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Andrew Musick, Director of Taxation and Economic Development Michael Wallace, Director of Employment and Labor Policy

TTF and Tax Relief Package  Two competing plans, both increase the gas tax by 23 cents per gallon.  Senate plan includes:  elimination of the estate tax;  increase in the pension and retirement income tax exclusion;  charitable contribution deduction; and  increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit.  Assembly plan, backed by Governor Christie, reduces sales tax by 1 percent and includes the pension and retirement income tax exclusion.

FY 2017 Budget  $34.5 billion  No new tax increases  Maintains a surplus of $579 million  Includes a $1.9 billion state employee pension payment  Contains $2.3 billion less in discretionary spending than the fiscal year 2008 budget  Still work to be done on the Transportation Trust Fund (TTF)/ tax relief package

Permit Extension Act  Extends to December 31, 2016 the period that developers may use previously approved building permits from state, regional, county and municipal agencies.  Permits in the Counties of Atlantic, Bergen, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean and Union can be extended due to impacts from superstorm Sandy.

Innovation  Creation of a $1.5 million statewide database on research and resources available at New Jersey's higher education institutions.  Online portal to attract high-tech companies and support the state's innovation economy.  Collaboration amongst New Jersey’s research-based industries, academic institutions and state government.

Education Workforce Development  $1 million for County Vocational School District Partnership Grant Program. NJBIA originally advocated for this grant program.  Encourages vocational schools to partner with local high schools and county colleges to create career programs in existing facilities.  Expand access to quality career and technical education programs.  Part of an overall goal providing a pipeline of entry-level workers with the right combination of technical and employability skills.

 Paid Sick Leave  Minimum Wage  Wage Theft  Flexible Scheduling Employment and Labor Issues

Paid Sick Leave (S-799)S-799  Would require private businesses with 10 or more employees to provide nine paid sick leave days per year and allow employees to carry them forward.  Employee accrues one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, except if the employer provides employee with full complement of sick leave on the first day of year.  Employee is eligible to use sick time on the 100 th day after first day of work, unless employer agrees to an earlier date.  Grandfathers Local Ordinances.

Minimum Wage (A-15/S-15)A-15/S-15  Raises the minimum wage to $10.10 on January 1,  Increases annually between 2018 and 2021 by $1.25 or $ CPI, whichever is greater.  Passed both houses, is on the Governor's desk.  The Governor has 45 days (from June 23 rd ) to act on the bill or if the Assembly is not in session on the 45 th day, the Governor will have until the first Assembly session thereafter to act.

Wage Theft (S-1396/A-862)S-1396/A-862  Creates a new process whereby a citizen complaint can be filed in municipal court.  Rebuttable presumption that a person making two- thirds the median hourly wage is an employee and not an independent contractor.  Extends statute of limitations from two years to six years of when an employee may file a claim for wages.  Applies a new standard in categorizing “sick, vacation and other paid leave” as “wages” per the definition.  Allows for triple damages for violating wage and hour laws and wage benefit and tax laws.

Flexible Scheduling (A-1117)A-1117  Affected employers (15 or more employees) would have to prove a "bona fide business reason" for denying certain schedule change requests.  Mandates that retail, food service, and cleaning employers must post schedules at least two weeks in advance, pay employees if they work less than their scheduled time, pay employees who are on standby, and provide extra pay for shift changes made with less than 24-hours notice.  Awaits action by the full Assembly.

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