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The Buffalo Niagara Partnership convened more than 250 business and government leaders for its signature Advocacy Agenda Rollout & Public Officials Reception on Jan. 8 at Jazzboline – one of the few moments each year when employers and elected officials from every level come together for candid, meaningful conversations about our region’s future.

The BNP unveiled its 2026 Advocacy Agenda, highlighting federal, state and local policy priorities designed to grow Buffalo Niagara’s economy by:

• Protecting economic engines
• Igniting community development
• Powering the economy of the future
• Paving the way for tech growth
• Reducing the cost of doing business in New York State
• Enabling economic mobility

The BNP also shared several advocacy wins from the past 12 months, showing what’s possible when goals and collaboration are aligned. Those included:

• Pausing climate policy mandates and the Cap-and-Invest Program
• Extending Brownfield Cleanup Credits at Renaissance Commerce Park
• Paying off unemployment insurance fund and amending the pay frequency law
• Increasing childcare investment and Medicaid reimbursement rates
• Enacting historic federal tax reform
• Strengthening semiconductor investment incentives

“When business and government work together, the public has a much higher degree of trust,” said BNP CEO Dottie Gallagher. “And this is what today is about. We all share the same vision – a vibrant and growing Buffalo Niagara Region.”

The evening brought together 59 elected officials and local representatives, along with BNP members, for face-to-face discussions about workforce, development, healthcare, energy, education and other issues that matter most to employers.

Click here to download the 2026 Advocacy Agenda →

Thank you to the following Government Affairs Series sponsors for making the evening possible:

Title sponsor: Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Western New York

Premium sponsor: Philip Morris International U.S.

Presenting sponsors: AT&T, Charter Communications, National Fuel Gas Company, National Grid, O'Donnell & Associates, LLC

Supporting sponsors: Amazon, LaBella Associates

Print sponsor: Zenger Group

In the news

• The Buffalo News: Buffalo Niagara Partnership calls for delaying climate law for 10 years
• WBEN: Diversity a hallmark for Buffalo Niagara Partnership's 2026 agenda