Ortt, Senate Republicans seek small business support in new state budget

Press Release, State Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt

ALBANY – Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and Senators Dean Murray and Jack Martins today penned a letter calling upon Governor Kathy Hochul to include support for our small businesses in the Executive Budget. The success of our businesses throughout the state is a critical component to our state thriving economically.

“Today I stand with my Senate Republican colleagues in calling on Governor Hochul to include critically important support for our small businesses in the Executive budget,” Ortt said. “The Covid-19 pandemic caused a great deal of harm to small businesses which are the backbone of our economy. Small business owners and their employees should not be held as bargaining chips to be traded behind closed doors. They must have the unequivocal support of Albany.”

In a letter delivered to the Governor today, Senate Republicans requested:

• Establishing a fixed contribution from employers to the unemployment insurance fund as well as a solvency fund that could draw on other state revenues, settlement dollars or unencumbered Federal funds;
• Designating a portion of the more than $10 billion in discretionary reserves included in the FY 2023 Enacted Budget to this solvency fund to first pay the Interest Assessment Surcharge levied on employers and also offset a portion of UI tax increases assessed against small businesses; and
• Excluding claims for unemployment insurance payments, as a result of COVID-19 or another government mandated closure, from being used as part of the calculation of an employer’s experience rating.