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Jump-Start New York

Hawley rallies alongside Assembly Minority colleagues to pass COVID-19 economic recovery plan

By Press Release

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley announced today with his Assembly Minority colleagues the “Jump-Start New York” plan for economic recovery.

It's a comprehensive package of legislative proposals that would restore the power of the Legislature by reining in Gov. Cuomo’s executive powers and focus New York’s available financial resources toward economic recovery for “nonessential” small businesses that have lost income due to the governor’s pandemic restrictions through direct aid grants. 

“This package of legislation does exactly what we need to be doing right now in our state, getting the Legislature back to work for the communities they represent and helping the small businesses and families within those communities that have suffered for far too long under onerous restrictions imposed by the governor using his expanded powers,” Hawley said. 

The program’s funds would be drawn from unallocated settlement funds and capital programs such as START-UP NY, and additional stimulus would be made available by making small businesses eligible for the Film Tax Credit.

Additionally, these small businesses would be granted a 180-day grace period to remedy regulatory violations without being fined and also be granted an extra 180 days to file their sales taxes. The legislative package would assist “nonessential” businesses located within the governor’s Red and Orange Zones by prompting a reevaluation of the businesses that could open, while maintaining proper social distancing practices.

In addition, Jump-Start New York would give targeted relief to farmers and renters who have had their incomes impacted by Gov. Cuomo’s restrictions during COVID-19. Landlords who have gone without income would receive a tax credit to help offset their losses, while farmers would see regulatory expenses and requirements loosened and eligibility standards for funding broadened.

The package would also assist farmers and rural business owners in general by expanding rural broadband access, which would help them expand their markets among other benefits.

“Focusing available financial resources on our small businesses that have been struggling to remain operational is just common sense, so I’m hopeful we see ‘Jump-Start New York’ get passed for the sake of the small business owners and their employees who have had their lives upended this last year,” Hawley said.

Hawley outlines Assembly Republicans' plan to 'Jump-Start New York'

By Billie Owens

From Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

Citizens across the state have rallied in response to the COVID-19 viral outbreak in a way that couldn’t make me prouder to serve them. People are making the necessary sacrifices to ease the burden on our healthcare workers and our healthcare system, while at the same time protecting each other and preventing this disease from gaining any foothold in our society.

While the work that is being done is unquestionably important, it is equally as important for us to begin planning for the future, when society does eventually reopen. Part of that plan has to include security for our small businesses, which will not only help to revitalize the economy, but create jobs for many of those looking to get back to work. That’s why I’m proud to support the Assembly Republicans' bold and transformative plan, the “Jump-Start New York” initiative, as a way to get all New Yorkers safely back to work and our new "normal" life. 

Our plan presents a guide for finding economic relief for these small and local businesses in the short term, while also ensuring stability in the long term. By combining federal and state actions, the plan will offer financial relief and protections to small businesses and their workers. It also will remove the costly regulations that stifle growth and will open doors for employers to gain access to assistance that will be critical in allowing them to succeed in such a short amount of time.

The plan is incredibly multifaceted, but I did want to highlight a few that I feel are key to restarting the economy on the right foot.

The first is using any allocated state settlement money to provide immediate cash needs for nonessential businesses to reengage in the economy. Another is the reevaluation of what qualifies as an "essential business," widening the scope and allowing these businesses to resume while following proper health protocols.

Furthermore, the plan allows for the expansion of film tax cuts to nonessential businesses and sole proprietors. The goal of this work is to ensure that the fiscal health of New York is just as secure as the public health of New Yorkers, and with this initiative, I believe we can make that a reality.

It’s true that the severity of this outbreak has hampered our economy significantly. And while we do what we must to help our healthcare professionals ensure they can do their jobs, it also comes down to us to ensure that we help small businesses prepare for the future.

Early and decisive action is the best solution to ending this pandemic, and saving the economy.

To learn more, please read the full proposal here and call or email me with any questions or comments.

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