The New York State Board
of Regents is asking New York's business community for its opinions of a
new set recommendations for changes to align the state's career and technical
education programs with new higher academic standards.
The new recommendations were
developed by a Career and Technical Education Advisory Panel that SED created
to examine various issues related to New York's career and technical education
program
The Business Council is inviting
all members to identify priority issues that The Council should address
in its legislative advocacy next year.
This question will be the
main focus of a meeting next week of the Steering Committee of The Council's
Government Affairs Council
Strong job growth statewide
last month "proves again that we've been right all along in saying that
a better business climate means a better New York," said Daniel B. Walsh,
president/CEO of The Business Council.
In June 2000, New York State
had 159,900 more private-sector jobs than it did in June of 1999, according
to figures released by the state on July 20
An updated analysis of all
states' efforts to deregulate energy utilities shows that New York State
remains ahead of most of the country in the quest for energy deregulation.
A July update of an
analysis originally released in February gave New York a score of 64,
well above the national average of 21
The Business Council is planning
to testify Sept. 6 in Albany at a hearing of the Governors Workers
Compensation Special Funds Study Commission, said Kerry Kirwan, The Councils
workers comp specialist.
In its testimony, The Council will likely outline a range of possible changes,
from reforms to contain the costs of the funds to complete elimination of
the most costly fund, the second-injury fund, Kirwan said
Workers' comp rates in New
York will be reduced an average 2.5 percent effective Oct. 1.
However, "assessments"-a
surcharge on comp premiums that employers also must pay-will increase by
an average of 2.6 percent. As a result, overall costs are unlikely to go
down.
Those assessments pay for
the Second Injury Fund and other special funds, as well as operating costs
of the state Workers' Compensation Board
States that change their
corporate tax apportionment rules to a single-sales factor are likely
to gain manufacturing and other jobs while states that do not do so
may lose them, according to new studies reported by the National Conference
of State Legislatures.
One of the studies appears
to indicate that adoption of a single-sales factor in New York State
could result in a gain of more than 160,000 new jobs
By James M. Testo
James M.
Testo is vice president of InteGreyted Consultants of Clifton
Park. This is based on his presentation at the July 13 meeting
of The Council's Occupational Safety and Health Committee.
Thanks to advances in computing,
employers can "digitize" environmental health and safety (EHS) programs
Business Council members
get substantial discounts on six "survival guides" that explain key federal
and state regulations on employment.
The survival guides are produced
by the American Chamber of Commerce Publishers of Chicago for The Business
Council.
Updated for 2000, the books
provide organized, easy-to-use guidelines in plain language
Workers' compensation rates
in New York State will be reduced an average 2.5 percent effective October
1, Governor Pataki announced.
However, assessments that
employers must pay, on top of their workers' comp premiums, will increase
by an average of 2.6 percent. Those assessments pay for the Second Injury
Fund and other special funds