The effects of the Sept. 11 terrorism on New York State's economy, budget, and legislative agenda will be a central focus of the annual "issues conference" of The Council's Government Affairs Council (GAC) Tuesday, Nov. 13, at the headquarters of the New York State Nurses Association in Albany.

The GAC holds this meeting each year so that GAC members and Business Council staff can finalize legislative and policy objectives for the year ahead and discuss the current political environment in Albany.

Agenda items for this year's conference include:

• Greg Serio, superintendent of the New York State Department of Insurance, will discuss how the atrocity will affect the insurance marketplace.
  
  
• Greg David, editor of Crain's New York Business, will discuss the challenges facing New York as it works to rebuild its economy and foster a recovery. He will also discuss the outcome of the mayoral race in New York as well as the 2002 campaign for governor.
  
  
• Members of the fiscal staffs of the state Assembly and Senate will be invited to provide their thoughts on the state's fiscal picture over the next 15 months.
  
  
• Howard Berman, president and CEO of Excellus, Inc., a major Rochester-based provider of health insurance, will discuss the rising costs of health insurance. Berman is a newly elected member of The Business Council's Board of Directors.

Members of The Council's government-affairs staff will lead discussions on priority issues for 2002, including: tax reform; the need for adding electricity generating capacity; workers' compensation reform; improvements to the state's Superfund; investments in research and development; and sustaining higher standards in schools.

The meeting, which will run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., is open to all members of the GAC.

For more details on the agenda as well as registration information, visit our Calendar of Events.