“(Long Island, NY) Long Island Cars’ Car Show & Swap Meet” on Sunday April 10th at Belmont Racetrack includes hundreds of custom and collectible cars from vintage to exotic; vendors selling automobile parts, accessories and literature; plus cars for sale.

Acres of street rods, exotics, muscle cars, customs, antiques, imports and classics of the fifties, sixties and seventies will be on display. Show cars are judged and compete in over 50 classes, with large, impressive trophies. If it’s a specialty or older car part you’ve been searching for, then the hundreds of vendors available are bound to have it.

The long awaited return of Spring has brought Long Island Cars annual “Belmont Classic Car Show and Swap Meet” to Belmont Racetrack on Hempstead Tpke. in Elmont on Sunday April 10th. Hundreds of custom and collectible cars, like this classic 1957 Thunderbird are expected to turn out for this popular opening season competition; along with hundreds of auto related vendors in what is billed as “Long Islands Largest Swap Meet.” Photo Credit: Long Island Cars.

In addition, check out the “Car Corral” where private owners will be selling their pre-owned cars, all years, all makes, and all priced to sell. Whether you plan to display or sell your show car, shop for parts, or just view these show-stoppers, don’t miss this tremendous show!

Hours are 8am to 5pm; Rain date April 17th. Belmont Racetrack is on Hempstead Tpke. in Elmont, off Exit 26B of the Cross Island Parkway, enter through Gate 3. Admission: Adults: $9.00 / children 12 years and under are free. Display or sell your show car free with admission. Vendors and judged cars register at the gate from 7am to 10am. LongIslandCars.com or (631) 567-5898.

Spots still available to run in support of families of fallen NYC First Responders

(Long Island, NY) Answer the Call – The New York Police & Fire Widows’ & Children’s Benefit Fund, today announced that for the second year running, the organization will be fielding a team for the TCS New York City Marathon. Building on last year’s inaugural outing, Team Answer the Call will once again hit the marathon route to raise funds for the families of New York City’s fallen First Responders.

Following yesterday’s Marathon lottery, a limited number of spots are still available on team Answer the Call for Marathon hopefuls.  In addition, Answer the Call is urging those in the field to use the opportunity to join the team in support of families of New York City’s heroic Police Officers and Firefighters.

“We are excited to once again be gathering an incredible team for the iconic TCS New York City Marathon, which will help us raise funds for the families of those who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty,” said Lauren Profeta, Director of Development for Answer the Call. “Our first responders never hesitate to come running to our rescue when we need them.  Now it is our turn to run to help them.   We hope that you will ‘Answer the Call’ and show your support by joining the team, donating to our cause, or cheering on our runners.”

The 2016 TCS New York City Marathon takes place on Sunday, November 6. Runners will put their best foot forward on the 26.2 mile route, traversing all five boroughs for a special organization.

Answer the Call provides assistance to the families of New York City Police Officers, Firefighters, Port Authority Police and EMS Personnel who have been killed in the line of duty.

Team Answer the Call:

To help become a member of team Answer the Call or support our bold and inspiring runners, please visit: www.answerthecall.org/2016marathon/.

About The New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund
The New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund provides assistance to the families of New York City Police Officers, Firefighters, Port Authority Police and EMS Personnel who have been killed in the line of duty.  Since its founding in 1985 by Daniel J. “Rusty” Staub, the charity has distributed over $130 million to hundreds of families. The Benefit Fund provides immediate and ongoing financial assistance in the form of annual distributions to grieving families after they lose their loved one.  In addition, the Benefit Fund provides an ongoing network of support and gatherings for these families to cope and connect after such tragedy.  The Benefit Fund serves approximately 600 families, and the goal is to provide meaningful assistance to the beneficiaries for the rest of their lives.

