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For more B2B news visit APRIL 3, 2017 Volume 25, Number 15 $3.00 Subscribe online Don't miss being a part of biggest sales lead generation day of the year on June 8th 2017 Introducing the ALL NEW G R E AT E R H A R T F O R D ' S B U S I N E S S N E W S w w w. H a r t f o rd B u s i n e s s . c o m Index ■ Week in Review: PG. 6 ■ Deal Watch: PG. 7 ■ Opinion & Commentary: PG. 10 ■ The List: PG. 30 Pot Prospects If, or when, Connecticut legalizes the recreational use of weed, much will be at stake for the state's fledgling medical marijuana industry and employers. PG. 3 Healthy Demand Health savings accounts (HSAs), financial conduits through which millions of Americans pay their health-related expenses, will likely stay in high demand despite Congressional Republicans' failed attempt to broaden their use and access as part of federal healthcare reforms. PG. 5 By John Stearns jstearns@HartfordBusiness.com T he government sector lost the most jobs in Connecticut last year and has been one of the hardest hit employment sectors since the Great Recession in 2008 — and the bleeding appears far from over. The future for the sector — which includes federal, state, local and pub- lic higher education jobs, plus jobs in casinos run by tribal governments — looks bleak with budget challenges clouding state and local govern- ments, in particular. The state has said 4,200 jobs could be lost if it can't win $700 million in labor concessions next fiscal year. Job reductions at the state's two tribal casinos, Foxwoods and Mohe- gan Sun, have accounted for the lion's share of losses in local government, in which casino jobs are grouped. From 2008 through the first quarter of 2016, the state lost about 7,000 gam- bling jobs, according to the latest data available from the U.S. Census. Those declines accounted for about 60 per- cent of local government job losses in the state since 2008 and 38 percent of the 18,400 total government sector losses, including federal, state and public higher education. The tribes say that without a third casino — proposed for East Windsor to counter the nearly $1-bil- lion casino complex MGM plans to open by fall 2018 in Springfield — job losses will only continue, and casino and other revenues to the state will plunge. The tribes say 9,300 direct and indirect gaming jobs will be lost. Andrew Doba, a spokesman for the MMCT Foxwoods-Mohegan joint venture planning the third casino, Continued on page 8 P H O T O | K E I T H P H A N E U F / C T M I R R O R Gov't sector bleeding jobs in Connecticut A group of state employees protest plans by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to shrink the state workforce by privatizing group homes for people with disabilities. SPECIAL SECTION PGS. 13-30 R ecognizing eight remarkable women who are making a difference within their organizations and the community