FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ALBANY, NY (Jan. 13, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy association with more than 11,000 members in the Empire State, issued its 2025 legislative priorities for New York small businesses ahead of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s State of the State Address.

“New York’s Main Street businesses are under a tremendous amount of pressure due to onerous taxes, burdensome mandates, and increased costs like utility bills,” said Ashley Ranslow, NFIB New York State Director. “If New York’s lawmakers want a successful and competitive economy, they must oppose new employer mandates and regulatory costs and reduce the overwhelming tax burdens placed on small business owners, including the ‘Covid Tax’ imposed by the UI Trust Fund crisis. Reducing the costs imposed on Main Street will help bring down costs for consumers and make New York more affordable for all.”

NFIB New York’s 2025 five legislative priorities include the following:

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE – Since 2020, NFIB has been sounding the alarm on UI, and has strongly supported paying off the UI debt. Small businesses should not continue to shoulder this burden caused by the pandemic.

HALTING COSTLY LAWSUITS – NFIB strongly supports halting costly lawsuits and opposes new “private rights of action.”

LOWERING TAXES AND FEES – NFIB strongly supports lowering taxes and reigning in out-of-control credit card swipe fees.

LIMITING REGULATIONS – NFIB strongly opposes passage of any additional mandates, regulations, and requirements that make it more expensive and difficult to do business in the Empire State.

ENERGY AFFORDABILITY – NFIB strongly supports a full cost analysis of the state’s electrification and energy mandates, and a delay in the implementation of DEC’s ACT rule.

>>>>> To read more about NFIB’s New York’s legislative priorities, download the fact sheet HERE.

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For more than 80 years, NFIB has been the voice of small business, advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member driven. Since our founding in 1943, NFIB has been exclusively dedicated to small and independent businesses and remains so today. For more information, please visit www.NFIB.com.