ALBANY— How rampant lawsuit abuse and skyrocketing costs of health insurance affect small businesses will be key themes in Small Business Day Tuesday, March 25, at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany.

Randy Daniels, secretary of state, will deliver a keynote address during luncheon.

The Small Business Day agenda includes:

• A discussion of how tort laws unfairly affect small business. Scheduled panelists include: Steve Malanga, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research; Jeffrey J. Zogg, managing director of the General Building Partners; and Gerard L. Conway, director of government affairs for the Medical Society of the State of New York. This session will begin at 9:45 a.m.
  
  Tort reform is a long-time Business Council priority. A landmark 1998 study by The Council's research affiliate, The Public Policy Institute, concluded that New York has become trapped in a "lawsuit lottery" system that erodes justice, encourages lawsuits against defendants with deep pockets regardless of fault, and works largely to benefit an army of trial lawyers. The study, An Accident and a Dream, showed that lawsuit abuse in New York State was costing New Yorkers $14 billion a year in higher costs of goods and services and higher local taxes.
  
  Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, citing The Institute's research, outlined a vision of sweeping tort reform that he said could save New Yorkers billions of dollars and ease city and state budget gaps. He cited a number of specific reforms, including: repeal of joint and several liability; a cap of $250,000 on non-economic damages; a limitation on lawyers' contingency fees; elimination of "vicarious" liability; and an extension of the Court of Claims' jurisdiction to include claims against municipalities.
  
  
• A discussion of how best to control health-care costs. Scheduled panelists include: Gregory V. Serio, superintendent of the state Insurance Department; William J. Cromie, chief executive officer of Capital District Physicians Health Plan; and Scott D. Stevens, president of Dimension Fabricators, Inc. This session will begin at 11:15 a.m.
  
  
• Brief remarks during luncheon by Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. The luncheon is scheduled to begin at 12:15 p.m.
  
  
• Presentation of the Small Business Advocate of the Year Award, which will also take place during luncheon.
  
  
• Opportunities for lobbying visits at the state Capitol and the Legislative Office Building. Participants wishing to schedule appointments should do so through their local chamber of commerce.

Manufacturing Lobbying Day: The Small Business Day agenda will also include The Council's Manufacturing Lobbying Day, an opportunity for representatives of the state's manufacturers to visit Albany to urge lawmakers to embrace policies that will improve the state's climate for manufacturers.

Manufacturing remains a linchpin of New York's economy, especially upstate, where half of all jobs depend on manufacturing, a September 2002 report by The Public Policy Institute concluded. The Key to the Upstate Economy? Manufacturing-Still also concluded that new government policies to enhance competitiveness of traditional and high-tech manufacturers would make New York more prosperous. The report can be found at www.ppinys.org/reports/2002/manuf2002.pdf.

Background on Small Business Day: Small Business Day is conducted each March by The Business Council. The Chamber Alliance of New York State (CANYS) and the National Federation of Independent Business cosponsor the event.

The purpose of Small Business Day is to give small-business operators a chance to discuss priority issues with key lawmakers and staff.

Each year, some 400 representatives of small businesses and local chambers of commerce participate. The agenda typically includes addresses by key legislative leaders, discussions on legislative issues of importance to the small business community, and opportunities for visiting small business proprietors to meet and lobby lawmakers and their key staff members.

In past years, these meetings have been critical to business' efforts to convince lawmakers to make more affordable health insurance available to sole proprietors, reduce taxes, reform workers' compensation and unemployment insurance, and make other critical improvements to New York's business climate.

A complete agenda and registration form can be found on The Council's Web site at www.bcnys.org/whatsnew/events/sbdinfo.htm. Same-day registration is also possible.

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