Republican state senators George Borrello, Dean Murray, and Pam Helming are calling for Governor Kathy Hochul to take decisive action to alleviate the economic burdens facing New York’s small businesses. They wrote a letter to Hochul, requesting the allocation of state funds towards the $6 billion Unemployment Insurance (UI) Fund debt owed to the federal government. This action, the senators argue, would offer a more effective and longer-term solution to inflation reduction and easing of consumer costs.

The senators assert that the debt accrued by New York’s UI Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic has exerted an excessive financial burden on small businesses by causing them to face higher unemployment insurance premiums. This additional cost could hinder the recovery efforts of these businesses that are already dealing with inflation and other economic challenges.

Senator Borrello, advocating for the argument, stated that instead of implementing a sensible approach like other states that used federal COVID aid to offset the unemployment debt, the governor unfairly placed the burden on businesses and employers through the UI Assessment Surcharge (UIAS). He reiterated that fairness dictates the costs of the pandemic-induced government shutdowns should not be borne exclusively by businesses.

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