2022 Greater Rochester Chamber Advocacy Guide

2022 ADVOCACY AGENDA

FROM OUR PRESIDENT & CEO

What we hoped would come and go in 2020 continued to devastate our communities throughout 2021. But through the darkness and sadness, Greater Rochester Chamber continued our work to be by your side. We offered advocacy briefings with federal, state, and local leaders. With the leadership of our Board of Directors and Greater Rochester Chamber staff, we endeavored to be your top resource for financial aid, PPE procurement, legislative briefings, and general problem solving.

Together we adapted to unprecedented travesty and banded together like never before.

Even in the wake of a global pandemic our team engaged directly with elected leaders, built coalitions around critical issues, offered regular legislative updates to members and partners, and streamlined our communication with you.

In the session ahead we are laser focused on ensuring we deliver the relief and the support you so desperately need and deserve. We will continue to be on the forefront of policies relating to economic and workforce development, tax/mandate relief, education, transportation, infrastructure, and health care. Each day our staff is connecting with leaders at every level of government to ensure your voices are heard and our priorities are reinforced.

For questions regarding our advocacy or to discuss public policy issues, please contact me at RDuffy@GreaterRochesterChamber.com or Marc Cohen at Marc.Cohen@GreaterRochesterChamber.com.

We look forward to partnering with you to ensure Rochester and the Finger Lakes region continue to grow and succeed!

Robert J. Duffy President & CEO Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce

SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES ADVERSELY IMPACTED BY COVID-19 COVID continues to wreak havoc on business in the Finger Lakes region. The responsibility rests with our elected leaders to implement policies and reforms that will jumpstart the economy, not hinder it. In that spirit, Greater Rochester Chamber will continue our work with federal, state, and local governments to develop effective aid/grant programs for businesses adversely impacted by the pandemic including Governor Hochul’s proposed small business COVID capital investment tax credit to small businesses that took on COVID-related capital expenses and flexible grant awards to early-stage small businesses to help those that recently opened succeed in the wake of COVID19. Business owners know their business better than the government does. Employers want to keep their employees, vendors, and customers safe and healthy. Greater Rochester Chamber encourages NYS to give businesses the chance to implement their own safety measures before asserting top-down policies and regulations.

TAX/MANDATE RELIEF New York State is seen as uncompetitive for business because of comparatively high taxes and mandates. Certain reforms have been implemented to ease the burden, but there is much more to be done. Greater Rochester Chamber: Supports tax rate decrease on small businesses Supports the use of federal relief funds to provide Unemployment Insurance relief to employers Supports a common-sense phase in of environmental sustainability efforts while ensuring the interest of small business is kept at the forefront of dialogue and debate Supports making equal the tax rebate for liquor, wine, and cider, and efforts to lessen the burdensome taxes on the cider/wine/craft beer industry Supports the sale of to-go alcoholic beverages to support struggling bars and restaurants Supports employer protections regarding cannabis Supports expanding tax reforms for New York’s manufacturers to allow for job creation Opposes vague language in new employer mandates which opens employers to burdensome legal liability

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & EDUCATION Among the most pressing issues facing our businesses is having a pipeline of qualified, skilled workers to fill jobs. Funding for education, improved coordination, and targeted investment in talent management will be invaluable toward making progress. Greater Rochester Chamber is proud to be the regional lead for this effort. Greater Rochester Chamber: Supports Governor Hochul’s proposal to create a new office of Workforce and Economic Development to address workforce shortages and challenges Supports disability related initiatives in the region and will provide businesses with resources to trainings related to disability supports/services available in the region Supports efforts that create greater alignment between job creators and job seekers including Governor Hochul’s proposed public-private funding partnerships that would create new internship opportunities for students Supports anti-poverty initiatives in the region Supports funding for programs that up-skill and re-skill workers in needed fields Supports additional investment for TAP, Bundy Aid, HECap, and STEAM funding Supports maintaining a funding floor for community colleges at 100% of prior year Supports further investment in P-TECH Supports the Finger Lakes region as a test site for new workforce development projects Will continue our work to increase collaboration with regional colleges and universities to help foster communication between employers and talent Supports professional licensing for immigrants Will work to increase young professional engagement