About the TCS New York City Marathon
The TCS New York City Marathon is the premier event of New York Road Runners (NYRR) and the largest marathon in the world. Over 1,000,000 people have finished the race since its first running in 1970 with just 127 entrants and 55 finishers running four laps around Central Park. The race expanded to all five boroughs in 1976 and is now in its 40th year as a five-borough affair. Held annually on the first Sunday of November, the race features 50,000 runners including the world’s top professional athletes and a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. Participants from over 125 countries tour the city, starting on Staten Island at the foot of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and running through the neighborhoods of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx before ending in Manhattan. In 2015, the inaugural NYRR Youth Invitational at the TCS New York City Marathon gave young runners the opportunity to run 1.8 miles of the race course in Central Park, beginning near mile 24 and finishing at the famed TCS New York City Marathon finish line. More than one million spectators and thousands of volunteers line the city streets in support of the runners, while millions more watch the live television broadcast in the New York area on WABC-TV, Channel 7, nationally on ESPN2, and via various international broadcast partners around the world. The race is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, which features the world’s top marathons—Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York—and crowns the top professional male and female marathoners each year. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, is the premier partner of NYRR and the title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon. The 46th running of the TCS New York City Marathon is set for November 6, 2016. To learn more, visit www.tcsnycmarathon.com.

Unlicensed drivers who kill or injure someone while driving with a suspended or revoked license need to be punished

(Long Island, NY) Chris McGrath, candidate for the Special Election in New York State Senate’s Ninth District, pledged today to fight in Albany for tougher DWI laws.

“The current DWI laws are an injustice for our victims, families and communities. As a father of three daughters and someone who has spent my entire life helping people in need, helping victims and their families after senseless tragedies and fighting for our children. If I am elected as our next State Senator, I will fight for this bill to become law,” said Chris McGrath.

The DWI laws, on the books currently are inadequate. People driving with suspended or revoked licenses who kill or injure someone face only misdemeanor charges carrying a maximum sentence of 180 days in jail.

Recently, in Newsday, a man who drove with a suspended license and killed a 12-year-old boy walking to school was sentenced to 6 months in jail, with an additional 12 months for a separate felony DWI offense. Currently there is pending legislation (S.04649A) in the Legislature to address the loopholes.

Under this legislation, drivers would face up to four years in prison if they cause serious injury to another person and up to seven years in prison if they take someone’s life. The legislation has passed the Senate but is stalled in the NYC led State Assembly.

Chris McGrath is a candidate for the New York State Senate (SD-9.) He is not a politician, has never before run for elected office, and is a lifelong resident of the district. Chris has spent the majority of his career and personal life giving back to people in need.  Following the devastating attacks of 9/11, Chris’s firm represented, pro-bono, the brave men and women who were first responders who helped in the search and recovering efforts at Ground Zero. As a member of the community, Chris, is involved in many civic and charitable organizations.  He is a distinguished past president of Peninsula Kiwanis, creating the organization’s foundation for underprivileged and handicapped children. www.ChrisMcGrathForSenate.com

(Long Island, NY) A proposed gradual increase in New York’s minimum wage from $9 to $15 an hour would increase wages by an average of 23 percent for nearly 3.2 million workers by mid- 2021 and will not have a negative effect on overall employment, says a comprehensive new study released today by the University of California, Berkeley.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is seeking legislative support to increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by Dec. 31, 2018 in New York City, and byJuly 1, 2021 in the rest of the state. Californians may vote on a similar proposal in November.

“The policy will have large positive effects on living standards and very small effects on employment,” concludes UC Berkeley’s team of labor market researchers from the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment in the latest in a series of studies of minimum wage policies under consideration or being implemented by cities and states across the country.

The New York analysis is based on a comprehensive new labor market model that the researchers developed to project how workers, businesses and consumers will adjust over the five years of the higher minimum wage’s phase-in. The model draws on an extensive academic literature on the economics of labor markets, business practices and consumer markets and examines the interactions among the various effects.

