2004 LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
MANUFACTURING
Staff Contact: Ken Pokalsky
Following is The Business Council's 2004 Legislative Program. It identifies priority issues to be addressed by the Committees and Councils during 2004.
- Support legislation to adopt a "single sales factor" for assessing the state's corporate franchise tax. This change will provide a significant incentive to locate facilities and employees in New York State - and eliminate a tax "penalty" on New York State businesses with large in-state facilities and staff.
- Support legislation to reduce the cost of workers' compensation insurance, including limits on "permanent partial" disability awards, objective medical standards for assessing partial disabilities, and others.
- Support legislation to reduce the cost of group health insurance plans by: limiting state-imposed coverage mandates; reducing state charges on hospital bills; and other reforms.
- Support measures to reduce the cost of electric power, and to assure reliable and adequate power supplies. These include the development of new electric generating and transmission capacity in New York State that is necessary to assure adequate supplies and to achieve more competitive markets.
- Expand the sales tax exemption for energy used in manufacturing processes to include: computers and software used predominantly in manufacturing processes or in related research and development; reconditioning of manufacturing tools; energy costs related to maintaining a controlled manufacturing environment.
- Support tort reform legislation that: repeals "joint and several" liability; caps non-economic damages; establishes a "statute of repose" to limit the period in which a manufacturer can be held liable for damages attributable to its product; allows consideration of plaintiff's negligence; and limits contingency fees.
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The
Business Council of New York State, Inc.
152
Washington Avenue | Albany,
New York 12210-2289 | 518.465.7511