Next Tuesday, September 11, twenty-three cities and towns will hold primaries. For some municipal candidates, primary day is as good as Election Day. For others, it's only the beginning of a long fall contest to gain the love and support of the voters. The hottest primary contests are the Democratic mayoral campaigns in Hartford and Bridgeport.

This week, State Rep. Minnie Gonzalez, former mayoral candidate for the Democratic Party in Hartford, requested that the Superior Court halt the September 11 primary. Gonzalez wants time to appeal last week's ruling taking her out of the running for office.

After having a significant number of voter petitions disqualified, she and 6 city council candidates did not have the number of signatures necessary to be put on the ballot. Hartford's Democratic registrar of voters concluded that many of the petitions were invalid. Under state law, no one person can circulate petitions for more than one mayoral candidate. Gonzalez contends that the law is unconstitutional and vague.

If the primary is halted, a number of other Democratic candidates will be affected. Current Mayor Eddie Perez, former State Sen. Frank D. Barrows, State Rep. Art Feltman, and former Deputy Mayor I. Charles Mathews are all still in the race. Perez won the endorsement of the Hartford Democratic Party and I. Charles Mathews was endorsed by the New York Times and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The Hartford Courant and local neighborhood weeklies have yet to announce their favorites. This is a city to watch!

Down in Bridgeport, State Senator Bill Finch and State Rep. Chris Caruso are still head-to-head in the mayoral primary. Finch received endorsements from the New York Times and the Connecticut Post. The Connecticut Post published, "Finch possesses an edge over his opponent, state Rep. Christopher Caruso, because he holds a broader, more insightful vision of Bridgeport's future and will use his skills as a political compromiser to make that vision happen."

Caruso also received endorsements from the Bridgeport Education Association, which has never endorsed a candidate before, and the Connecticut Citizen Action Group. Tom Swan, Executive Director of CCAG, explained, "Caruso stood up to the corruption in the Rowland administration at a time when others were hesitant and proved he's a man of principle."

In an interesting new twist on the race, on Thursday, the blog, My Left Nutmeg, and the Fairfield County Weekly cosponsored a YouTube debate for the Bridgeport mayoral primary. The idea came about after the success of the same type of debate held on the national level. Voters taped their questions for the candidates that were then posted to YouTube for the candidates to answer at the debate. Both Finch and Caruso are certainly proving they'll do whatever it takes to secure votes right up until the election.

There is speculation that if Finch does not win the primary, then Mayor John Fabrizi may run as a third party candidate to challenge Caruso. Fabrizi did not run in the Democratic primary after he admitted battling a cocaine addiction and public scrutiny over his decision to support a child molester during a sentencing hearing. This race is sure to stay in the headlines, even after the primary is decided.

Below is a link from the Secretary of State's office listing all of the primaries that will be held across the state next Tuesday. If you aren't registered to vote, there's still time! You have until Monday, September 10 at 12 pm to sign up with a party at your registrar of voters' office.

The 113th district of Shelton will hold a special election on October 9 to replace the late beloved State Rep. Dick Belden who passed away suddenly last month. Two candidates have been chosen to run for the open spot.

Republicans chose Jason Perillo as their nominee. Perillo is a member of the Board of Aldermen and chairman of the Blasting Policy Ad Hoc Committee. James Orazietti was chosen to represent the Democrats. Orazietti is serving his second term on the Board of Education. The winner of the special election will complete the remaining 13 months of Belden's term.

Perillo and Orazetti are the first two candidates eligible for the state's new public campaign financing program. Both have signed up for the program, which requires them to raise $3,750 from 113 residents in contributions no larger than $100. If they are successful, the candidates will receive a grant of $18,750 from the state. With only a month until the special election, it will certainly be a challenge for the candidates to raise the money while knocking on doors to spread the name recognition they already have earned.

Annually, the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) compiles a summary of major business legislation addressed during the legislative session. While the Labor Committee successfully introduced a number of anti-business legislation, lawmakers ultimately defeated or did not take action on these proposals. However, CBIA noted that the very introduction of these measures sent anti- business reverberations through the halls of the Capitol and to corporate Connecticut.

According to CBIA, the Labor Committee put forth a number of measures that would have significantly increased labor and workplace costs for businesses here in Connecticut. The six pieces touted by CBIA as "the most detrimental" were defeated. They would have:

• Increased scarring and discretionary benefits for workers' compensation claimants, required employers to provide all employees with a minimum amount of paid sick leave
• Prohibited employers from implementing "use it or lose it" policies regarding paid time off
• Made employers liable for acts of "bullying" in the workplace
• Required employers of 100 or more employees to institute employee-developed health and safety protocols and guidelines
• Restricted communication between employers and their employees about matters that may affect the workplace, community at large, and the state economy.

With every legislative session there are always victories that offset the difficult challenges for the business community. Outlined below are three pieces of legislation that CBIA showcases as "good for business". If you have any questions about how these public acts affect your business or organization, please contact James Desantos at 860-560-0000.

Public Act 07- 31
Effective Date: October 1, 2007
This act authorizes the Workers' Compensation Commission to establish a fee schedule using the Medicare "relative valuation" system of determining medical provider reimbursement fees. The act further proved that if a party to a workers' compensation action files a motion subsequent to the finding and award, order, or decision of a workers' compensation commissioner, the 20-day period for filing an appeal of an award or an order by the commissioner to the Compensation Review Board shall begin on the date of the decision on the motion.

Public Act 07- 80
Effective Date: October 1, 2007
This act amends the Workers' Compensation Act to create additional notice requirements for a reduction or discontinuance of workers' compensation benefits. The bill also increases the maximum penalty imposed on employers and insurers in certain cases when benefit payments are late, and extends the time period for appealing a decision to reduce or discontinue benefits by five additional days.

Public Act 07- 89
Effective Date: October 1, 2007
This act states that any employer who knowingly misclassifies the employment status of employees for the purpose of avoiding or reducing its workers' compensation liability insurance may be subject to criminal sanctions and civil penalties. The act also empowers the commissioner of the Department of Labor to issue a stop-work order and assess fines against employers found to be in violation of this section.