Finance Committee approves $1K fines for dry cleaners

The tax-writing committee of the General Assembly this morning approved legislation that would hit dry cleaners with fines of $1,000 for failing to register annually and pay 1 percent of their revenues into the fund set up to clean up contaminated properties. It heads to the House.

There are more than 600 dry cleaners and the vast majority chip into the fund. But a few don’t contribute, said Sen. John Fonfara, D-Hartford, co-chairman of the committee. “There’s apparently evidence that some of those that aren’t complying are in fact accessing the fund,” he said, adding that the bill is a joint effort by the Department of Revenue Services and the industry. But Rep. Buddy Altobello, D-Meriden said that while the registry will help, he thinks the $1,000 fine for not registering would be particularly harsh in the case of dry cleaners who have been registering all along and then forget the October 1 effective date of the bill. “I think it’s pretty harsh,” said Altobello, who believes that those cleaners who have historically complied should be assessed no more than $100 for a first-time late payment. Rep. Jeff Berger, D-Waterbury, co-chairman of the powerful tax-writing panel, said he was willing to revisit the legislation and possible revise it before it hits the floor of the House for a full debate and vote.