Gallivan’s Regulatory Reform Push Continues Across the State

Two Wyoming County Farmers Travel to Watertown to Testify Before Senate Panel at Agriculture Forum

Senator Patrick M. Gallivan (R-C-I, Elma) continues his push to reform and repeal 1000 overly-burdensome, antiquated or duplicative state regulations and mandates that limit economic expansion in New York State and hinder business growth.

Gallivan and a bipartisan group of senators conducted their fourth industry specific forum Wednesday in Mineola on Long Island, this one concentrating on the state’s construction industry.  

“New York State has been labeled ‘anti-business’ for what seems like a generation, and two items are always identified as chiefly responsible – taxes and regulations. A lot of air and ink have been spent outlining the state’s high-tax problem, but not nearly enough energy has been spent trying to understand and combat New York’s job-killing regulatory structure,” said Gallivan. “This series of 10 forums concentrating on the regulatory burden confronting specific industries and economic sectors vital to regional and statewide economic growth is state government’s first honest attempt to address this in a long time.”

This week’s construction industry forum follows similar hearings that focused their attention on healthcare and medical technology, manufacturing, and agriculture.

Two Wyoming County residents travelled to Watertown on September 19 to take part in the forum concentrating on agriculture. Tonya Van Slyke, of Van Slyke’s Dairy Farm in Portageville, and Patrick McCormick, Vice President of the Wyoming County Farm Bureau, joined with agriculture leaders from across the state to share their thoughts on ways to cut red tape and expand their industry in front of a Senate panel constituted by Gallivan; Senator Patty Ritchie (R-St. Lawrence County), Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee; Senator David Valesky (D-Onondaga County); and Senator Kathleen Marchione (R-Saratoga County).

Both Van Slyke and McCormick outlined problems that exist with the state’s Freedom of Information Law as it pertains to farms participating in the New York State Cattle Health Assurance Program (NYSCHAP). Senator Gallivan is the sponsor of legislation (S.5929) exempting information voluntarily provided by a farm owner in order to participate in NYSCHAP from freedom of information law requests.

Van Slyke and McCormick both serve on Senator Gallivan’s Western New York Agricultural Advisory Council.

(Mrs. Van Slyke’s comments can be viewed at the 1:56:00 mark of this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcffKAVjoZE)

(Mr. McCormick’s comments can be viewed at the 2:21:20 mark of this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcffKAVjoZE)

Additional topics of concern included issues surrounding agricultural labor, applying technology within the agricultural industry, farm energy costs, streamlining existing state regulations to make them more compatible and uniform with federal guidelines, and providing avenues for local and family farms to capitalize on New York’s growing yogurt industry.

“Agriculture is the state’s largest industry, one that employs tens of thousands and is the economic backbone of Upstate,” Gallivan said. “The testimony offered at this particular regulatory relief forum reflects both the diversity and the sophistication of 21st century agriculture in New York and the need for state government to champion smart policies that will allow our farms and farming communities to grow and prosper.”

Additional forums are scheduled for Saratoga Springs (hospitality and tourism), Rockland County (small business), New York City (insurance and banking), Corning (manufacturing) and Rochester (biotechnology).

Forms are available for general input regarding state regulations and mandates that individuals members of the public feel are particularly burdensome, antiquated or redundant at gallivan.nysenate.gov. Ideas can also be directly submitted by emailing RegReform@senatorgallivan.net.

Recommendations from the industry forums and public comment are expected to be released in a report in November. This report will serve as the legislative agenda for Senator Gallivan’s regulation reform initiative.

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Previous articles regarding Senator Gallivan’s Regulatory Reform Forums

Healthcare / Buffalo http://bit.ly/17wh2cp

Watertown / Agriculture http://bit.ly/18ruBuK

Manufacturing / Syracuse http://bit.ly/18ZJ4jK