Citizens across the state have rallied in response to the COVID-19 viral outbreak in a way that couldn’t make me prouder to serve them. People are making the necessary sacrifices to ease the burden on our healthcare workers and our healthcare system, while at the same time protecting each other and preventing this disease from gaining any foothold in our society.

While the work that is being done is unquestionably important, it is equally as important for us to begin planning for the future, when society does eventually re-open. Part of that plan has to include security for our small businesses, which will not only help to revitalize the economy, but create jobs for many of those looking to get back to work. That’s why I’m proud to support the Assembly Minority politicians bold and transformative plan, the “Jump-Start New York” initiative, as a way to get all New Yorkers safely back to work and our new ‘normal’ life.

Our plan presents a guide for finding economic relief for these small and local businesses in the short term, while also ensuring stability in the long term. By combining federal and state actions, the plan will offer financial relief and protections to small businesses and their workers. It also will remove the costly regulations that stifle growth and will open doors for employers to gain access to assistance that will be critical in allowing them to succeed in such a short amount of time.

The plan is incredibly multi-faceted, but I did want to highlight a few that I feel are key to restarting the economy on the right foot. The first is using any allocated state settlement money to provide immediate cash needs for non-essential businesses to reengage in the economy. Another is the re-evaluation of what qualifies as an ‘essential business,’ widening the scope and allowing these businesses to resume while following proper health protocols. Furthermore, the plan allows for the expansion of film tax cuts to non-essential businesses and sole proprietors. The goal of this work is to ensure that the fiscal health of New York is just as secure as the public health of New Yorkers, and with this initiative, I believe we can make that a reality.

It’s true that the severity of this outbreak has hampered our economy significantly. And while we do what we must to help our healthcare professionals ensure they can do their jobs. It also comes down to us to ensure that we help small businesses prepare for the future. Early and decisive action is the best solution to ending this pandemic and saving the economy. To learn more, please read the full proposal here and call or email me with any questions or comments.