For those members attending The Business Council’s Annual Meeting this week, this is a reminder that the joint President’s Council / Government Affairs Committee meeting will be held 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, in the Sagamore conference center Bellevue Room. Our guest speakers will be Senator Thomas Libous, Chair of the Senate Republican Campaign Committee, who will be discussing key NYS Senate races, and James DeChene, Eastern Region Director for the US Chamber of Commerce who will be talking about key national races. All members attending the Annual Meeting are welcome to attend this session.

Staff Contact: heather.briccetti@bcnys.org

The Business Council has submitted comments on the “gift ban” regulations proposed by the Commission on Public Integrity in August. The Council argued that a number of provisions in the draft rule exceeded or were in direct conflict with the Commission’s statutory authority. In other instances, the language in the draft rule created more, rather than less, uncertainty regarding compliance. As a result, we argued that the Commission’s proposed rule would have significantly expanded legislative restrictions on “gifts” from registered lobbyists to public officials, and would have further complicated compliance efforts. The public comment period on this rulemaking closed last Friday; there is no set timetable for the Commission to issue a final rule.

Staff Contact: ken.pokalsky@bcnys.org

Brendan Scott of the New York Post writes - “Republican leaders were crowing yesterday after a series of battleground-district polls suggested Democrats could lose their one-vote majority in the state Senate in the upcoming elections.

The four Siena College surveys showed two incumbent Democrats — Darrel Aubertine of Watertown and Brian Foley of Long Island — were neck-and-neck in tough re-election fights.

Meanwhile, two veteran Republican senators — Frank Padavan of Queens and Hugh Farley of Schenectady — retained wide leads over their Democratic challengers.

Democrats have repeatedly cited those two GOP-controlled districts as their best opportunities to even out any losses they might suffer elsewhere in the state in what is expected to be a Republican election year.”

To read more click here.

The Associated Press reports on WRGB.com - “he New York state Conservative Party will meet to consider nominating Republican firebrand Carl Paladino to run for governor on its ballot line, which has been crucial for Republicans running for statewide office.

The Conservative line is open because Rick Lazio, who lost the Republican primary to Paladino, relinquished the Conservative line Monday.

To get the line, Paladino will have to be welcomed by Republican state Chairman Ed Cox and Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long, who spent months backing Lazio for the primary.

Conservative Party leaders will meet Wednesday afternoon.

Paladino plans to speak at the annual state Business Council meeting Wednesday night in the Adirondacks.

The council said Cuomo has been invited, but hasn’t agreed to attend.

Adam Sichko writes in the Business Review (subscription based) - “It took mere minutes on Tuesday for Andrew Cuomo and Carl Paladino to pounce on each other’s ideas for creating jobs and boosting the economy.

The verbal spat erupted after Cuomo, a Democrat, unveiled a nearly 200-page economic agenda (complete with wide margins and double-spaced paragraphs). And it will continue Wednesday night, when Paladino addresses the annual meeting of The Business Council of New York State Inc.

Cuomo’s agenda contains plans to offer new or broader tax credits, erase regulatory burdens, lower energy costs and reform the workers’ compensation system (you can see for yourself at www.andrewcuomo.com).

Paladino, a Republican, mocked Cuomo’s track record and said his plans will only increase government bureaucracy. Paladino said he will cut taxes and state spending, not merely slow down their growth rate.

To read more on Cuomo, Paladino square off on job creation click here.

Joseph Spector writes on pressconnects.com - “Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo today laid out a broad agenda to revive the upstate economy, calling for ways to lower the cost of doing business and creating regional councils to oversee business growth.

Cuomo released a 191-page, wide margined, report called NY Works, which advocates for increased investment in the upstate economy.

He proposed eliminating the capital gains tax on investments by new companies and working with the state Legislature to enact an “emergency” two-year, $300 million “Jobs Now” tax credit program to boost new business investment in New York.

Cuomo called for the creation of about 10 regional economic development councils to review all local development plans across the state that are currently handled by hundreds of local and state agencies. Cuomo’s running mate, Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy, would head the councils.”

To read more click here.

The Business Council of New York State, Inc. announced today -”arl Paladino, the Republican candidate for Governor, will speak to The Business Council of New York State’s Annual Meeting at 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010 at The Sagamore Resort on Lake George in Bolton Landing, New York.

Paladino will be the first speaker at meeting’s opening dinner on Wednesday night.

Other highlights of the Annual Meeting at The Sagamore will include:

• Republican candidate for Comptroller Harry Wilson at 9:15 am, Thursday, Sept. 30.
• Democratic candidate for Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy at 10 am, Thursday, Sept. 30.
• Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Democratic candidate for Comptroller, at 10:45, Thursday, Sept. 30.
• Presentation of The Corning Award for Excellence to James R. Houghton, former chairman and CEO of Corning Incorporated, 8 pm, Thursday, Sept. 30.
• Republican candidate for Attorney General Daniel M. Donovan, Jr. at 8:30 am, Friday, Oct. 1.
• Democratic candidate for Attorney General Eric Scheiderman at 9:30 am, Friday, Oct. 1.
• Members of the news media are welcome to cover all of these sessions.

The Council’s Annual Meeting attracts hundreds of top business and government leaders in the state for discussions of policy issues that matter to the state’s business community. The Business Council is New York’s largest broad-based business group. Headquartered in Albany, it advocates for economic growth, good jobs and stronger communities across the state. The Council’s more than 3000 members represent employers of well over 1.2 million New Yorkers in all parts of the state and all sectors of business, industry, education and not-for-profit activity.

If you would like to attend the opening night dinner and presentation by Mr. Paladino or any other part of The Business Council’s Annual Meeting contact Anna DeLisle at anna.delisle@bcnys.org or call her at 518.465.7511 ext 233. To view the rest of the meeting agenda click here.

Michael Gormley of the Associated Press reports on pressconnects.com - “There are no statewide TV campaign ads, no multimillion dollar fundraisers with rock stars, and little attention being paid to this fall’s New York state Senate races.

But if the last two years are any indication, who wins control of state Senate will have more effect on what happens — and what doesn’t happen — in Albany than any of the marquee statewide contests.

The critical task of the next Legislature will be the redrawing of election district lines, a much criticized practice called reapportionment in which every 10 years, the parties in control of the Senate and Assembly design their chamber’s election districts. Traditionally, the districts are drawn in highly creative ways that make sure incumbents and parties hold power for at least the next decade.”

To read more click here.

Nick Reisman reports on pressconnects.com - “Former Rep. Rick Lazio bowed out of the governor’s race today, leaving Republican Carl Paladino to battle Democratic candidate Andrew Cuomo.

“I’m proud to say I’ve run an issues-based campaign,” Lazio said at a news conference in New York City. “Our problems in my view are overwhelmingly financial and ethical.”

Lazio, who declined to endorse Paladino at the news conference, took swipes at both candidates.

“I look at the two major party candidates and see flawed individuals,” said Lazio, 52. “Flawed in terms of public character, flawed in terms of a commitment to ideas and principles that will restore growth and pride to our great state.”

To read more click here.

The Associated Press in the Poughkeepsie Journal reports - “President Barack Obama has signed a bill creating a $30 billion fund to help small businesses expand and hire. The bill also includes eight separate tax breaks for small businesses and a boost for Small Business Administration loan programs.

Obama says the incentives will help small businesses create jobs in the short term.

The legislation gives Obama and congressional Democrats a highly sought political victory five weeks before Nov. 2 elections in which voters are expected to vent their frustrations over a slow-growing economy and high unemployment.

The new fund would be available to community banks to encourage lending to small businesses.