Several pending pieces of legislation would have a significantly negative impact on the state’s economy
ALBANY, N.Y.—“With less than a week of session left, the state’s business community is speaking out against a slew of anti-growth legislation that, if passed, would further erode New York’s standing versus other states and damage our economy,” said Heather C. Briccetti, Esq., president and CEO of The Business Council of New York State, Inc. “Chief among the anti-growth bills being considered is one that would significantly expand the definition of prevailing wage and have a chilling effect on the development of affordable housing and construction projects across the state, particularly upstate. Lawmakers are right, New York’s prevailing wage mandate does need to be reformed. Current law forces project costs to artificially increase by as much as 25 percent in some areas. But further expanding the mandate will only cause that number to rise.
The state Legislature is also considering a bill that would force businesses to reconsider bringing additional call center and customer service jobs to New York. This legislation must not pass.
There is also legislation that would further expand what is already the most generous Paid Family Leave mandate in the country. The push comes at a time when the full costs of the current Paid Family Leave program are unknown, but anecdotally appear to be well beyond what lawmakers and state regulators originally estimated. As lawmakers look toward the fall elections, we hope they consider the negative impact these bills, and the accompanying cost increases associated with them, will have on their constituents.
At the same time, the Legislature can take positive steps for the state’s economy. It can adopt additional measures to avoid unintended tax increases caused by federal tax reform, a process started but left incomplete in the state budget. They can also take steps to promote the state’s energy infrastructure and make energy more affordable for employers and residential consumers. And, lawmakers can help ensure that early college high schools continue their successful experiment in preparing the state’s future workforce.”
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