Published July 2, 2022 at 3:54 PM EDT
Efforts by the U.S. Supreme Court against Roe v. Wade last week put an end to abortion rights in the country’s constitution, with the transfer of birth control laws to states. In Connecticut, which has some of the strongest abortion protection companies in the country – and a former entrepreneur at its headquarters – these rights have quickly become a tool of recruitment.
On Friday, a week after the Supreme Court ruling, Governor Ned Lamont and Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz published an open letter, entitled, “Dear Entrepreneurs,” with a fitting reminder of where Connecticut stands on maternal health.
The letter said, “We are writing to any business owner who is unhappy with their current situation.” “If you are looking to relocate to a state that supports women’s rights and whose practices and laws do not have a village to support tolerance and integration, Connecticut is for you.”
The governor’s office at the same time released a video of Lamont talking directly to the camera, noting that several states would revert to abortion rights as a result of the ruling.
“It’s not here in Connecticut,” Lamont said. “Not as long as I am governor.”
For every business in the states that prevent abortion: Come to Connecticut.
The right to vote is safe here and once your staff decides they want to have a family, we are the largest family in the country with family payments, quality child care, & amp; the best public schools. pic.twitter.com/2h44casOHt
Since midday on Friday, the video, which was posted on the governor’s Twitter account, has garnered more than 16,000 views.
Lamont spokesman Max Reiss said the letter and video were distributed to “members of the press in several states,” with the idea that businesses in other areas could hear the Connecticut governor’s message on local news.
“If this leads to discussions in places like Texas or Florida or Missouri, we think that’s a good thing for Connecticut,” Reiss said.
Both Lamont and his successor, former Governor Dannel P. Malloy, have considered the state’s business climate by highlighting its social development policies. In the video, Lamont calls Connecticut “the most family-friendly state in the country,” citing paid family vacations, support for early childhood education, and the state’s comprehensive education system.
But some traders say these prices could increase. In a recent survey of members, the Connecticut Chamber of Commerce and Industry found that 14% of state entrepreneurs said the need for workplace and payroll costs was a major obstacle to their growth; 18% cited high business taxes as their main barrier.
On Friday, Lamont’s Republican opponent, Bob Stefanowski, said he doubted Connecticut’s abortion laws would be of interest to entrepreneurs, who are considering a number of factors while decide location.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of relationship there,” Stefanowski said. “I do not see a direct link between the governor. It is a good stump talking. But I don’t think that’s why companies are coming to Connecticut. “
Bruce McGuire, president of the Connecticut Hedge Foundation in Greenwich, said, “If Connecticut gets stuck among a bunch of red states, that argument will be even stronger.” Alternative investment sectors, which include hedge funds and private equity, are plentiful around Wall Street, he said, and neighboring states of Connecticut are already “locked in” on the issue of dumping. abdomen.
“We don’t compete with South Dakota for talent,” McGuire said.
Fran Pastore, founder and chief executive of the Women’s Business Development Council at Stamford, said she noticed a steady flow of interest from women entrepreneurs seeking support to launch their businesses in Connecticut. Of the nearly 1,000 who applied for the WBDC microfinance program this year, half came from outside the state, she said.
Advanced economic policies that support working women – from low-income business to family-paid medical leave, child care payments and increasing minimum wage (which rises to $ 14 per hour (July 1 in Connecticut) – has a positive impact on having more women “seated at the table,” says Pastore.And she believes this is a good thing, regardless of one’s politics.
“Let’s be honest, only five men and one woman make decisions about more than 52% of the population,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if you are a voter or not, women need to look at decision makers across the board – in U.S. companies, in Washington, D.C., and Hartford, Connecticut.”
Author Mark Pazniokas contributed to this report.
