Senator Kennedy Leads Conference in Pressing for Passage of Job Creation and Workforce Reinvestment Initiatives

Package of bills will help get New Yorkers back to work by promoting workforce training, harnessing the growth potential of alternative energy, encouraging small business growth

ALBANY, N.Y. – Senator Timothy M. Kennedy, D-58th District, led the Senate Democratic Conference in pressing for the passage of a set of job creation initiatives and workforce reinvestment proposals that will help get Western New Yorkers back to work, at a press conference Thursday in the State Capitol.

As ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business, Senator Kennedy helped his conference identify a package of bills that will promote workforce readiness and high-tech job training, harness the job-creation potential of alternative energy, encourage small business growth and prohibit discrimination of the unemployed.

“As our economy moves ahead along the road to recovery, we have identified a ready-to-be-passed package of bills that will help us capitalize on the unique resources and promising opportunities that are found in every region of New York State,” Senator Kennedy said. “Western New Yorkers, in particular, are hungry for job creation and economic development. Our plan takes necessary steps to get our economy moving again – fostering an environment where ideas and research can turn into jobs, encouraging an entrepreneurial attitude, getting our workforce ready for jobs in the new economy and building on the successes and opportunities that are starting to grow throughout our state.”

The job creation and workforce reinvestment plan includes the following bills:

• S.5351 (Kennedy): Creates the Workforce Training Credit.
• S.5407 (Maziarz, Kennedy): Establishes the Western New York Power Allocation Board and ensures WNY sees full benefit of Expansion and Replacement Power from Niagara Power Project
• S.5355 (Kennedy): Creates the Green Jobs Workforce Subcommittee within the Department of Labor.
• S.3433 (Parker): Creates the High Performance Computing Program.
• S.1768 (Perkins): Creates the Niche Market Assistance Program.
• S.1864 (Espaillat): Creates Seed-NY to help finance the commercialization of new technology.
• S.2792 (Parker): Allows the creation of Alternative Finance Investment Bonds.
• S.5468 (Parker): Codifies the SUNY Educational Opportunity Centers.
• S.104 (Montgomery): Creates the State Justice Reinvestment Fund and Program.
• S.2825 (Stewart-Cousins): Builds Micro-Business Outreach Assistance Programs.
• S.5316 (Stewart-Cousins): Makes it illegal to discriminate in employment decisions based upon employment status.

“We need to add fuel to the engines driving economic growth – small business, emerging technology and higher education. That is exactly the aim of our job creation and workforce reinvestment plan,” Senator Kennedy added. “The passage of these bills will help get Western New Yorkers back to work.”

For each of the bills included in the plan, there are same-as versions active in the Assembly – which gives the State Legislature the ability to quickly pick up and pass the legislation through both chambers before the end of session.