Two Republican governors hailing from states that tout low taxes and an assault-rifle-friendly legislature will court gunmakers in Connecticut next week, the Hartford Courant reported Friday.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry and South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard will visit the state Monday and Tuesday, respectively, to tour gun manufacturer facilities including Colt in West Hartford and New Haven’s O.F. Mossberg & Sons.
Perry recently launched a TV ad campaign touting the Lone Star state’s business climate. The governor has already visited California and Illinois on a so-called “job-poaching” tour designed to draw new business to Texas, and will visit New York before swinging into Connecticut. In contrast, Daugaard’s trip was arranged with little pomp.
Mossberg’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel Joe Bartozzi told the Courant that the law and state officials are no longer welcoming to gun manufacturers. “It would be incredibly unlikely for us to expand in Connecticut,” he said.
“It’s nice to see someone come and say ‘We like your jobs, we welcome your business,” Bartozzi added. “It’s nice to be liked, it’s nice to be wanted.”
