Assembly GOP: Shift development money to disaster recovery

ALBANY – State money earmarked for redevelopment projects should be shifted to use for pandemic recovery, under a proposal offered Friday by Republicans in the state Assembly.

They also suggested changing the role of the state’s regional economic councils and instead of using them for development, have them implement "disaster recovery" plans. And they said the state should expand the list of "essential" businesses that can stay open even in virus hot spots and provide a 180-day "amnesty period" for small businesses to remedy any regulatory violations without penalty.

The ideas are part of a multi-point "economic recovery blueprint," the Republicans are touting as legislators get ready to begin working on a state budget to help New York deal with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The fiscal effects of COVID-19 are being felt far and wide. As elected officials, we have to begin the process of picking up the pieces and create short and long-term solutions to help our struggling economy," Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) said. "This plan is merely a start to a long process, but I believe that we can weather this storm together if we approach it head-on, guided by policies and legislation that provide true relief."

Republicans hold just 43 of the 150 seats in the Assembly and, therefore, rarely get their bills approved. More realistically, they often aim to persuade Democrats to pick up some of their ideas.

Among other proposals, the Republican plan calls for:

• Limit the governor’s emergency powers, which currently have no end date during the pandemic, by requiring the Legislature to renew them every 45 days.
• Tap New York’s pool of settlement funds from lawsuits (currently about $1.5 billion) to provide grants and other relief to small businesses.
• Loosen regulatory requirements on farmers.
• Provide a tax credit to landlords whose tenants haven’t paid rent due to the pandemic.