On Wednesday Connecticut lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to approve a $220 million agreement to keep the headquarters of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in the state until 2032. The agreement also calls for the production of a new line of heavy cargo helicopters for the U.S. military at Sikorsky’s Stratford plant.
The agreement passed the state Senate by a vote of 35-1. It passed in the House 136 to 6.
Representative Robert Sampson, a Republican from Wolcott, was one of the six no votes. He called the deal a corporate giveaway that would cause more problems than it fixes for the state.
Sampson says, “This fixes nothing as far as our state economy goes, and I believe it has the potential to cause far more problems down the road. I am afraid this is only going to embolden and encourage other large employers in our state to come knocking on the state government door saying where is mine. I ask all of you where will that stop.”
Supporters of the agreement, including House Majority leader Joe Aresimowicz, a Berlin Democrat, say the benefits of the deal outweigh such concerns.
“People are going to be able to put food on the table. People are going to be able to put their kids through college. They are going to buy that house, whether it has the white picket fence or not it’s up to them, at least they’ll have that house. So for just one moment, can we take off the political patches and say we did the right thing.”
Supporters had argued that Connecticut was competing with Florida, South Carolina, Texas and Georgia to build the military’s new King Stallion helicopters. They say without the deal the state could have lost Sikorsky.
The agreement calls for Sikorsky to retain a workforce of at least 8,000 in Connecticut. It still has to be approved by Sikorsky’s unionized workers.
