ALBANY—Empire Zones are New York State's most valuable economic-development
tool, and state lawmakers should extend the Empire Zone program, preserve
its current strengths, ensure program accountability, and offer zone benefits
to manufacturers that make major capital investments in an effort to retain
jobs, The Business Council's economic-development specialist said Monday
ALBANY—The Business Council is strongly opposing new federal legislation
that would allow states and localities to impose taxes on the Internet.
The bill, S.2084, sponsored by U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee)
and U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Delaware), would allow state and local
governments to impose a tax of up to 15 percent on consumers purchasing
Internet access
Major Provisions
S.5320 Libous/A.8862 Schimminger
A.9736 John/S.6135 Velella
Governor's Program Bill
S.6841 Rules / A.10975 Rules at the request of John
Bill Note
Section 3 of A9736 adds a new article 2-A titled "Workers' Compensation Benefit and Improvement Act" There are different subsections under section 3 of the bill which are numbered 36-36h
Scheduled Awards
Section 2: Give injured workers only half of remaining scheduled benefits if they return to work before scheduled benefits expire
The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Department
of State (DOS) have announced a series of public information meetings
to discuss opportunities for funding under the Environmental Restoration
Program (ERP) and the new Brownfields Opportunity Areas Program(BOA)
ALBANYNew York State employers surveyed by The Business Council
overwhelmingly say their workers' compensation costs have increased in
the last five years, and these costs are limiting employers' opportunities
to grow, hire new workers, and sustain other business investments
Governor
George Pataki has announced a new $19.5 million workforce
development program for manufacturers designed to offer new
job-training support so that small, medium-sized, and large
manufacturing firms can upgrade the skills of new and incumbent
workers
New
York State continues to suffer from the highest state and
local tax burden in the nation, according to a new report
from the Tax Foundation. The new analysis echoes earlier research
by The Business Council's research affiliate, The Public Policy
Institute, and many others
Andrew Eristoff, commissioner of the New York State Department
of Taxation and Finance, will present the keynote address
at The Business Council’s annual Conference on State
Taxation, May 17-19 at the Otesaga in Cooperstown.
Advance registration for this popular annual conference is
strongly encouraged, said Ellen Muir, director of conference
development for The Business Council
Four
of the top five spenders on lobbying in New York State in
2003 were unions whose work is funded wholly or substantially
by taxpayer dollars, new data from the New York State Temporary
Commission on Lobbying show
Several
regional business associations in western New York have launched
campaigns to encourage state lawmakers to enact reforms that
would reduce the burden of Medicaid costs in New York State.
The
Rochester Business Alliance (RBA), the Buffalo-Niagara Partnership
(BNP), and the Metropolitan Development Authority (MDA) of
Syracuse have met recently with county officials in Monroe,
Erie, and Onondaga counties