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Greater Rochester Chamber’s mission is to promote economic prosperity throughout the Finger Lakes region. Particularly in the wake of COVID-19 we must recommit to promoting increased collaboration among government entities and support streamlined processes to make the region more competitive. Greater Rochester Chamber: Supports the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council Priorities: (1) Promote Economic Justice; (2) Grow Jobs; (3) Increase Regional Wealth; (4) Drive Private Investment; and (5) Reduce Poverty Supports reinvestment for the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative Supports reinvestment for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative Supports the creation of a shovel ready fund to facilitate the development of sites that will attract new business to New York State Supports the growth, creation, and promotion of MWBEs and the empowerment of regional offices to streamline the certification process Opposes harmful expansion of prevailing wage policies Supports investment in the arts and depoliticizing funding allocation Supports New York/Canada economic corridor Supports policies that reduce the amount of time it takes for NY to deliver on grants

TRANSPORTATION/INFRASTRUCTURE Growing the Finger Lakes region economy requires investment in transportation, energy, technology, and infrastructure. Promoting sustainable business practices plays a significant role in corporate social responsibility. Greater Rochester Chamber: Supports efforts to expand reliable broadband and cellular service throughout all of New York State while ensuring the cost to do so does not fall squarely on providers Supports a reform to Scaffold Law by replacing absolute liability with a comparative negligence standard – the same standards used in every state except New York (NY’s general liability insurance costs are highest in the nation) Supports advancing ROC the Riverway Phase 2 Supports investment in renewable energy and efficiencies to move energy resources to NYS including making NY a green hydrogen hub and expanding the electric vehicle industry Supports investment in funding of public transit programs which support job growth Supports investment in operating support, capital assistance, and surface transportation design/repair in Upstate

HEALTHCARE Greater Rochester Chamber fully supports ensuring workers have access to high quality, affordable healthcare. Simply replacing our current healthcare system with a state-run system is unrealistic. Rather, New York should endeavor to ensure coverage for those New Yorkers who cannot access it. Greater Rochester Chamber will continue working to promote health and safety throughout the city and region. Greater Rochester Chamber: Supports reducing the taxes, surcharges, and assessments imposed on employers and individuals who purchase health insurance (including the premium tax and HCRA) Supports additional funding to ensure direct care professionals are paid a living wage Supports efforts to prevent opioid and prescription drug abuse Opposes measures that increase the cost of health insurance for employers and workers

WORKERS' COMPENSATION The 2017 session saw much needed reforms in workers’ compensation policy. There is still more work to be done in our state, in which costs remain among the highest in the nation.

Greater Rochester Chamber: Supports full implementation of improved policy passed in 2017 Supports modernized SLU Impairment Guidelines Supports expanding the current Preferred Provider opt-out period from 30 to 90 days Will discourage rollbacks of previously enacted reforms which have proven to support business

MEMBER-SPECIFIC SUPPORT We are there for member companies on individual matters that require support and assistance. We aid in company-specific legislative, regulatory, and funding issues at the regional, state, and federal levels including, but not limited to: Navigating the processes to obtain permits/certifications/variances Assisting with government agency disputes Immigration/Visas MWBE Certification Letters of Support Letters of Introduction Please reach out with any business or industryspecific matter for which you need guidance to RDuffy@GreaterRochesterChamber.com or Marc.Cohen@GreaterRochesterChamber.com.

SMALL BUSINESS DAY 2022 Each year, Greater Rochester Chamber connects with our members and partners to speak directly with state lawmakers to discuss the impacts that legislative and policy decisions have on the backbone of our regional economy.

This year, Small Business Day is being held virtually on March 17, 2022. We invite any member who is interested in helping communicate business priorities to join us.

As always, thank you for lending your strength to the voice of Greater Rochester/Finger Lakes business. Together we will fight to create an environment where business can thrive.