Hartford faces liquor laws, budget issues this session

LAKEVILLE — Both state Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-30) and state Rep. Roberta Willis (D-64) think the main business of the new legislative session is the state’s finances.They have different ideas of what the problems are and what direction to take, though.The 2012 legislative session began Feb. 8. It is a “short” session that is supposed to be dedicated to budget issues, but (as is usually the case in the even-numbered short years) numerous bills are being proposed as well.“I still think the number one issue in Hartford is going to be coming to grips with a very bad budget situation,” Roraback said in a phone interview before the beginning of the session.“The promised savings from the concession agreement with the unions have not materialized, and we’re facing another deficit. “I think that issue is going to remain on center stage, and because we passed the largest tax increase in the state’s history last year I don’t think more taxes are palatable.”Willis agreed that the fiscal crisis was “the theme of the session,” but she said, “We’re in a different place this year.”The economic situation “has begun to stabilize,” she said. “We’re back on track for a balanced budget.”She believes the top priority should be job creation. “We should continue building on bioscience and high-tech manufacturing,” she said, adding that a package of tax credits, business loans, loan forgiveness and grants, particularly for small businesses, was having a positive effect.“We’ve always had a skilled and educated workforce, we’ve always led the way nationally.”Willis, who is chairman of the House Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee, said that “72 percent of the jobs created in the next 10 years require post-secondary education, and at the moment we are not on track to meet that need.”She said that Education Cost Sharing grants from the state to the towns will likely remain unchanged for the district, and concerns from the smallest towns about minimum budget requirements for education spending are on her radar.Other issues she will be pursuing are responses to emergencies, a hot topic after the October 2011 snowstorm that paralyzed the state. She thinks the Legislature should look at how the neighboring states of New York and Massachusetts regulate utility companies — complete with fines for not achieving performance standards.She also said she was getting mixed signals from the district about Sunday liquor sales. “I’ve always supported the local package stores and been opposed to Sunday sales,” she said.Willis said the concerns about the governor’s new proposed bill are larger than simply relaxing the Sunday sales law. “It’s about keeping the village centers vibrant.” She said she was concerned about smaller stores losing sales to their larger competitors, or to supermarkets if they were allowed to sell wine as well as beer.On another subject, Willis said she has no interest in running for Roraback’s state Senate seat. “I like working in the people’s house,” she said.Back on the Senate side, Roraback, who is running for the 5th District Congressional seat currently held by Rep. Chris Murphy (D-5) said he was concerned that tax revenues “haven’t materialized from the tax increases because Connecticut is still not a place where businesses are choosing to locate.”And he said he took on Gov. Dan Malloy on several fronts. “I’m happy I was prepared to invest every ounce of energy I had to defeat the governor’s proposal to allow online gambling. Happily this seems to be dead on arrival.“I also am not a fan of installing those red light cameras at intersections, and the governor’s proposals with respect to changes in the liquor sale rules are very ominous for all of my friends who run our local package stores. I want to make sure that the small businesses aren’t steamrolled by discount stores.”Roraback’s remarks were more overtly political than usual. “What we are experiencing is the consequences of one party rule.“There’s a reason the American people have historically had an aversion to one-party rule and we’re kind of living it in Connecticut. There’s just no check on the governor. What the governor wants, he gets.” Cynthia Hochswender contributed reporting to this story.