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State legislators are considering a proposal by Governor Dannel Malloy to bring a bioscience lab to Connecticut. But while Democrats support the idea, some Republicans are questioning the numbers behind it. WNPR's Jeff Cohen reports.
Malloy announced the deal with Jackson Laboratory, saying it would eventually bring -- and help create -- thousands of jobs. The company would put up about $800 million dollars; the state would invest nearly $300 million.
But now some are calling those numbers into question. Keith Phaneuf covers the capitol for the Connecticut Mirror. He told WNPR's Where We Live that Republican lawmakers are wondering whether taxpayers are getting their money's worth.
"One of the big messages that's come out of the administration is for every three dollars that Jackson Labs is putting in, the state is putting in one. And that sounds great. What that $809 million actually is -- not a penny of it is going into the building. That's simply Jackson Labs' operating budget in total over 20 years."
Republican State Senator Len Suzio says the governor isn't giving honest numbers on the deal. He says he doesn't think the project will create all the jobs that the governor says it will. He also says the state should have some financial interest in whatever technologies the lab eventually creates.
"It doesn't make sense to me to give away $300 million to a company, an operation that may develop an incredibly valuable technology and just when it becomes valuable 10 years from now we walk away from $300 million and get nothing -- other than some indirect benefits in the form of jobs."
But Democrats like state Senator Gary Lebeau say they're behind the plan and its promise.
"This hits exactly where we want to be. Biotechnology can be one of the major foundations of Connecticut's future, and we have everything that we need -- the basis for this. We have a well educated work force, we're like seventh in the country in patents, we have a very bright workforce."
Legislators will meet in special session tomorrow/today in part to consider whether to fund the Jackson Labs project.
For WNPR, I'm Jeff Cohen.
