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The Governor’s recent State of the State Address held both good and bad news for the business community. As always, we await the details to be hammered out both in the executive budget proposal and any moves the state legislature might make to finalize a budget this spring. For economic development, the governor has called for an additional round of Regional Economic Development council and Downtown Revitalization awards. These initiatives have been beneficial to a number of communities, including several projects right here in Chautauqua County, and we are pleased to see them continued. A plan to devote $40-million to train workers in new technologies focused on clean energy could augment existing workforce development programs. The governor has also proposed a comprehensive workforce training center in Syracuse to meet the growing demands for employees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. Tax cuts affecting small businesses have been proposed including reducing the corporate franchise tax, and increasing the personal income tax exclusion for farmers and sole proprietors. Initiatives focused on expanding public transportation, improved access to statewide cell phone coverage, and improved energy transmission capacity all have the potential to benefit businesses across New York State. At the same time, a number of possibly burdensome regulations have also been unveiled including an expansion of paid sick time requirements for employers and the extension of labor law protections to freelance workers in the “gig” economy. As always, we will work with The Business Council to advocate on behalf of businesses and will monitor these items as they move through the legislative process in Albany.