In order to reduce the cost of business in New York and usher in a new era of entrepreneurship, I have developed the Small Business Improvement Act and Small Business Relief Act of 2007. These comprehensive acts will institute fundamental common-sense reforms to:

• Establish a Small Business Tax Credit for businesses that provide job training to employees

• Increase funding for the Main Street revitalization program, which provides grants to renovate downtown areas

• Provide education grants to business owners and employees for courses required to operate or support a small business

• Create Business STAR that would provide basic STAR benefits for property owned by a small business (100 or fewer employees) to reduce property tax burdens

As Ranking Minority Member of the Assembly Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry committee, I know first-hand what needs to be done to help improve business development in New York. That is why I am fighting to reform state government and eliminate the red tape that all businesses face. My plan includes:

• Empower the Governor’s Office of Regulatory Reform to cut red tape and fight business-killing over-regulations

• Streamline the Empire Zone program to reduce paperwork and confusion in the program and increase benefits for businesses that maintain employment levels

• Enhance current Medicaid fraud laws to help businesses and taxpayers receive a percentage of all recovered funds in the form of real property tax relief

Farmers serve as the backbone of our state and community. In order to help our farms grow, it is imperative for the state Legislature to enact proposals that will ease burdens of high costs while attracting and retaining farmers.

In order to deliver more for our farmers, I have developed a measure that will:

• Establish an Agricultural Alternative Energy Loan program that will provide revolving loans to help farmers purchase new equipment and build new systems that will use manure to produce energy

• Provide financial relief for animal production operations for the costs of planning and operating water quality protection measures

• Create the New York Farmer Recruitment and Retention Act by providing scholarships and loan forgiveness programs for full-time farmers and other incentives for younger people to become farmers.

Following years of persistence and leadership by the Assembly Minority along with business and labor leaders, workers’ compensation reform is finally law. For years, business and economic leaders have criticized the outdated workers’ compensation system as one of the leading sources for poor business growth that has forced countless businesses to leave the state. New York has the second-highest workers’ compensation cost per case while being ranked near the bottom in benefits.

Under the sweeping reforms contained in the law, the maximum weekly benefit will increase while reducing the cost burden placed upon businesses. The new law also establishes strong anti-fraud measures that will aggressively pursue fraud and abuse in the system. The law also empowers state agencies to make additional reforms to streamline the system.