Lobby Days Give BCW Members Access to Albany Lawmakers

As Westchester County’s most influential economic development and advocacy organization the Business Council of Westchester provides its members with unparalleled access to today’s top leaders, diverse business development opportunities and lawmakers at all levels of government. BCW’s signature advocacy event is the Annual Lobby Day in Albany. In May the BCW held two Lobby Days to provide members with face-to-face meetings with state legislators to discuss issues of importance to the business community

On May 16, a delegation of 38 BCW members were in Albany for a very busy day of meetings. Among those that the BCW delegation met with were New York State Budget Director Robert Megna, who discussed key economic development issues that were addressed in the recently passed  $229 billion State Budget; Harry Bronson, Chair, Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce, and Industry; Senator Sean Ryan, Chair, Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business; lunch with Karen DeWitt, Capitol Bureau Chief, New York State Public Radio; James Hanley, Senior Policy Analyst, The Empire Center for Public Policy; and Matthew Robison-Loffler, who is Deputy Director, Division of Safety and Health in the New York State Department of Labor.

The BCW delegation met with Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and the entire Westchester Senate delegation. In a separate meeting, the BCW delegation met with Assembly members Matt Slater, MaryJane Shimsky, Dana Levenberg and Chris Burdick. The BCW delegation presented legislators with copies of the BCW’s 2023 Legislative Agenda. Among the BCW’s top priority issues in 2023 include:

• The changing energy landscape in Westchester County
• Numerous legislative bills that would negatively impact the business community such as the proposed antitrust legislation and a series of Workers Compensation bills.
• Ongoing problems with the state’s unemployment fund.

For a complete copy of the 2023 Legislative Agenda visit thebcw.org

A week later on May 23, the BCW coordinated an Albany Lobby Day for the Westchester Hotel Association. Members of the Association, led by their Chairman Sean Meade and Vice Chair Antonio Santoiemma, met with Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and the Westchester Senate Delegation, and members of the Westchester Assembly Delegation.

Association members told the elected officials about the ongoing challenges facing the hotel sector as they rebound from the pandemic. Natasha Caputo, the Director of Westchester County’s Tourism & Film Department, shared important data on the critical role that the county’s hotel industry plays in creating jobs and bringing in revenue to Westchester County. The Westchester Hotel Association is a member of the BCW’s Legislative Enhanced Advocacy Group (LEAP).