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As the New York State Senate and Assembly announce one house’s budget resolutions, capital tonight Talk to the New York State Chamber of Commerce (BCNYS) about the April 1 spending plan and the organization’s priorities.
BCNYS Vice President Ken Pokalski said Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget is a mixed bag.
“There’s a focus on infrastructure spending, some of it related to climate change, trying to increase access to child care, which is going to be a very important issue to get people back to work,” Pokalski said.
However, he pointed out some concerns, especially around the ideas of environmental protection.
Two such bills were included in the Senate’s one-house budget resolution released Tuesday.
State Sen. Liz Krueger’s climate fund bill, which was crafted by the Superfund program, would require the state to pay $3 billion a year over 25 years to oil and gas companies to offset the effects of climate change.
“We don’t support it,” Pokalski said. “And I’m surprised it’s in (the Senate’s one-house budget). It’s hard to imagine that New York State is going to pass a law declaring that we owe oil companies $85 billion.
Pokalski points to what he says is a “false narrative” surrounding the bill that the costs of climate change won’t affect the average family or small business.
“And it really is,” he said.
Senator Pete Harkham’s packaging waste bill, the “Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act,” is another bill the Chamber of Commerce opposes. Pokalsky said capital tonight As council members see the need to reduce packaging, Harkham’s Law is not the solution.
“The Harkham bill is a bit of an idea from our point of view. It has some real problems with its structure.
Harkham’s bill would put pressure on packaging manufacturers and “incentivize” them to cut back.
Governor Hochul introduced a similar bill with the same title, the “Waste Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act.” But anti-pollution advocates say the governor’s law is weaker than Harkham’s. For example, only 15% of packaging needs to be reduced. Harkham requires a 50% discount.
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