12.2.21 Advocacy Alert: BNP Urges Hochul to Maximize Infrastructure Investment
Blog Categories
December 12, 2021
The BNP recently wrote to Governor Kathy Hochul suggesting steps she can take to maximize the incoming infrastructure investment from Washington.
President Biden recently signed into law the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The BNP advocated for this bill, which has the potential for transformative change in Buffalo Niagara. However, in our current landscape, this historic investment may not go as far in New York as it will in other states.
Last year, New York State expanded its prevailing wage law, which significantly increases labor costs on any project that receives public funds.
The Scaffold Law places absolute liability for worksite injuries on employers, a standard that is more strict than any state in the nation. This law makes insurance costs on NYS projects exorbitant, and according to the Buffalo News, there is “no evidence that the Scaffold Law makes construction workers in New York safer than those in any other state.” It does, however, make construction in New York much more expensive.
The growing use of project labor agreements reduces competition and increases costs. Also, New York’s byzantine bureaucratic review processes can slow the pace and add to the cost of projects.
In a letter, BNP President and CEO Dottie Gallagher urged Gov. Hochul to address these cost drivers. By taking steps now to reduce infrastructure construction costs, New York can maximize this historic investment.
Read the full letter here.
Related Posts
8.27.21 Advocacy Alert: SCOTUS Tosses Federal Eviction Moratorium
Last night, the Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration’s latest eviction moratorium. In a 6-3 decision, the Court ruled that Biden and the CDC do not have legal authority to issue the moratorium without a specific act of Congress.
8.26.21 Advocacy Alert: Hotel & Commercial Conversion Bill Signed Into Law
In the final days of his tenure, Governor Cuomo signed the Housing Our Neighbors with Dignity Act (HONDA) into law. The law aims to convert “distressed” hotels and commercial properties into affordable housing options.
8.24.21 Advocacy Alert: Hochul Takes Oath; BNP Suggests Priorities for First 100 Days
Today, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul was sworn in as Governor of the State of New York. The Buffalonian takes the reins after Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned, amid a storm of bipartisan criticism. Hochul will be the state’s 57th Governor and the first woman to hold the office.
8.10.21 Advocacy Alert: Cuomo Resigns, Hochul to Assume Office
This afternoon, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his impending resignation, effective in 14 days.
Cuomo’s resignation comes after the Attorney General’s report that detailed sexual assault and harassment allegations from eleven women. After the report, Cuomo received nearly unanimous calls to resign from lawmakers and Democratic party officials. The Assembly Judiciary Committee was also in the process of conducting an impeachment investigation.