A vaccination milestone, an infrastructure counterproposal, a profile of the head of the SBA, offshore wind on the West Coast, a protest against a proposed health tax in Connecticut, and legalized online gaming and sports betting in Connecticut are among the top business news items this morning.
National
Half of the adult population in the United States has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Centers for Disease Control data. Just over six in 10 have received at least one dose, and President Joe Biden has set a goal of having at least 70 percent fully vaccinated by the Fourth of July.
Republican senators are preparing a $1 trillion counteroffer to the Biden administration’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal, with details to be released Thursday. While the two sides are coming closer on an agreeable price, significant disagreements remain over the scope of infrastructure improvements and how they will be funded.
U.S. Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman was profiled recently in the New York Times. Guzman says she expects changes will be necessary to meet the added demand on the agency in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an increased focus on a “customer-first approach.”
Business trends
While offshore wind developments are currently concentrated on the East Coast, they may soon start to appear off the West Coast as well. State and federal officials are working to establish two installations off the California coast capable of powering 1.6 million homes.
Connecticut
A coalition of Connecticut businesses is urging Governor Ned Lamont and the state’s legislature to scrap a proposed $50 million tax on health insurers. The coalition argues that the measure would harm companies by increasing insurance costs and providing a disincentive for employers to expand benefits.
The Connecticut Senate has voted 28-6 to legalize sports betting and online gaming in the state. The bill has already been approved in the Connecticut House of Representatives, and Lamont has promised to sign it.
