KemLaw

It’s clear – a blue wave hit Connecticut in November, leaving the legislature and the Governor’s office in full control of Connecticut Democrats.

So, what might that portend for Connecticut employers?

While it’s hard to know, there may be some hope for employers given the fact that Governor-elect Lamont is the first person in more than a generation to enter the Governor’s office from the private sector.   As an entrepreneur, Lamont started a successful cable television company (Campus Televideo) in 1984 to serve colleges and universities.  That company was acquired by another in 2015 with Lamont moving on to lead a successful venture capital group (Lamont Digital Systems) focusing on new media start-ups.  The Governor-elect also has a Masters of Business Administration from Yale.  Another hopeful sign.

What’s more, Lamont campaigned for Governor on the promise he’d use his understanding of the private sector to rejuvenate the business climate of the state.

Will he?

Time will tell.

What about the legislature?

According the interviews conducted by the CT Mirror, “Senate and House Democratic leaders (say) addressing a minimum wage increase, tolls, and paid family medical leave will likely be among the top priorities the majority takes on in the upcoming legislative session.”

Senate President Pro Tem Martin M. Looney, D-New Haven, confirmed this view, saying “advancing paid family medical leave and increasing the state’s minimum wage will be priorities for Senate Democrats.”

House Majority Leader Matt Ritter, D-Harford, has stated that he wants “to raise the minimum wage. I’m very honest about that.” He also said he would like to do that within a package that repeals the state’s estate tax.

In our view, you can probably expect to see bills on sexual harassment to be on the legislative agenda as well.

We’ll report back regularly on these matters once the 2019 session gets underway.

If you’re an employer and have questions about labor and employment law, consider calling on the attorneys at Kainen, Escalera & McHale in Connecticut.  We do one thing and one thing only – we are an employer defense law firm – in fact, we are one of the largest employer defense law firms in the region.  What’s more, each of our attorneys have over 20 years of experience in employment law and labor law matters and can provide your business with comprehensive legal counsel ranging from assistance with necessary preventive measures to trial advocacy.  Please contact us if we can help you.

Photo by IRRphotography on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC-ND

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