ALBANY, N.Y.—”Governor Cuomo has laid out an ambitious agenda that includes many legislative proposals championed by The Business Council of New York State,” said Heather C. Briccetti, president and CEO of The Business Council of New York State, Inc. “We are particularly pleased that the Governor has once again kept spending growth at or below 2 percent. We are also looking forward to ensuring the Governor’s small business tax cut proposals are enacted and the Property Tax Cap is not weakened. Despite these and other positives, we remain adamantly opposed to the Governor’s proposal to raise the wage for entry-level workers to $15 an hour. Its impact will be especially significant among young and low-skilled workers seeking entry-level jobs, and in areas upstate that have yet to recover losses sustained during the Great Recession. The Business Council also has real concerns about the proposed paid leave mandate on employers. While we reserve judgment until the full details are released, we believe this mandate would be particularly harmful to the same small businesses the Governor is supporting through other budget initiatives. Today is the beginning of negotiations over the 2016-17 Executive Budget, and we will have much more to say as we go over its details and work with the Governor and the Legislature to enact pro-growth, pro-business legislation supported by our members.”
The Business Council’s 2016 Legislative and Regulatory Agenda