If New York enacts a $15 minimum wage, the Berkeley team forecasts some additional automation in low-wage industries, with higher payroll costs for businesses partly offset by savings in employee turnover expenses and employee productivity gains. Consumers would absorb a 0.2 percent annual price increase over the phase-in, equivalent to about a nickel for a $3 box of Cheerios. Consumer inflation has averaged nearly 2 percent a year in recent years.

Among the other key findings:

• About 37 percent of the New York workforce will benefit from increased earnings.
• For those receiving higher wages, annual pay will increase $4,900 a year on average (in 2015 dollars), boosting consumer spending.
• Three industries account for nearly half of the workers getting increases: retail (18 percent), health care and social assistance (16 percent) and restaurants (14 percent).
• Overall payroll costs in the state will increase by only 3.2 percent, since many businesses already pay over $15 and many workers getting a raise already earn over $9, the state’s current minimum wage. Also, labor costs average one-fourth of business operating costs.
• Businesses will experience lower employee turnover, generating savings in recruitment and retention costs that will offset about one-eighth of the higher payroll costs. Worker productivity will also increase.

Putting all these effects together, the report estimates a very small net gain of about 3,200 jobs after five years, equivalent to 0.04 percent of 2021 employment in New York state.

“We looked carefully at both sides of the equation, the effects on businesses and the effects on workers. Businesses will adapt,” said study lead author Michael Reich. “Efficiencies and turnover saving will offset a good part of the wage increases and modest prices increases – spread across all consumers – will cover the rest.  The increased consumer spending from the higher wages will generate more business and jobs.”

Reich said that it turns out that these effects largely offset each other and the net employment effects of the minimum wage are very small.

“Looking at the entire picture, the gains for low-wage workers are significant and a higher minimum wage means a more widely-shared prosperity in New York,” Reich concluded.

The report notes that effects will vary among geographic regions and industries and that it does not factor in impacts of higher wages on the health of workers and their children, which are likely to be positive.

The lead researcher for the study is Reich, a UC Berkeley economics professor, former director of the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment and chair of its Center on Wage and Employment Dynamics. The other authors are labor economist and CWED co-chair Sylvia Allegretto; UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Employment chair Ken Jacobs; and IRLE economics researcher Claire Montialoux.

Agreement Resolves Attorney General’s Inquiry, Combats Discrimination In Advertising And Hiring At One Of The Largest Home Healthcare Companies

(Long Island, NY) Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced an agreement with Interim Healthcare of Greater New York, Inc., a local franchise of one of the largest healthcare staffing agencies in the nation, that will protect applicants and potential applicants against discrimination on the basis of national origin, race or any other protected class. The settlement resolves the Attorney General’s investigation of Interim Healthcare, an investigation which arose after the Attorney General learned that Interim Healthcare had placed an advertisement requesting a female “laid back nurse, no Haitians.”

“Blatantly discriminatory job advertisements like this are wrong and clearly illegal,” said Attorney General Schneiderman. “My Office is committed to ensuring equal access to employment for all New Yorkers and will not tolerate discrimination against any New Yorker based on race or national origin or any other protected status.”

The Attorney General’s investigation included reviewing policies related to hiring, advertising and internal complaints; anti-discrimination policies; copies of published advertisements for employment; and documents produced by Interim Healthcare relating directly to the published advertisement that excluded Haitian applicants.

The investigation found that the discriminatory advertisement stemmed from a patient’s request, specifically asking for a nurse who was not Haitian. Interim Healthcare workers placed this discriminatory request for publication in the Pennysaver newspaper in error. Prior to being published, the advertisement was not reviewed for compliance with Interim Healthcare’s internal equal opportunity policies or compliance with governing civil rights laws.

The investigation also revealed that Interim Healthcare placed a number of advertisements stating that only females or males could apply, without conducting an individualized analysis of each patient’s request to determine if there was a bona fide occupational qualification justifying a gender-specific request, as required by law. In addition, Interim Healthcare placed numerous advertisements that exclusively featured images of women, possibly discouraging male applicants from applying for the advertised positions.

