Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Plattsburgh) co-hosted the Plattsburgh Small Business Roundtable today alongside Assemblyman Al Stirpe, chair of the Assembly’s Small Business Committee. Jones heard directly from small businesses in the North Country about the challenges they face and ways the state can better help them thrive.

“Small businesses are the backbone of the North Country’s economy,” Jones said. “Having run my family’s dairy farm, I know all too well the barriers small businesses face. From evolving safety requirements to strengthened environmental protections, state regulations continuously change and many local entrepreneurs find themselves caught up in the red tape. It is always helpful to hear directly from small businesses in the North Country, so that I can go back to Albany and fight for legislation to give them a better chance at success.”

A wide variety of North Country businesses, farms, government agencies and community organizations attended the roundtable on Wednesday at the Town of Plattsburgh Offices. Attendees discussed barriers such as finding skilled workers and the state’s changing regulations for businesses, including new protections for farm labor and an increased minimum wage. Small-business owners also expressed concerns regarding access to broadband internet and cellular coverage, which has become a necessity in day-to-day business activities.

Jones is a strong advocate for local businesses and serves on several Assembly committees relating to small business policy, including the Small Business Committee, the Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry, the Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development Committee and the Agriculture Committee. Jones has also fought for legislation to help cut the red tape, including a measure he co-sponsored to reduce regulatory fines for small businesses by allowing them the opportunity to fix first-time violations (A.7540-B). The bill passed both the Assembly and Senate and will be delivered to the governor’s desk later this year. Small-business owners work hard to make their dreams a reality and shouldn’t be punished for first-time mistakes that were made in good faith, Jones noted.