Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) recently joined the Assembly Minority Conference in developing an economic plan that will provide working New Yorkers, job creators, and small businesses with short-term economic support and long-term stability and security. With roughly 92 percent of small businesses being negatively impacted due to the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, per the National Federation of Independent Business’ (NFIB) survey, many small businesses need help sooner rather than later

“There is no question that the scale and severity of our current fiscal situation is dire, and business owners are feeling tremendous pressure,” Hawley said. “The fact that these small businesses and job creators are following state and federal directions should not mean that they lose their livelihoods. Like anyone living through this pandemic, these individuals deserve to know that just because business has slowed, food will still make its way to the table and support will be in their communities beyond the pandemic.”

Some of the ideas discussed in the initiative are the re-evaluation of which businesses could operate following social distancing protocols; extending and/or waiving state regulations for an additional year; suspending fees for occupational licenses for one year following the emergency period; increasing rural internet accessibility to ensure equal access to telehealth and online learning among other things; and the implementation of all provisions of the ‘Small Business Recovery Act of 2020’ (A.10266). To read more on the “Jump-Start New York” plan, please click on the following link, where you can learn about all of the proposed plans and initiatives: https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Stephen-Hawley/story/91967.