In a bid to recover from impact of COVID-19 on economy, legislators in Connecticut are looking towards new sources for generation of revenue.
Senator Paul Formica indicated that in January session of legislative assembly, there might be a discussion on raising revenue from ‘sin taxes’.
In furtherance of the same, the legislators might move to legalize sports betting and recreational marijuana.
Formica discussed about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on all states of United States and how precarious the situation is.
Notably, not only in US, but in most parts of the country, the workforce has been laid off as a cost cutting measure. Therefore, states are now forced to devise new mechanisms for generation of revenue because the economy has suffered massive losses.
The US Supreme Court in 2018 had ruled on the legality of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act and had stated that while the Act violated 10th Amendment of the US Constitution, each state is free to pass its own sports betting legalization bill.
The US state of Colorado enacted the legislation legalizing sports betting quickly that year but Connecticut did not do so. However, now the situation has changed and states are in desperate need of revenue sources, so they have turned their attention to ‘sin taxes’.
Formica, who is also a member of the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee said, “There’s going to be a big need for revenue. I’m sure there is going to be a big discussion on sin taxes in the long session starting in January”, reported Gambling News.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said, “Online gaming is following every other part of our economy so I think its part of our future”, reported News8.
The next legislative session in Connecticut will begin on January 19, 2021 and the legalization of recreational marijuana and sports betting are already hot topics of discussion in the State.
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