The Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin ran a front-page article noting this very impactful study which recognizes that New York will benefit from the experiences in Pennsylvania. John martin, director of  UB’s Shale Resources and Society Institute was quoted, saying “To me, New York has the adequate understanding and experience to manage this industry.”

To that I say, “ditto.”  Proponents of shale development have long held that the Department of Environmental Conservation will maintain the utmost regard for the environment while enabling the development of an important energy resource.

Shale gas development must play a key role in New York’s energy picture. It goes hat in hand with being ”open for business.”  Having access to clean, local energy will aid in the growth of existing businesses – from the largest energy users to a small mom & pop shop.  It will also put New York at the forefront in attracting new and innovative companies.

I believe strongly that New York will get this right. We’ve had the benefit of time. Now it’s time to move New York forward.

I take my commitment to our small business owners and job creators seriously. In 2011, The Business Council of New York State ranked me the #1 pro-jobs legislator out of all 212 members of the state Legislature. I know that it takes more than seven days to free small business owners from New York’s skyrocketing taxes and 49,000 pages of job-killing regulations. Even so, I hope we can all celebrate what our local entrepreneurs mean to our economy and our community during Small Business Week. Let’s make the extra effort to shop locally and give small business owners the shot in the arm they so desperately need.

- Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin

School board and school budget votes will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, May 15.   Be sure to go out and vote.

On Tuesday, May 22, the Assembly committees on Government Operations and Oversight, Analysis and Investigation and the Legislative Commission on Government Administration are holding a public hearing in Albany on the state’s information technology infrastructure.

On Wednesday, May 23^rd, the Senate Finance and Social Services committees, along with the Assembly Ways & Means, Social Services and Government Operations committees, are holding a public hearing in Albany on the state’s 2013-14 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Program.

Sen. Jim Alesi (R-Perinton) announced last week that he will not run for re-election this fall to the 55^th Senate District seat he has held since 1996.  In 2011, Alesi was the first Senate Republican to announce his support for same-sex marriage, and was one of four Republican senators who voted for the bill. His vote won him supporters in the gay community and has been a windfall for his campaign fund, but cost him the support of the Conservative Party.

Assemblyman Sean Hanna (R-Mendon) has announced that he intends to run for the seat.  On the Democratic side, Monroe County Legislator Ted O’Brien has announced his intent to run for the seat as well.

Bill Nojay, a conservative radio host in the Rochester area, and Richard Burke, former Mayor of Avon in Livingston County, both say they plan to run to replace Hanna in the 133^rd Assembly District.

Congressional Primaries Set

The state Board of Elections has certified candidates for New York’s June 26 Congressional primaries for the U.S. Senate and various House seats.

In the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, Manhattan attorney Wendy Long, New York City Congressman Bob Turner and Nassau County Comptroller George Maragos are competing to challenge incumbent Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in November.

In the 18^th Congressional District in the Hudson Valley, Sean Patrick Maloney, Rich Becker and three other candidates are competing to take one first-term Republican incumbent Nan Heyworth.

In the 27^th Congressional District in Western New York, Republicans Chris Collins and David Bellavia are competing to take on incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul.  Hochul won the seat in a special election in 2011.

There is $750 million available to qualified applicants in this round, including:

Ÿ  $70 Million in Excelsior Job Program credits and refunds;

Ÿ  $150 Million for capital improvements;

Ÿ  $530 Million available through 21 state economic development programs in the form of grants, tax incentives, low-interest loans and capital dollars to qualified businesses, municipalities, non-profits, school districts, etc.

The state is also conducting workshops on the state’s “consolidated funding application” (CFA) throughout the state.  These workshops are intended to provide more information on available assistance from State agencies as well as guidance on successfully completing the application. These training workshops are open to local economic development officials, municipalities, non-profits and businesses.  The schedule for the workshops can be found here.

Applications must be submitted through the CFA web site by 4:00 pm on July 16.

The report, Cultivating the Next Generation of Discoveries and Development in New York Bioscience, discusses the opportunities and barriers facing companies in various stages of development.  It notes that the bioscience industry supports a total of 250,000 jobs – including 66,568 in the industry itself – in New York State, generating $5.3 billion in wages and $309 million in state income taxes.  It also notes that the industry attracts substantial research funding to the state.

In order to make New York more competitive with other states in this growing sector, report recommends:

• Creating a Governor’s Council to spearhead development and marketing of the state’s bioscience industry.
• Establishing a Small Business Innovation Research matching grant program for bioscience companies as well as a dedicated Biosciences Commercialization Fund.
• Increasing the amount of affordable incubator and lab space for startups and early-stage bioscience companies.

The governor’s office also released a long-awaited report from his Special Advisor on Vulnerable Persons, which provides an in-depth analysis of the problems and recommends reforms.

The governor has proposed the creation of the new Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs as part of his plan to overhaul how the state protects the more than one million New Yorkers in State operated, certified or licensed facilities and programs. 

The Justice Center will have a Special Prosecutor and Inspector General for the Protection of People with Special Needs; it will be responsible for investigating reports of abuse and neglect and prosecuting matters that are criminal in nature.  The proposal includes an around-the-clock abuse hotline and a statewide database to track abuse and neglect reports.  It will also include a statewide registry of persons who have been convicted of abusing or neglecting persons under their care, which is intended to prevent such persons from working with people with disabilities or special needs.

If enacted into law, the new agency will oversee people in facilities operated, certified or licensed by the Office of Mental Health (OMH), the Office of People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), the Office of alcoholism and Substance Abuse (OASAS), the Department of Health (DOH), the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), and the State Education Department (SED).  It will have concurrent criminal jurisdiction with district attorneys, and is expected to have some 400 employees.

At a cabinet meeting later in the week, Gov. Cuomo announced that he will travel around the state to build support for his plan ensure that the Legislature acts on it before the end of the legislative session in June.

Unshackle Upstate is a member of the coalition.  We see the Scaffold Law as driving up both private and public construction costs, and view reform as critical.

Scaffold Law reform legislation has been introduced by Sen. Patrick Gallivan (R-Elma) and sponsored in the Assembly by Assemblyman Joseph Morelle (D-Irondequoit).  We look forward to seeing it acted upon this session.

New York received an overall grade of D in small business friendliness, an F for its regulations, tax code, zoning and licensing policies. The state received a D for its lack of ease in starting a business as well as issues relating to health, safety and the environment. New York received its highest marks in hiring costs and training programs, with each receiving a B-.

This is just another reminder that despite the progress that New York State in the past 16 months towards improving its business climate, much, much more work needs to be done.