Carter, Scribner Tour Large Bethel-based Employer Ahead of Legislative Session on Jobs

State Reps. Dan Carter and David Scribner on Wednesday toured research and development laboratories of a multi-national company headquartered here just ahead of a special legislative session on job creation, aiming to learn more about what companies need to succeed and grow in Connecticut.

The two Republican lawmakers met with staffers of Duracell International, the battery manufacturer whose world headquarters are located near the Brookfield town line. Carter and Scribner, who both represent sections of Bethel, have spent much of the last year promoting a pro-business agenda that would see a reduction in state regulations, taxes and fees that have crimped private sector advancement.

“Nobody knows how to get Connecticut’s economic engine up and running than the men and women who fuel it, the people who have to pay bills and make payroll week in and week out,” said Carter, who also represents sections of Danbury and Redding. “It’s time for the legislature to start implementing some of their ideas.”

Scribner and Carter saw firsthand how Duracell takes concepts and turns them into consumer products after speaking with staffers about the history of the company and the campus where nearly 400 people from throughout the region work each day.

The legislators discussed Duracell’s history of tapping into Connecticut’s skilled workforce, how the company monitors legislation and, of course, the state’s tax code. 

“The governor’s administration has dangled carrots in front of companies outside Connecticut, but we can’t forget about those already conducting business here,” said Scribner, a member of the legislature’s Finance Committee. 

“An alarming number of businesses are struggling, and it’s certainly time for them to receive a bit of relief. Connecticutcontinues to experience businesses closing or relocating, and job losses and unemployment in record numbers. The historic levels of additional taxes proposed and signed into law by the current Governor have exasperated the situation,” concluded Rep. Scribner. 

Carter and Scribner, who also represents Brookfield, will participate in an Oct. 26 special legislative session focused on private sector job creation. The legislators have drafted ideas aimed at addressing the concerns of existing businesses, such as eliminating the state’s controversial business entity tax and making cumbersome permitting processes easier to navigate.

Last spring, both legislators opposed the state budget that created fresh taxes on businesses and spent more money than ever. They joined their Republican colleagues in offering an alternative proposal received favorably by residents and entrepreneurs concerned that public sector sprawl curbs private sector progress.