The wait is over. The Governor and the State Legislature finalized the 2017-18 State Budget over a week late, but the final package includes several wins for employers and regional economic development and crosses off a few items on our 2017 Advocacy Agenda.
Last week, Grant Loomis and I joined twenty-five members of the Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition (GLMCC) for our annual fly-in and lobby days in Washington, D.C. During our trip, the group attended more than 50 meetings with Members of Congress and staff. In each meeting, we outlined our main priorities, which range from investing in our nation’s infrastructure to supporting our bi-national economy with Canada. A full list of the priorities we discussed in each meeting can be found here.
Buffalo’s renaissance is here and real. The opportunity for us to thrive as a region of tomorrow depends upon our ability to create equity.
The who, what, where, when and how of our premier CanAm gathering.
A few months ago I was invited to participate in a panel discussion with the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce in Niagara on Lake Ontario. During my visit, I spent time with their chamber’s new incoming CEO, Mishka Balsom.
For instance, last month, I blogged about the importance of easing the H1B Visa Cap as part of a sound, economic development strategy that focuses on the contributions of the foreign-born.
Again this year, just days after filing opened, the annual cap of 85,000 was reached. Last year, more than 172,000 applications were received in less than a week.
Thanks to the improvements, in three years you’ll be able to enjoy:
The New York State Budget is mostly on time this year (officially missing the midnight deadline by just a few hours).
As you know, the long-term extension of the BCP was the Partnership’s top legislative priority for 2015.
