www.towntimes.com
Volume 23, Number 41
Friday, January 10, 2020
Mental health, taxes among new state laws By Susan Haigh Associated Press
HARTFORD — As revelers rang in the new year, a host of new laws took effect in Connecticut, including expanded sales taxes, mental health parity requirements for insurers, an effort to help rehabilitate more blighted properties, and extended periods between driver’s license renewals. Rod Warner, of Durham, a patron of Horseshoe Taverne, talks about the new business at 100 New Haven Road in Durham on Monday. Photos by Dave Zajac, Record-Journal
Horseshoe Taverne settles in at familiar Durham location By Bailey Wright Record-Journal staff
DURHAM — A lot has changed over the years at 100 New Haven Road, currently home to the Horseshoe Taverne. Since Time Out Taverne closed last February, the building has seen new paint, new owners, a new entrance, a new bar, and more. But it remains a place where locals like to hang out. One of those locals is Al Herzog, who lives about a mile from the restaurant. He’s lived in town for 44 years and used to frequent Time Out Taverne. Longtime Durham resident Ann Moscovics was a regular at Time Out too. When it closed, both lost
Chef Luis Lopez prepares a chicken parm sandwich.
their go-to spot to see friends.
said. “It's more open than what it used to be.”
Horseshoe Taverne opened in late October 2019. Herzog and Moscovics said it’s different, but not in a bad way.
Herzog has made some new friends. He described the food as “excellent,” especially the fried brussel sprout appetizer.
“I like the atmosphere, it's nice, it's open,” Moscovics
See Taverne, A8
budget into balance.” But like past governors who tried the same thing, Lamont faced strong opposition and ultimately agreed to this much shorter list of sales tax changes. Lamont and lawmakers did agree to repeal the state’s biannual $250 business entity tax, an unpopular fee charged to most businesses in Connecticut.
January 1 marked one of Mental health several dates when large Certain health insurance blocks of new laws take efpolicies will no longer be fect in Connecticut. Some able to impose more strinof the latest new laws: gent limits on mental health and substance Tax changes abuse, compared to other A handful of items and illnesses, beginning Jan. 1. services will be subjected Also under the state’s new to the state’s 6.35% sales Mental Health Parity Act, tax as of Jan. 1. They insubstance abuse services clude safety apparel, memust be covered if they tered and other previously are required by a court. exempt parking, dry cleaning and laundry, oth- “Diseases of the brain er than coin operated. In- should not be treated any differently than diseases terior design services for of the body, and Conindividuals will also benecticut’s laws should recome taxable in 2020. flect that,” Lamont said Democratic Gov. Ned La- when he signed the bill mont originally unveiled into law in July. plans in early 2019 to creBeginning in March 2021, ate a level playing field and expand Connecticut’s insurance companies will sales tax base by repealing be required to file annual reports with the state, cervarious exemptions and tifying they’re complying imposing the tax on cerwith the new parity law. tain tax-free goods and services, from haircuts to Required coverage under child car seats. certain policies for breast He told lawmakers that expanding Connecticut’s tax base “helps to make the sales tax more robust, fairer, and raises the revenue we need to get our
ultrasounds and hearings aids will also be expanded in the new year.
See Laws, A6