The legislative session finally ended and I must say that although we still have a lot of work ahead of us, progress was made!

I've included a list of some of the "wins" and accomplishments for employers and the taxpayers of our state.

Special thanks for outstanding efforts go to Chris Wiest and his team here at RBA and to Brian Sampson and our Unshackle Upstate partners.

If you have any questions on the attached or suggestions for our upcoming agenda please do not hesitate to contact me.

Have a safe and enjoyable 4th of July weekend!

Recap of 2011 Legislative Activity:

·    Survival Guide.  In late 2010, Rochester Business Alliance developed and released its "New York State Economic Survival Guide: Ten Essential Reforms We Can't Live Without".  The Guide highlighted our 2011 state legislative agenda and was used extensively in lobbying efforts with the legislature.  Several areas of focus included property tax cap, mandate relief, reducing the size of government, and lowering the cost of energy.

·    NYS Budget.  As a member of the Committee to Save New York, RBA worked closely with other chambers and business groups for the passage of an on-time state budget that cut spending by 2 percent without increasing taxes or debt.


·    Property Tax Cap.  Working with Unshackle Upstate, RBA lobbied successfully for a 2-percent property tax cap.  This is an essential first step to restoring fiscal discipline in our state.
 
·    Health Insurance.  RBA helped to defeat two proposals that would have increased health insurance premiums for members- the Health Care Reform Act (HCRA) surcharge and a bill that would have allowed for collective negotiations by health care providers (S.3186-A/A.2474-A).


·    Workers' Compensation.  The Legislature introduced several bills that would erode cost reduction components in the 2007 Workers' Compensation reform package.  In partnership with The Business Council of New York State, RBA organized an Albany lobby day and helped defeat several of these proposals.
 
  
·    Facilities Modernization Plan.  In order to repair city schools and create construction jobs, RBA worked closely with the City of Rochester, UNICON and others for the release of $325M in Phase I funding under the Facilities Modernization Plan.

·    Community Agenda.  We convened community leaders and rallied support around four key economic priorities for the 2011 Rochester Community Agenda, making sure our region's interests continued to be represented in Albany. 


·    Article X.  RBA advocated for passage of the Article X power plant siting law, which will help increase power-generating capacity in the state.  The Legislature renewed Article X in late June.


·    SUNY Tuition Plan.  The SUNY system is a strong contributor to the success of higher education in New York.  RBA has been a supporter of a fair and predictable tuition policy for SUNY, and supported the passage of the NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program, which will strengthen SUNY's ability to provide quality affordable education.

·    Conversations With Legislators.  During the session, we hosted legislator briefings with Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb and Assemblyman Joe Morelle, providing our members with the opportunity to share direct feedback to elected officials. 


·    Albany Lobby Days/Testimony.  RBA and representatives from member organizations traveled to Albany throughout the session to lobby on a number of issues - including the property tax cap, economic development, the Rochester Community Agenda, and workers' compensation.  We delivered testimony to the State Insurance Department on Health Insurance Exchanges, and a Joint Legislative Public Hearing on Regional Economic Councils.



Looking Ahead/Areas of Focus:

·    Continue work on Mandate Relief.  Now that property tax cap has passed, it is more crucial than ever to work with local governments and schools on efforts to reduce costly state mandates.

·    Economic Regional Councils.  RBA will continue to work to make sure Rochester employers have a voice on ED decisions important to our region.

·    Fall Elections/Political Action Committee.  County Executive, MC legislature and RCSD school board candidates will be interviewed and endorsed by the RBA PAC.

·    Health Care.   Demonstration projects start under the community-wide RBA/FLHSA High Blood Pressure Collaborative.