O'Mara, Senate colleagues bring regulatory reform hearings to Corning today ~ Watch a live webcast beginning at Noon

Corning, N.Y., October 9—State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C-Big Flats) and members of the Senate Majority Coalition will hold a public hearing in Corning today to hear from local and statewide business leaders and economic development officials on which state rules, regulations and mandates most impact their industries and communities, and should be eliminated.

The hearing is being held at Corning Community College (Triangle Lounge of the Commons Building) beginning at Noon.  

The public is invited to attend.  To watch a live webcast of today's hearing, CLICK HERE.

O’Mara said that Wednesday’s hearing will particularly focus on revitalizing Upstate’s manufacturing sector.  He’ll be joined by the following Senate colleagues: Senator Patrick M. Gallivan (R,C,I-Elma), Deputy Leader of the Republican Conference for Economic Development; Senator Kathleen Marchione (R,C-Halfmoon), chair of the Legislature’s Administrative Regulations Review Commission; Senator David Valesky (D-Oneida), chair of the Senate Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business Committee; and Senator David Carlucci (D-Rockland/Westchester). 

“I appreciate the willingness of my Senate colleagues to come here to Corning to hear our local ideas and suggestions for tax and regulatory reform. We’re after the best, most effective ideas for job-creating tax policies and regulatory reforms.  We’re going to benefit from the experience and input of many of the Southern Tier’s manufacturing and economic development leaders as we develop a comprehensive legislative agenda for 2014,” said O’Mara. 

Local leaders scheduled to testify are:

> G. Thomas Tranter, Jr. of Corning Incorporated;

> Keith Bowman, F.M. Howell & Company; 

> Jack Bebernes, Dresser-Rand; 

> George Miner, Southern Tier Economic Growth (STEG); and

> Jamie Johnson, Steuben County Industrial Development Agency.

In mid-September the Senate Majority Coalition began a statewide series of 10 industry-specific public forums on tax and regulatory reform as part of a bipartisan effort to identify and eliminate the most costly government regulations that strangle economic growth and drive up local property taxes.  Forums to date have focused on agriculture, construction and tourism.  

In addition to Wednesday’s hearing on manufacturing in Corning, the Senate is also holding hearings this week on small business and financial services.