BIA issues public policy goals for next legislative session

Advocating for efforts that enhance patient outcomes and slow the growth of health care costs for employers, encourage a "business-friendly" state regulatory and tax structure and support policies that foster economic growth are at the top of the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire's list of public policy priorities for the next legislative session.

The association's 2013-2014 priorities, which also include increasing the state's research and development tax credit, advocating for policies that lower energy costs and supporting workforce development initiatives, are made up of "policies and initiatives that encourage New Hampshire businesses to expand and hire more workers, and businesses elsewhere to expand into or relocate to New Hampshire," said BIA President Jim Roche.

BIA's 2013-2014 public policy priorities include:

• Opposition to an income or sales tax

• Opposition to any increase in the business enterprise tax and business profits tax

• Support of efforts to pass a constitutional amendment to allow the state to target education aid

• Support for efforts to reform New Hampshire's public employee retirement system that address and reduce the significant unfunded liability of the fund

• Support efforts to reform and improve New Hampshire's business regulatory environment

• Identify opportunities for improving efficiencies in state government

• Support and increase in New Hampshire's research and development tax credit

• Support efforts to improve net operating loss carry forward provisions

• Monitor state Department of Revenue Administration implementation of New "reasonable compensation" law to ensure conformity with legislative intent

• Support continued state investment in community development tax credits

• Advocate for investment in public transportation systems, including rail and air travel, as well as New Hampshire's road and bridge network, and support efforts to increase federal transportation aid to the state

• Educate policy leaders and the public about water and wastewater treatment systems that are at the end of their design life and/or exceeding capacity

• Oppose any efforts to roll back or repeal core principles of Senate Bill 342, the 2008 legislation that supports workforce housing

• Support private sector right-to-work legislation in New Hampshire

• Oppose National Labor Relations Board rulemaking or congressional proposals that favor organized labor interests over those of business

• Support initiatives to improve job readiness skills for a multi-generational workforce

• Oppose new or expanded health care benefit mandates

• Support adequate funding to health care providers for Medicaid and other publicly supported health care programs to reduce cost-shifting to the business community

• Review and evaluate cost-effective ways to provide health care to the uninsured and underinsured to reduce cost-shifting to the business community from uncompensated care

• Support policies that promote private sector environmental stewardship and sustainability

• Support balanced state and federal policies regarding wetlands protection, as well as storm water and wastewater discharge

• Support efforts to expand telecommunications infrastructure throughout the state to improve access and reliability.