CONN. EYES OUTSOURCING PENALTIES:

Connecticut is one of 30 states considering legislation that would penalize companies that ship jobs overseas. State and federal lawmakers are drafting a variety of bills— including barring businesses that outsource jobs from receiving government contracts and tax breaks. Since the start of the 2000 recession, the state has lost 40,000 jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. More than 30 states are contemplating legislation that would punish businesses that lay off American workers and take jobs out of the country, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Four such bills are under consideration in Connecticut, including a measure that would scrap tax breaks for seven years for businesses that layoff more than 100 Connecticut workers and outsource abroad. State Rep. Andrea Stillman (D-Waterford) who sponsored the bill, said that although the free market clearly promotes economic growth, it is not acceptable to leave American workers out in the cold.