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“The workers who showed up at their job every day and helped keep our state running at the height of this pandemic are nothing short of heroes. They put their health at risk to keep our state moving forward and, in the wake of all that’s happened over the past year and, in the wake of all that’s happened over the past year, I’ll always work to implement policies that protect all workers and their families. That being said, the New York Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act creates additional burdens and adds bureaucratic red tape for small-business owners, which is why I voted ‘no’ on this piece of legislation.

“The NY HERO Act would require significant upgrades to a business’ infrastructure and, because most of our small businesses rent, these establishments will have to rely on landlords to make these investments. This also poses additional problems for our communities, as many businesses are located in old buildings dating back to the 1800s that can’t easily be renovated in accordance with the bill’s ventilation and design standards.

“Let me be clear: keeping people safe at work is my utmost priority. But these regulations are far too broad and will end up hurting our small businesses. I’ll keep working to help businesses recover and rebuild after COVID-19 without creating unnecessary hurdles.”