News

15
Aug
2006
The New York State Consumer Protection Board will host an Albany seminar that will help businesses determine how to reach consumers without violating state and federal “do-not-call” laws. "Under the 'Do Not Call' law, there are very few instances when a sales call may be placed legally to the more than 7
07
Aug
2006
ALBANY—New York’s per-pupil spending is the second highest in the nation while the state’s graduation rate is near the bottom, a new set of statistics from the Public Policy Institute of New York State shows. The new data, part of the Institute's Just the Facts series of key economic and social statistics, show that New York’s per-pupil spending was $12,930 in 2004, second only to New Jersey and 56 percent above the national average
03
Aug
2006
The nation's labor unions suffered a resounding legal setback last month when a federal court overturned a law that imposed a harsh health-insurance mandate and tax on WalMart, but New York's unions and union-driven advocacy groups can be expected to resume their push for a similar bill in New York State next year, according to The Business Council's health insurance policy specialist
02
Aug
2006
Upstate New York’s population is aging faster than the rest of the nation, while the number of young working adults declines, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in Buffalo. The report said that in 2000 Upstate New York’s 65-and-over population had risen to 14
24
Jul
2006
A mid-July heat wave saw New York State set a new record for single-day demand for electricity and, in the process, refocus attention on New York's widely recognized need to increase its electricity-generating capacity. On Monday, July 17, New Yorkers' hourly average peak load reached 32,624 megawatts, breaking a record of 32,075 set last summer, said Jim Smith, a spokesman for the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), a non-profit entity charged with overseeing New York's electricity markets and transmission systems
21
Jul
2006
The Council will host a series of briefings across the state to review and assess human-resources related legislation introduced or passed this year, and to discuss how November’s elections might affect human-resources next year. The eight August meetings will replace the full-day meetings usually held during the summer and fall, said Tom Minnick, manager of the Council’s Center for Human Resources
19
Jul
2006
ALBANY—Proposed changes to the state Taylor Law would drive taxes higher and harm vital public services, the Business Council of New York State said in urging Governor Pataki to veto a number of bills the Legislature approved this session. "Some of these bills would impose new costs directly," Business Council President/CEO Daniel B
18
Jul
2006
Honorable George E. Pataki Governor State of New York The Capitol Albany, New York 12224 Dear Governor Pataki: RE: This year’s flood of anti-taxpayer legislation As you have said consistently, high taxes hurt New York. They drive jobs away – a key reason our job growth continues to lag the nation’s
17
Jul
2006
New York's liability climate is among the worst in the nation, and could be damaging the state's already fragile economy, a new report by the Pacific Research Institute has found. The study, the U.S. Tort Liability Index: 2006 Report, ranked states on 39 variables in five groups including monetary tort losses, threats, monetary caps, and substantive-law rules
13
Jul
2006
ALBANY—New York's overall state-and-local tax burden remains the heaviest in the country, and the state ranks at or near the top in property, income and sales taxes, a new data compilation by the Public Policy Institute shows. The Institute, the research affiliate of The Business Council of New York State, updated its Just The Facts statistics on state and local taxes in New York and elsewhere