URGENT: Connecticut Could Lead the Way in Conversion to a Peace Economy

On May 1, the CT State Senate passed State Bill  619 (SB619) sponsored by State Senator Toni N. Harp (D-New Haven) creating a “Futures Commission” to find ways to keep manufacturing jobs in CT as the Pentagon budget begins to be reduced.

State Senator Harp said. “The proposed Futures Commission will set up a framework that allows us to convert many of our military related jobs and infrastructure into non-military industries. If we want to take advantage of the green economy that the Obama Administration is pushing, we need to have the infrastructure and trained workers in our state to do so.”

The bill will now will come up for a vote in the CT House this week. Please call your legislator to support the bill. You can find your legislator here.

Peace Action and our allies in the peace and justice movement continue to organize to change national spending priorities by moving the money spent on the Pentagon budget to fund jobs, human needs and diplomacy. We also must organize to insure that workers, their families and communities who have depended on Pentagon contracts for good paying jobs are supported in the transition to producing what we need in our communities.

Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) “Connecticut has some of the best high-skilled manufacturing workers in the world,” Senator Looney said. “As needs of the national and world economy evolve, we must ensure that Connecticut’s economy is ready to adapt and our workers are well trained for the jobs of tomorrow.”

Please take a few minutes to call your state rep and ask to support SB619. You can find your legislator here. 

According to the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Research, ‘This bill reactivates a dormant economic development advisory commission… and broadens its charge to include policies encouraging defense contractors and subcontractors to engage in environmentally sustainable and civilian product manufacturing.’

With your support, CT can be the first state to pass a bill to convert military production to civilian use!

Power to the peaceful,

Judith LeBlanc
Field Director
Peace Action

Background:

In November 2012, a ballot referendum passed in New Haven that called for moving the money from war to jobs rebuilding our infrastructure and human needs. This referendum won support nearly 6 to 1! This winter in Connecticut, the US Peace Council, No Nukes No War, the City of New Haven Peace Commission with the support of the state AFL-CIO and International Association of Machinists worked to get  SB619 introduced in the state legislature calling for a Futures Commission whose goals is to investigate how to convert the weapons manufacturing industries to producing civilian, green products and retain and develop manufacturing in the state. The Commission that this bill creates will include representatives of labor, peace and environmental organizations.