News from Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb
Assembly Office:
933 Legislative Office Building • Albany, NY 12248 • (518) 455-3751
District Offices:
607 West Washington Street • Suite 2 • Geneva, NY 14456 • (315) 781-2030
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For Release: IMMEDIATELY, June 13, 2012
Contact: Joshua Fitzpatrick, (518) 455-3751
Albany's "Priorities" For End Of Session: Time For Job-Killing Microstamping Mandate, But No Time For Job-Creating Legislation
As session winds down, Leader Kolb calls for debate and votes on legislation that would grow New York's private sector and strengthen the state's business climate; says microstamping mandate will drive away firearm manufacturers, cost New York more private sector jobs

Statement From NYS Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. KOLB (R,I,C-Canandaigua)

"With just six days left in this year's Legislative Session, instead of debating and voting on bills that will grow New York's economy and make our state more competitive, pro-gun control downstate Members are pushing a microstamping mandate that will drive up the cost of lawful gun ownership and drive firearm manufacturers and more private sector jobs out of New York.

Is the Assembly discussing the proposed 45 percent Thruway toll hike that will hurt the trucking industry and drive up prices for consumers? No. Is the Assembly debating unfunded mandate relief and assuming the entire local share of Medicaid costs to protect local governments and taxpayers? No. Is the Assembly voting on a package of bills I introduced to jump-start job creation and build an innovation economy? No. Yet, the Assembly has no problem wasting time on a job-killing, Second Amendment infringing microstamping mandate.

We should be discussing, debating and voting on bills that will get New York's economic engine - the private sector - out of second gear and ensure the Empire State is actually open for business."

  • BizBoom (Assembly Bill A.10364): Establish the "BizBoom" business startup program that will cut all application fees for new businesses by 50 percent for the first year, eliminate business income taxes for the first year and reduce income tax rates for the second and third years;

  • GrowNY (Assembly Bill A.9603): Create an "economic gardening" pilot program to stimulate investment in New York's economy by providing technical assistance for expanding second-stage small businesses operating in the state;

  • Division of Regulatory Review & Economic Growth (Assembly Bill A.10419): Create the "Division of Regulatory Review & Economic Growth" (D-RREG), led by a commissioner who has a fixed term, to review and make binding recommendations for the elimination of burdensome, job-killing regulations;

  • Mandate Relief (Assembly Bill A.8447): Enact the "Taxpayer Protection and Mandate Relief Act," which includes a State Spending Cap, a moratorium on unfunded mandates on local governments and school districts costing more than $10,000 annually or $1 million statewide, and places a two-year sunset date on every law that imposes an annual net additional cost to any locality in excess of $10,000 annually or $1 million statewide;

  • Innovators Corps (Assembly Bill A.10445): Develop the "Innovators Corps," which is a four-member division of business experts to identify, recruit and/or retain domestic and international high technology businesses;

  • New York State Business Incubator Network (Assembly Bill A.10399): Establish the New York State Business Incubator Network to support the development of academic-linked business incubators and to accelerate the growth and success of early-stage companies so important to building New York's innovation economy;

  • High-Tech Worker-NY (Assembly Bill A.10359): Provide a Personal Income Tax exemption of up to $50,000 per year for the first five years for new high-tech employees who completed a high-tech training program within the past 12 months (any college, vocational or certification program);

  • Invest-NY (Assembly Bill A.10353): Create an Angel Investment Tax Credit to encourage private investment in business. This measure also amends the definition of a Qualified Emerging Technology Company(QETC) to allow more companies to be eligible for the QETC tax credit and expands eligibility for the NYS Investment Tax Credits to ALL businesses that make new investments in property and equipment in New York;

  • Patent-NY (Assembly Bill A.10360): Implement a Personal Income Tax credit for patent fees to ensure New York remains home to the innovative breakthroughs our economy needs;

  • Retain-NY (Assembly Bill A.10354): Provide a Personal Income Tax deduction for all interest paid on student loans for taxpayers and increase the current college tuition tax credit deduction from $10,000 to $13,820 and maximum tax credit from $400 to $553;

  • Work-NY (Assembly Bill A.10350): Reduce the tax rate for all manufacturers by 50 percent; provide a 10 percent Personal Income Tax credit for small businesses with incomes less than $250,000. The bill also creates a "Hire-NY" tax credit for businesses for each new job filled by an unemployed person or a veteran. Finally, this legislation repeals the Ton Mileage Tax on trucking to alleviate the adverse effect it has on businesses locating fleets or distribution centers in New York State; and

  • Shop-NY (Assembly Bill A.10355): Eliminate the State Sales Tax on purchases of gasoline (8 cents per gallon), child car seats, protective helmets, as well as personal hygiene products including baby diapers, soap and toothpaste.