket Creep” shifts many...
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24 Retirees Make More than Governor

Posted on Apr 7, 2011 in Accountability and Transparency, Data, Press, Research HARTFORD – Pensions for two dozen retired state employees exceeded the governor’s salary of $150,000 in 2010, according to new data posted to the Yankee Institute’s CT Sunlight Project (www.ctsunlight.org). A total of 378 retired state workers received pensions of more than $100,000 last year. That’s up from 175 individuals in 2008 and 299 retirees in 2009. In all, the state of...
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CT Voters Oppose Malloy Tax Hikes

Posted on Feb 24, 2011 in Polling, Research, Tax and Budget HARTFORD – A new poll of likely voters shows strong support for Governor Malloy’s proposed spending cuts but strong opposition to his proposed tax increases. 57% of voters think the budget deficit should be addressed “entirely” or “mainly” though spending cuts. 30% more think it should be though an “even balance” of spending cuts and tax increases. Just 11% say it should be...
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Gov. Malloy’s Many Tax Hikes

Posted on Feb 22, 2011 in Research, Tax and Budget Gov. Malloy’s Proposed Tax Increases Gov. Malloy has proposed dozens of tax increases across 25 categories of taxes. This is a conservative count; we aren’t counting each separate expansion of the sales tax as a separate tax hike, though of course they are. Income tax: Increases income taxes on individuals making more than $50,000 a year and couples making more than $100,000 a year;...
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The Connecticut Plum Book

Posted on Jan 19, 2011 in Accountability and Transparency, Blog, Data, Research HARTFORD – The Yankee Institute’s Zach Janowski has assembled a listing of all the gubernatorial appointments to be made by Governor Dannel Malloy as he fills his administration in the Connecticut Plum Book. The data shows that Gov. Malloy has numerous posts to fill, including 23 commissioner-level positions, 22 deputy commissioner-level posts, and 91 paid appointments to various...
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