Ultimately, the Attorney General’s investigation found that Interim Healthcare had inadequate safeguards in place to prevent or remedy unlawful employment discrimination based on the discriminatory requests of patients.

Under the agreement, Interim Healthcare agrees to:

• Develop a Caregiver Placement Equal Employment Opportunity Policy prohibiting discriminatory conduct in processing patients’ requests for caregivers, hiring and advertising for employment in compliance with the law;
• Designate the Vice President of Human Resources to oversee the processing of patients’ requests for caregivers, advertising and hiring process;
• Conduct an Anti-Discrimination Training Program for all employees whose responsibilities involve patients’ requests for caregivers, recruitment, advertisement, and hiring;
• Investigate all complaints, written or oral, alleging discriminatory treatment on the basis of race, national origin or gender and provide the Attorney General with reports describing all such complaints; and
• Pay $100,000 in penalties, fees and costs in connection with the investigation.

“The contributions Haitian-Americans and their families have made to not only the healthcare profession but in all aspects of our society should be celebrated, not rejected, and this settlement sends a strong message of our commitment to protect the rights of all New Yorkers,” said State Senator David Carlucci. “This settlement could not have been secured without the work of Attorney General Schneiderman and the advocacy of many throughout our community who said that this type of discriminatory behavior will not be tolerated in Rockland County, or anywhere in New York.”

“I would like to thank the Attorney General for his swift investigation and response to the blatant discrimination that was unfortunately displayed here last year,” said Assemblyman Kenneth Zebrowski. “Not only a violation of the law, there is absolutely no place for employment discrimination, or any discrimination in New York State and I believe that this response makes that very clear. I am hopeful that this settlement agreement will provide appropriate oversight to ensure another incident never happens again, as well as reassure the Haitian community that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.”

“I want to thank the Attorney General for taking this blatantly discriminatory action committed by personnel at Interim HealthCare Inc. seriously,” said Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee. “Let it be known that any company or organization who singles out a group of individuals in a discriminatory advertisement because of its national origin is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The advertisement not only offended the Haitian and Haitian-American Community in New York State and throughout the country, but also members of the larger community regardless of their individual ethnic and cultural background. Federal and State laws prohibiting national origin discrimination make it illegal to discriminate because of an individual’s birthplace, ancestry, culture or language and those who violate this law will be held accountable.”

“I want to thank New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for investigating the blatant discrimination against Haitians in connection with the Interim Health, Inc. incident,” saidAssemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte. “As a Haitian-American and as a New York State legislator, I am relieved that an agreement had been reached in this matter. This type of discrimination is damaging and I am glad that this case sets a precedent for those who continue to practice brash disdain towards any group of people. This sends a message to other businesses that discriminate in the State of New York, that prejudice will not be tolerated by our government.”

“Discrimination of any kind is unacceptable. All individuals, including Haitian-Americans, working in the Healthcare field should be recruited based on their skill set and not their ethnicity,” said Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages. “The sanctions placed against Interim Healthcare sends a clear message that citizens, lawmakers, and communities as a whole stand firmly against this type of behavior, which is unacceptable in any form. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s quick response to this issue proves that he is committed to combatting discrimination in New York State.”

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Diane Lucas and Volunteer Assistant Attorney General Tochi Onyebuchi, under the direction of Executive Deputy for Social Justice Alvin Bragg. The Civil Rights Bureau of the Attorney General’s Office is committed to combating employment discrimination across New York State. To file a complaint, contact the Attorney General’s Office at (212) 416-8250, civil.rights@ag.ny.gov or visit http://www.ag.ny.gov/.

(Long Island, NY) Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying and locating the man who stole merchandise from a convenience store in Farmingville.

On February 25, a man entered the 7-Eleven, located at 710 Horseblock Road, and stole assorted merchandise. The suspect is described as black with a thin build. He was wearing a dark-hooded jacket and dark pants.

