Inside the room: What lawmakers told employers at BNP’s 2025 Policy Perspective
The Partnership
July 31, 2025
Blog Categories
The BNP hosted Policy Perspective, a piece of the BNP’s annual Government Affairs series.
The standing-room-only crowd heard from three of our region’s most influential lawmakers: Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Senator April Baskin, and Senator Patrick Gallivan. The lawmakers spoke on a panel moderated by BNP Director of Government Affairs Josh Veronica.
At the event, lawmakers reviewed some of the key economic issues debated in the 2025 legislative session, and also gave insights on where the State Legislature needs to move next.
Topics included:
- Housing: how to unleash housing development and make homes more accessible.
- Energy and Climate: the NY HEAT Act, nuclear power, the state of the grid, and how to pursue emission reductions at the proper pace.
- Extended Producer Responsibility: how the state should address packaging waste.
- Healthcare: how to expand access to care and adapt to the changing federal landscape.
- Public safety: how to combat organized crime and make New York safer.
By hearing from lawmakers from different districts, different parties, different chambers, and different backgrounds, attendees were exposed to the variety of perspectives toward the issues before our state.
The BNP also highlighted its numerous advocacy wins from the 2025 session, including paid off unemployment insurance debt, rightsizing of pay frequency penalties, funding a number of regional priorities, and avoiding bad legislation like the NY HEAT Act or prevailing wage expansion. Learn more here.
Through the BNP, members regularly have the opportunity to connect with our region’s elected leaders. Stay tuned for our next Government Affairs event!
Related Posts
10.13.21 Advocacy Alert: Canadian Border to Open in November
Late last night, U.S. officials announced plans to reopen the U.S. border to vaccinated, non-essential travelers from Canada and Mexico beginning in early November.
The administration told reporters last night that it does not plan to require vaccinated travelers to present a negative COVID-19 test, a notable difference from Canada’s policy for American travelers.
BNP Advocacy Insider – October 2021
The October 2021 Advocacy Insider is a roundup of important issues we are monitoring that could you and your business.
10.6.21 Advocacy Alert: Comptroller’s Report Warns of UI Rate Increases
Unless the state swiftly acts, New York employers may soon face significant unemployment insurance rate increases.
New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli recently released a report detailing the dire financial status of the state’s UI system, confirming concerns that the BNP raised this summer.
Workforce & Labor Concerns Dominate BNP’s annual Member Pulse Report
The Partnership’s annual Advocacy & Member Survey is designed to identify pain points, areas of concern, and obstacles to growth. We have summarized the 2021 results in the Member Pulse Report.
According to the survey, the top concern of Buffalo Niagara employers is their difficulty finding and retaining qualified talent.