A bill sponsored by Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) to repeal a costly utility tax has been included on a prominent pro-jobs group’s to-do list. The New York chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) released its Tax Reform Initiatives during a public hearing, which included enacting Assembly bill 382a, sponsored by Hawley to eliminate the 18-a utility assessment. The surcharge, passed in 2009, was scheduled to sunset in 2014 but was extended for four years in the 2013-14 budget. Hawley, who sponsored a bill to rescind the charge as soon as it was enacted, noted that NFIB’s support will help pressure the legislature to address this critical problem.

“NFIB is a leading advocate for small-business owners and the jobs they create, and they understand as well as anyone what must be done to turn our economy around,” said Hawley. “Since this hidden fee was added to utility bills in 2009, I have fought tooth and nail to take this burden off of families and job creators who already are struggling with New York’s excessive taxes. NFIB’s support for this measure shows that, in order to create the jobs New Yorkers count on, we must lift this tax immediately, and I will carry this momentum into our ongoing fight to eliminate this fee.”

NFIB also included its support for a bill Hawley has co-sponsored to cap property tax assessments for family farms. The legislation passed both the Senate and Assembly this year and is awaiting the governor’s signature before becoming law.

“Assessment values per-acre have increased dramatically every year since 2007, decimating budgets on family farms that are the backbone of our local economy,” said Hawley. “This bill, approved with bipartisan support, will help our agricultural community remain the strong and vibrant job creator it has been in our region for generations.”

A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1943, the National Federation of Independent Business is a small-business association representing small and independent businesses.