NJBIA is urging legislators to stop imposing new burdens on business as the lame-duck voting session gets underway, arguing that businesses have had to shoulder more than their fair share in the last 20 months.
In a statement released this morning, NJBIA President and CEO Michele Siekerka reminded lawmakers of the numerous tax increases and mandates that already have been imposed on New Jersey businesses.
“Over the past 20 months, business in New Jersey has been hit with a wide range of mandates and added costs that have only solidified our unfortunate standing as the state with the least-friendly business climate in the nation,” Siekerka said. “This trend needs to reverse for the sake of New Jersey’s competitiveness and affordability.”
“Before considering bills that will add more burdens on business, our policymakers should recognize their already established reliance on our job creators,” she added. “A minimum wage increase, expanded mandatory paid sick leave, extended paid family leave, and an array of energy and other regulatory mandates have already been put into effect during this Legislative session, costing businesses more time and money.”
Read the full statement here.
Twelve Senate and Assembly Committee meetings are scheduled for Thursday, and lawmakers have a long agenda to get through between now and Jan. 14, when the new Legislature is sworn in and all legislation still pending at that time has to be reintroduced and start the legislative process from the beginning.
Ten days of committee meetings and/or voting sessions are scheduled before the Jan. 14 quorum call.
6 responses to “NJBIA Urges Legislature to Avoid More Burdensome Business Mandates”
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Unfortunately the message is falling upon deaf ears
Amen to that!!
Michele is 100% right, but unfortunately our big-hearted all-dem three branches of government has no common business sense, and obviously no ability to do math. Main street businesses are all talking about closing shop, moving to PA, NC, etc. We can’t just pass along $$$ increases to our clientele. And honestly, there’s no end in sight. Trump has made it impossible for level headed, business-minded republicans to get elected or have a voice- so NJ is turning into a small business disaster…
NJ was on the road to disaster without blaiming Trump
Love all these mandates. No fight here. Color me a big-hearted dem.
The burdens on businesses are a way to increase government revenue without voters seeing state government taking more from their pocketbooks. The result is businesses increase prices, making the business community look like the bad guys!
As prices increase, consumers look to lower prices by going out of state vendors who do not have these state mandated burdens. Our state government needs to think on how they are competing against other states. The state government works under thepremise that there is no competition. This is why they just keep growing at exponential rates.
Businesses will close inside the state, and the state shortfalls will be placed on existing businesses inside the state. This in turn, raises prices again and continues the vicious cycle.