Governor Cuomo unveiled his 2021-22 Executive Budget proposal today. As he has for months, the Governor called on Washington, DC to fill New York’s $15 billion budget gap because of COVID-19. Cuomo is advancing two budget plans given the uncertainty of federal funding to NYS. In his COVID-19 response plan, President-elect
UPDATE: 10/20/20 NYS Paid Sick Leave Program – The DOL has finally released official guidance and an FAQ doc to provide more clarity on the new mandate. New York State’s new paid sick leave program begins January 1, 2021, but employers were required to start to accruing time for employees
In unprecedented times, as the state continues to roil from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Governor and State Legislature did enact a new state budget for FY2021. Given the events swirling around us, the fact that the budget was passed after the April first deadline seemed inconsequential. However, there are
Changes to New York State’s workers’ compensation program are expected to save employers upwards of $1 billion moving forward. The New York State Department of Financial Services recently approved a nearly 12 percent reduction in loss cost rates – a key component of determining insurance premiums. This significant reduction is
The Buffalo Niagara Partnership detailed our state budget priorities in front of 200 people at our annual Legislative Luncheon. Our members and many members of the Western New York legislative delegation came together for lunch and conversation at the Marriott in Amherst. The Partnership detailed where we stand on Governor
By: Mark Lenz, Professional Engineer and Vice President, Arcadis at mark.lenz@arcadis.com Safe, clean and reliable drinking water is something most of us take for granted. However, we have recently seen in Hoosick Falls (NY), Flint (MI) and other communities that this expectation is not always realized. In Hoosick Falls and
Working with our partners at Unshackle Upstate and other regional chambers of commerce, we were able to successfully remove the ‘Buy American’ provision from the adopted state budget. Failing to do so would have jeopardized existing bi-national supply chains and undermined our cross-border economy. Governor Cuomo’s proposed ‘Buy American’ plan
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. This budget cycle, the Buffalo Niagara Partnership
Several of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership’s state advocacy priorities are now on hold after the Governor and State Legislature failed to reach a final budget agreement. To keep state government running, the Legislature did pass a stop-gap measure through the end of May. This budget extender does includes key issues
A record crowd at this year’s Legislative Lunch heard what the Buffalo Niagara Partnership does and does not want to see as a part of 2017-18 State Budget. Two-hundred people, including many members of the Western New York legislative delegation came together for lunch and conversation at the Marriott in