Suffolk County Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the man who stole merchandise from a convenience store in Farmingville. Photo Credit: SCPD.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.

(Long Island, NY) Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the man who exposed himself to a girl on her way to school in Cold Spring Harbor this week.

On March 8, a female high-school student was walking to school on Thicket Drive at approximately 8:20 a.m. when a man drove up to the female, opened his car door and exposed his genitals. The man then attempted to engage the victim and called her over to his vehicle. The girl ran away and notified Cold Spring Harbor Junior/Senior High School security who contacted police.

Suffolk County Police are seeking the public’s help to identify the man who exposed himself to a girl on her way to school in Cold Spring Harbor this week. Photo Credit: SCPD.

The suspect was driving a small tan-colored four-door sedan. He is described as a Hispanic male in his 20s’ with a youthful appearance. He had black hair that wasshaved on the sides. The center section of his hair was long and pulled in a bun.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about this crime is asked to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS or Second Squad detectives at 631-854-8252. All calls will be kept confidential.

Celebrating its 22nd Anniversary, the Prom Boutique Provides Dresses for Thousands of Long Island High School Students

(Long Island, NY) The Long Island Volunteer Center, working in conjunction with Nassau Community College Marketing & Fashion students, will be collecting new and gently-used prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses and accessories (including dressy shoes, evening bags and costume jewelry) for the 22^nd Annual Prom Boutique.

The following is a list of collection sites that will be accepting donations.  All collections take place Sunday, April 10^thfrom 12 pm to 2 pm, unless otherwise noted.

• Suffolk County Community College – Brentwood Campus
  Sally Ann Slacke Center, Room 121 (next to Van Nostrand Theatre)
  1001 Crooked Hill Road
  Brentwood, NY 11717
• St. John’s Episcopal Church
  1670 Route 25A
  Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
• Commack Public Library
  18 Hauppauge Road
  Commack, NY 11725
  During regular hours through Sun April 10 (M-Th 9-9, F 9-6, Sat 9-5, Sun 1-5)
• Westy Self-Storage
  4049 Jericho Turnpike
  East Northport, NY  11731
• AT Stewart Exchange
  109 11th Street
  Garden City, NY 11530
  During regular store hours through Sat April 9 (T W Th F 10-4, Sat 12-4)
• Nordstrom
  630 Old Country Road, Roosevelt Field, Third Level
  Garden City, NY  11530
• Westy Self-Storage
  2400 Marcus Avenue
  Lake Success, NY 11020
• Americana Manhasset Concierge
  2060 Northern Boulevard
  Manhasset, NY 11030
• Merrick Jewish Center
  225 Fox Boulevard
  Merrick, NY  11566
• Somerset Gardens Senior Living
  150 Sunnyside Boulevard
  Plainview, NY 11803
• St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
  309 Patchogue Road
  Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776
• Nancy Sinoway Creative Tailoring and Alterations Studio
  334A Main Street
  Port Washington, NY 11050
  During regular store hours through Sat April 9 (Tues-Fri 9:30 to 5:00, Sat 10:00 to 1:00)
• Lucky Finds Boutique, Ltd
  7 North Park Avenue
  Rockville Centre, NY 11570
  Week of April 4: Mon thru Sat 10-6
  Sunday April 10: Noon to 2:00
• ReCreateU
  19 South Village Avenue
  Rockville Centre, NY  11570
  During regular store hours through Sat April 9 (Tue-Fri 11 – 6, Sat-Sun 12 – 5)
  Sunday April 10: Noon to 2
• Junior League of Long Island Thrift Shop
  1395 Old Northern Boulevard
  Roslyn, NY 11576
  During regular store hours through Sat April 9 (M-F 10-5; Sat 10-6)
• Sip This
  64 Rockaway Avenue
  Valley Stream, NY  11580
  During regular store hours through Sat April 9 (Mon-Thurs 7am – 10pm; Fri 7am – 1am; Sat-Sun 8am – 6pm)Sunday April 10 Noon to 2 pm

All dresses and accessories will be distributed free of charge to girls of families across Long Island who cannot easily absorb the expense of a new gown for their prom, awards ceremony, or graduation.  High school guidance counselors, at-risk youth agencies, group homes, and church outreaches make the program available to their constituents.

