There have been several signs in Albany in recent weeks to suggest that
momentum for tort reform may be growing.
The New York State Bar Association April 10 voted to continue its opposition
to tort reform-but not before a minority of its members voiced strong
dissent.
The Corporate Counsel and Municipal Law sections of the association
supported some reforms advanced by New
Yorkers for Civil Justice Reform, a coalition that includes The Council
and groups representing municipalities, nonprofit groups, and associations
of physicians, architects, farmers, and many others
ALBANY—An unaffordable increase in state spending this year could
lead to "the return of the disaster years" like those that brought huge
tax increases and drastic funding cutbacks throughout the early 1990s,
The Business Council of New York State said in a briefing
paper released today
Paul M. Nasipak has been named 1999 Small Business Advocate of the Year
by The Business Council and the National
Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
The award was presented March 30 at Small Business Day, which is organized
in Albany each spring by The Business Council and co-sponsored by NFIB
The Business Council Insurance Fund enjoyed
one of its best years ever in 1998, even though many members are not
taking full advantage of the Fund's competitively priced insurance offerings.
"More than half of Council members buy their employees' life
insurance from The Business Council Insurance Fund," said Bob Crandall,
The Council's director of member services
The Business Council has scheduled its annual Manufacturing Week for
May 7-14. This year, the event will focus on one of the top priorities
of the manufacturing community, tort reform, said Brian McMahon, director
of economic development for The Council and its specialist in manufacturing
Business Council members have
been asked to complete a survey on the effect of federal estate taxes
on business employment levels in New York State.The Business Council
is conducting the research with the Center for the Study of Taxation,
a national not-for-profit research organization
The new president of the state AFL-CIO has promised to begin a new statewide
organizing efforts and to intensify the union's advocacy efforts in Albany.
Dennis M. Hughes was elected president of the 2.5 million-member union
March 23. He succeeds Edward J. Cleary, who is retiring.
Hughes said that the AFL-CIO will "harness and direct the full political
and legislative potential of our 31 central labor councils, 71 state
organizations, 3,500 local unions and more than two million members into
a force that no legislator or candidate for office will be able to ignore
Assembly Minority Leader John Faso Wednesday released his conference's
plan to stimulate job creation by cutting taxes and enhancing economic
development.
Tax elements include accelerating scheduled reductions in business tax
rates and in the gross receipts tax on utilities; enacting Governor Pataki's
energy-tax reforms; reducing bank and insurance tax rates along with
corporate taxes; reducing the alternative minimum tax; converting the
ton-mileage tax to a flat fee; and eliminating the petroleum business
tax on commercial heating oil
Governor Pataki assured New York's small business leaders that New York
will eschew a "spending binge . . . that undoes our progress of the last
four years."
The Governor praised The Business Council for being instrumental "every
step of the way" in the effort to improve New York's business climate
through new state policies--and strongly urged The Council to stand firm
in opposing excessive state spending that could undo much of the recent
progress
The Legislature has adjourned for two weeks without agreement with Governor
Pataki on a budget for the 1999-2000 fiscal year.
This is the 15th year in a row in which lawmakers have failed to agree
on a budget by April 1, the beginning of the fiscal year. Lawmakers are
not expected back in session until April 12