The Business Council Releases its 2013 Fix New York Legislative Agenda

ALBANY, NY (01/08/2013)(readMedia)-- In 2013, The Business Council of New York State, Inc.'s legislative agenda focuses on maintaining and building on the state's fiscal discipline, improving the state's overall business climate and reducing state-imposed business costs and barriers to new investment and job growth.

"The pro-growth momentum we saw in 2011 and 2012 needs to continue for New York to regain its economic strength," said Heather Briccetti, president and CEO of The Business Council. "In 2013, The Business Council will support legislation that controls state spending while avoiding new taxes; reform labor laws and other regulatory programs that impose unnecessary costs and restrictions on all employers; and promote new jobs and investments in a range of strategically important business sectors. At the same time, we will oppose legislation that could extend public sector prevailing wage to private sector projects; expand lawsuits against publicly traded companies; drive up group health coverage costs and reduce the ability of New York businesses to grow and compete.

The Business Council's 2013 Fix New York Legislative Agenda for the upcoming legislative session will focus on:

• Supporting a budget with no new taxes, fees or assessments

• Imposing limits on new spending growth, and adopting additional fiscal reforms;

• Reducing workers' compensation costs for business and reforming the state's Unemployment Insurance system;

• eliminating unnecessary mandates and restrictions in the state's Labor Law, and opposing new or expanded wage or benefit mandates;

• Reforming the state's SEQRA, permitting and other programs to provide predictable, workable time frames for the approval of new investment projects;

• Adopting broad reforms in the state's business taxes to reduce compliance costs and make the state's tax code more supportive of in-state investment and job creation;

• Addressing the state's rigorous, expensive regulatory climate to eliminate unnecessary and inefficient compliance mandates;

• Instituting mandate relief for localities to allow them to manage their own spending levels under the real property tax cap;

• Finalizing regulations to allow the safe and timely development of the Marcellus Shale;

• Opposing new group health coverage mandates, which drive up employer and employee costs and make group help plans increasingly unaffordable; and

• Reducing lawsuit costs, including adoption of long-needed reforms to the state's so-called scaffolding law, and rejecting expansion of the state's "Martin Act."

"We made great strides in 2012 by working together to improve the business climate in New York, and by promoting private sector investment and job creation. The Business Council looks forward to partnering with Governor Cuomo, the State Senate and Assembly and, most importantly, our members, for an even more successful – and job filled – 2013," added Briccetti.

For a complete look at The Business Council's 2013 Fix New York Legislative Agenda click here.