Over 1,500 girls benefited in 2015 from 65 different schools and nonprofit youth organizations across Long Island.  Created at the Junior League of Long Island in 1995 and added to the array of community service projects at the Long Island Volunteer Center in 1999, this event is made possible with generous funding from Bellmore Lions Club, Weight Watchers, LIU Post Long Island Volunteers Service Club, Friends of Lana, and Zurich NA.

For more information on Prom Boutique, please contact prom@longislandvolunteercenter.org.

or the Long Island Volunteer Center at (516) 564-5482 or www.longislandvolunteercenter.org.

About the Long Island Volunteer Center
The LIVC is the resource center for volunteerism and community service initiatives throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.  Established in 1992, LIVC operates year round and collaborates with corporations and community organizations to address the needs of Long Islanders.  A legacy Points of Light Volunteer Center since 1992, LIVC is an affiliate of the HandsOn Network since 2008, connecting agencies seeking volunteers with individuals and groups looking for ways to serve their communities.  In 2011, the LIVC was designated by New York State as a Regional Volunteer Center.

(Long Island, NY) Assemblyman Chad A. Lupinacci (R,C,I – South Huntington) welcomed the new slate of officers and executive board members to their leadership roles during the Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department’s annual installation dinner on March 5.

Held at the Huntington Country Club, Lupinacci and other local elected officials honored incoming and outgoing leaders and thanked them for their selfless service to the community.

Lupinacci and Huntington Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia congratulate Cold Spring Harbor Fire Department Chief Peter R. Como on March 5. Photo Credit: NYS.

“It has been said that as ordinary men and women run away from crisis, firefighters run toward it. It takes a special type of person to put themselves in danger to save a life,” Lupinacci said. “Firefighters are living examples of dignity and service, and provide invaluable assistance to the communities in which we live.”

New 25 Percent Tax Rate Cut Gives $3.5 Billion A Year Back to the Middle Class, Other Cuts Give $275 Million for Seniors, More Than $494 Million for Small Businesses

(Long Island, NY) Senator Thomas Croci (R, C, I – Sayville) and the New York State Senate Republican Majority today unveiled the first part of their one-house budget proposal that creates a broad-based tax cut plan to provide billions of dollars in tax relief to the middle class, seniors, and small businesses. The plan creates a new 25 percent rate reduction for middle class taxpayers, new tax savings to prevent seniors from leaving New York, and significant tax cuts for small businesses, farms, and other job creators.

Senate Majority Leader John J. Flanagan said, “Republicans are listening to the people of New York who know that high taxes inhibit economic growth and make it more difficult for families to make ends meet. This bold plan will put more money back into the wallets of hardworking taxpayers and make our state a more affordable place to live and work.”

Senator Thomas Croci and the NYS Senate Republican Majority today unveiled the first part of their budget proposal to provide billions of dollars in tax relief to the middle class, seniors, and small businesses. Photo Credit: NYS.

“Our small businesses and farmers are the backbone of our economic growth, not only on Long Island, but in New York State. Tax relief that makes it more affordable for our senior citizens and our middle income families to live and work in New York is a commitment I am proud to be part of in this year’s Senate Republican budget proposal,” stated Senator Croci.

Cutting Middle Class Tax Rates to the Lowest Level in 70 Years

The highlight of the Senate Republicans’ tax plan is the new Middle Class Income Tax Relief Program that establishes the lowest middle class tax rate in more than 70 years.  Starting in 2018, a total of 5 million eligible taxpayers – including more than 770,000 small businesses who file under the Personal Income Tax – would begin seeing savings. When fully implemented in 2025, middle class New Yorkers will pay a 25 percent lower tax rate and save $3.5 billion in taxes each year.

