Hartford Business Journal

16 Hartford Business Journal • March 27, 2017 www.HartfordBusiness.com Coalition urges CT to adopt transportation lockbox A coalition of more than 40 orga- nizations is urging Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the state legislature to preserve transportation funding by adopting a so-called "lockbox" that would prevent money from the state's Special Transportation Fund (STF) from being used for other purposes. The coalition — which includes most of the state's colleges, business chambers, labor unions and others — wants Malloy and lawmakers to adopt a resolution for a "constitution- al lockbox" that would keep transpor- tation revenues from being diverted to other areas of the budget so they are used only for transportation. The coalition also calls for the state to maintain current revenues allocated to the STF, in order to ensure sufficient funding for services and infrastructure investments over the next two years. In a joint statement, the coalition acknowledges the state's deteriorat- ing transportation infrastructure, but calls the current STF financial position "fragile." Despite that, pres- sure has and will continue to exist to divert STF funds to other purposes, a practice that needs to be changed, the coalition says. – Patricia Daddona Pot legalization debate takes center stage A smorgasbord of sometimes conflicting research on marijuana bogged down a legis- lative committee's hearing last week as law- makers weighed the merits of legalizing the recreational use of the drug in Connecticut for those ages 21 and older. Those who testified in person and in writ- ing to the Judiciary Committee on Senate Bill 11 included advocates pointing to the poten- tial for an estimated $83.4 million in tax rev- enue in the first full year of legalization, and $135 million in the third year. There were also those concerned about societal and health impacts, particularly on teenagers, as some studies have claimed that marijuana use before the brain is fully devel- oped can lead to a lower IQ. The potential for increased motor vehicle accidents from impaired drivers is also a concern. Legalization opponents cited a 2012 New Zealand study that found individuals who used marijuana in their teenage years later suffered IQ declines. But proponents pointed out the results of that study have since been criticized by other researchers. "There seems to me to be very compelling arguments on both sides of this issue," said Rep. Doug Dubitsky, (R-Chaplin). A 2015 study of the effects of legalization in Colorado found a higher prevalence of traf- fic accidents and more use of the drug among high school students. But there has been pushback on that study as well. There was also debate over the definition of addiction and whether marijuana is addictive. Having perhaps the most expertise at the hearing was Dr. Deepak D'Souza, a psychia- trist at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System and a professor at Yale's School of Medicine, who has studied the effects of cannabinoids for several decades. D'Souza said that while marijuana with- drawal effects are minor compared to more serious drugs like alcohol, opioids and cocaine, they do exist, and "there is absolute- ly no question" that marijuana is addictive. Meanwhile, D'Souza said he is not con- vinced either way that marijuana is a gateway drug, and he also told legislators that there is no test that would allow police to determine "with any degree of certainty" if a pulled-over driver was high on marijuana. The committee bill calls for a blood-test procedure in scenarios where an officer believes a motorist is high. An AAA Foundation study released last year found that blood tests are a flawed meth- od for determining marijuana impairment. Rep. Toni Walker (D-New Haven), said teenagers are likely to experiment no matter what, and that she thinks there shouldn't be criminal penalties for immature decisions. She said she supports more educational efforts to teach young people about drugs and alcohol. – Matt Pilon Lembo renews push for outside review of business incentives State Comptroller Kevin P. Lembo has renewed his push to require an independent analysis of the hundreds of millions of dollars in economic incentives Connecticut provides annually to businesses. And while a bill based on that proposal won legislative approval last year only to be vetoed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, the leader of a key legislative committee said he expects his panel will endorse a similar measure this year. "Rule No. 1 is to let data drive our deci- sions — especially concerning our state economy," Lembo said. "When hundreds of millions of dollars and resources are at stake, the state must have the ability to best evalu- ate whether these investments are actually promoting economic development and grow- ing the kind of jobs essential to our state. To conform to best practices, Connecticut must change the way we evaluate and conduct economic development." The comptroller's proposal would autho- rize the state auditors of public accounts to establish a professional advisory commit- tee. This panel would evaluate tax credits and abatements, loans, grants and any other business incentive programs provided by the state. The goal, the comptroller said, is to pro- vide every legislator with an up-to-date anal- ysis of each program, its cost, how well it has been administered, and the progress it has made toward its economic goals. The state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), which administers most economic incentive pro- grams, currently provides an assessment of these incentives every three years. DECD Commissioner Catherine Smith said that the administration still believes the idea of an outside assessment is unnecessary. "We want to opine on what we find," she said. "We've been quite diligent in our reporting." Smith said her department has not shrunk from any difficult findings. Previous reports have identified incentives that are not working or program requirements that need revision. If anything, she added, the department has been "overly conservative" in its eco- nomic models. "We think we've done a fair job," Smith said. "We're doing what needs to be done." It is the legislature's prerogative whether to act on these reports, Smith said, but a better way to enhance Connecticut's business incen- tives might be to implement more of the depart- ment's recommendations. "I feel like we don't need more reporting," she said. "The issue is whether we are acting on the findings." – Keith M. Phaneuf | CT Mirror Funds for highway and other transportation maintenance are shrinking. CAPITOL BIZ Comptroller Kevin Lembo, a Democrat, is considering a gubernatorial run in 2018. The commercial sale of marijuana could create a tax-revenue windfall for the state of Connecticut. P H O T O | C O N T R I B U T E D P H O T O | H B J F I L E P H O T O | C N N

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