Assemblyman David DiPietro (R,C-East Aurora) cites New York’s burdensome regulatory and tax climate, coupled with Gov. Cuomo’s desire for media-savvy proposals over actual reform, as reasons for the state’s poor outlook. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) recently ranked New York dead last in terms of economic outlook.

“As a small-business owner, I can tell you firsthand things aren’t getting better and that’s reflected in this study by ALEC,” DiPietro said. “Instead of focusing on cutting taxes and red tape for families and businesses, Albany spent the entire budget process debating liberal social policies and wondering if we’d wrap up debate before midnight. This economic outlook rating is exactly why I voted against the entirety of the budget this year. We have families fleeing a state they spent their entire lives in as residents because there’s no work here. ALEC didn’t fall for START-UP NY and the 76 jobs it created. We have been 49th or 50th in economic outlook every year since 2008. It’s time to reverse course and let the free market work.”

DiPietro is the Ranking Minority Member on the Assembly Committee on Small Business. He is a sponsor of Assembly Bill 5898, the Small Business Full Employment Act, which would enact a variety of tax and regulatory relief proposals for small businesses with fewer than 100 employees.