Christopher.Coutu@cga.ct.gov
Official Website
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860-240-8787
A.S., Three Rivers Community College, B.A., Eastern Connecticut State University, M.B.A., University of Hartford
Veterans Affairs, Insurance (Ranking), Commerce,
Canterbury, Norwich, Scotland, Sprague
Legislator
Coutu participated in the state's public campaign financing program.
| Christopher Coutu (R) | 4,362 | (57.2%) |
| Catherine A. Osten (D) | 3,025 | (39.7%) |
| Catherine A. Osten (WF) | 243 | (3.2%) |
| 0 | (0%) |
Coutu unseated a seven-term Democratic incumbent, Jack Malone, in 2008. Though his 2010 Democratic challenger, Sprague First Selectwoman Catherine Osten, was cross-endorsed by the Working Families Party, Coutu still won easily with 57 percent of the vote.
When the House Republican class of 2008 holds its reunion, it will only need a table for two: Coutu and Anthony Hwang of Fairfield. Coutu is an Air Force veteran now employed by the Connecticut National Guard.
Coutu reported outside income in 2010 from the Connecticut National Guard and from Fritzsche Financial. His wife, Neringa, received income from Reliance House. They reported owning no real estate and no securities worth more than the $5,000 threshold.Coutu reported founding a new nonprofit agency, AmericanWarrior.us, to honor veterans.He waived his right to confidentiality and reported a debt in excess of $10,000 to Sallie Mae Corp.A note on financial disclosure: Every spring, officials are required to disclose the ownership of real estate, the source of any income exceeding $1,000 in the previous calendar year and securities worth more than $5,000. They also are required to file an addendum in which they report any debt of more than $10,000; this may by law be kept confidential.
| Adopted budget | Nay |
| Campaign finance | Absent |
| Criminal background checks | Yea |
| Deer hunting | Yea |
| Education reform | Nay |
| Electric regulation | Nay |
| Expansion of OTB | Yea |
| School bus seatbelts | Yea |
| Sentencing commission | Yea |
| UConn Health Center | Absent |
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THE MINIMUM WAGE
Connecticut's hourly minimum wage of $8.25 is one of the highest in the nation, trailing Washington at $9.04, Oregon at $8.80 and Vermont at $8.46.
Five of the six New England states exceed the federal minimum of $7.25. The exception is New Hampshire, whose minimum is the same as the feds.
Connecticut is one of 18 states with a minimum higher than the federal standard. Twenty-thrree are at the federal level, four are below it and five have no minimum wage.
Ten states have a minimum wage indexed to the cost of living.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor
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