The National Federation of Independent Business today released its 2018 Legislative Agenda. The organization, which represents nearly 11,000 small and independent business owners across New York State, urges lawmakers and the Governor to keep small business at the forefront of mind when making policy decisions. Measures outlined in the Legislative Agenda aim to help improve the state’s business climate by asking lawmakers to reject new mandates and costs on employers, reduce red tape, lower energy costs, adopt judicial reforms and address the state’s murky economic development spending.
“Small business needs champions in Albany that can begin to help change the narrative, and it needs lawmakers to adopt policies that recognize Main Street businesses as the backbone of our communities. Small business owners are our neighbors and employ our friends and families. They pay taxes, support local charities and sponsor our kids’ teams,” NFIB NY State Director Mike Durant said. “This agenda lists priorities that will make our state more affordable for small business and will restore a sensible balance in the workplace.”
Highlights of the legislative proposals that bolster small business include support for:
-Small business tax cuts
-Additional reforms to workers compensation
-Sensible changes to the calculation of prevailing wage
-Lawsuit reform, including adoption of a comparative negligence standard in Labor Law 240/241 cases
In addition to encouraging enactment of legislation to lower costs and boost economic growth, NFIB’s agenda also lays out opposition to proposals that will further solidify New York’s reputation as one of the least business-friendly states in the nation. Durant warns that recent policies adopted by Albany threaten the viability of many small businesses, which employ nearly 3.9 million people. “In just the past few years, small employers have struggled with an onslaught of mandates from the increase in minimum wage to a new paid leave law, and now they also potentially face a restrictive scheduling proposal,” stated Durant. “It’s ironic that the only thing that small business has been able to count on is more uncertainty.”
NFIB’s agenda cautions against proposals that would:
–Enact new labor mandates and restrictions on employers such as mandated scheduling, prohibiting criminal background checks for employment purposes, restricting employers’ ability to hire and set forth qualifications and compensation rates based on government-set criteria
-Increase taxes and fees
-Mandate state-sponsored retirement programs
-Expand prevailing wage rates
View the 2018 NFIB NY Legislative Agenda