Right now, existing middle class tax cuts are set to expire in 2018 and the tax rate will jump to 6.85 percent. This results in an annual cost of $155 on average to middle class taxpayers, totaling $700 million per year. The Senate Majority’s plan not only eliminates this expected middle class tax increase, but it also phases in a 25 percent tax rate reduction to 5.14 percent when fully effective. This permanent rate cut saves middle class taxpayers an average of $897, for a total of $3.5 billion per year in 2025 and thereafter.

Taxpayers eligible for the savings include: single filers with taxable income between $20,000 and $150,000; heads of households with taxable income between $30,000 and $225,000; and married joint filers with taxable income between $40,000 and $300,000. The proposal prevents the existing middle class tax cuts from expiring in 2018 and then begins a rate reduction in 2019 that will be phased down each year over seven years. It would also continue the current indexing of income bracket on a permanent basis.

Giving More Financial Security to New York’s Seniors

The Senate Majority’s budget proposal includes new income tax relief to help more seniors save money and choose to stay in New York during retirement. The tax cut would provide the first increase to the exempt amount of private pensions and retirement income since 1981, saving approximately $275 million annually when fully phased in.

For 35 years, seniors have been able to claim the first $20,000 of pension or retirement income as exempt income. The Senate Majority’s proposal increases that exempt amount to $27,000 in 2017, $34,000 in 2018, and $40,000 in 2019. This would provide tax relief to more than 377,000 seniors and, in the first year alone, would save each an average of $361.

Increasing Small Business Income Tax Exemptions

The Senate’s budget tax cut plan will expand small business tax cuts that were enacted in 2013 to provide even more tax relief to help entrepreneurs grow and create jobs. The Senate Republican Majority successfully advocated for the inclusion of a Personal Income Tax (PIT) exemption for small businesses and small farms in the 2013 budget and this year, eligibility to receive the tax savings would be significantly expanded. When fully enacted, small businesses and small farms would save $494 million annually.

The proposal expands the eligibility of a small business to include any business that files under PIT regardless of how the business is structured; raises the income eligibility threshold from $250,000 to $500,000 when the business entity income is less than $1.5 million; eliminates the employee requirement; increases the exemption from 5 percent to 15 percent for small business income and from 5 percent to 20 percent for farm income; increases the Corporate tax threshold from $390,000 to $500,000; and reduces the Corporate business income rate for small businesses from 6.5 percent to 2.5 percent over two years.

Fully Eliminating the 18-a Utility Tax Surcharge

In 2009, the Democrats enacted a utility tax surcharge over the Senate Republican’s objections and it cost ratepayers nearly $600 million annually. In 2013, the Senate Republicans successfully fought for a phase-out of the assessment, saving ratepayers $455 million over the five-year phase-out period. In 2014, the Enacted Budget contained an additional $600 million in savings over the remaining phase-out, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2017. The Senate’s budget proposal would permanently eliminate the 18-a surcharge by the end of 2016 and save taxpayers $125 million.

Saving on Estate Taxes to Help Future Generations of Business Owners

To encourage small businesses and farms to pass down their business from one generation to the next, the Senate is proposing to speed up the full phase-in of estate tax reform first enacted in 2014. This will allow estates to have a tax exclusion amount equal to the federal exclusion amount when the estate has farm operations or small business property and where the value of the farm operations or small business are a majority of the estate. Starting April 1, 2016, the exclusion would be increased to $5.45 million, resulting in an annual savings of $70 million and a $210 million cumulative savings by 2020.

All media inquiries should be directed to Senator Croci’s Communications Specialist, Christine Geed at (631) 398-8044 (call or text) or via email at geed@nysenate.gov.  Inquiries for additional information should be directed to Senator Croci’s Press Secretary, Jennifer Romero at (631) 513-5657 or via email at jromero@nysenate.gov.