Empire State Today

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), a prominent advocacy group for small businesses with over 11,000 members in New York State, has responded to Governor Kathy Hochul's Executive Budget proposal. NFIB New York State Director Ashley Ranslow expressed support for several measures included in the proposal.

Ranslow stated, "NFIB supports the Governor’s proposals to stop the absurd manual worker weekly pay lawsuits wreaking havoc on small businesses, cutting personal income tax rates for the middle class, and paying the interest on the state’s Unemployment Insurance debt." However, she emphasized that additional actions are necessary to aid small businesses further. She pointed out that the state's outstanding Unemployment Insurance debt is negatively impacting its economy and burdening small businesses financially.

Additionally, Ranslow voiced concerns regarding how the budget deficit of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will be addressed. She warned against using tax increases or introducing new taxes as solutions to fill this financial gap. "New York cannot and should not consider tax increases or new taxes as an option to raise revenue for the MTA – in no way will that make the Empire State more affordable," she remarked.

For over eight decades, NFIB has been a dedicated advocate for small business owners across America. It operates as a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization focused solely on representing independent businesses at both national and state levels since its inception in 1943.