Recently, joint legislative budget hearings were held on taxes and economic development in Albany. I think the same-day scheduling of these hearings reflects how taxes and state affordability are tied to the ability of an economy to grow and develop.

For some politicians in the state, including Governor Cuomo, the approach has been to invest billions of dollars into the economy. It is exciting to see projects in my district that will benefit my constituents. However, New York can no longer afford to shy away from delivering the most important component of economic development — providing tax relief, reducing local costs by providing unfunded-mandate relief, and removing burdensome regulations.

Relief from onerous taxes, unfunded mandates, and regulations will have a profound impact not just on small businesses, but also on all taxpayers. New York is ranked by the Tax Foundation as having one of the worst business tax climates in the United States, noting that its individual income-tax rate is ranked second worst  (in) 49th place. If that’s not bad enough, the Empire State also ranked 42nd on sales taxes and 47th on property taxes in the nation. These, of course, negatively affect small businesses and job creators, and also hurt families who reside in the state. 

Economic development is highly dependent on a business-friendly environment, an area in which New York needs to improve. For our state to thrive, we need to reduce taxes on all New Yorkers and job creators.

From what I have seen in the governor’s budget proposal, I support $298 million worth of small-business tax relief. However, New York must increase its efforts to lower taxes overall. This can be achieved by providing meaningful relief from unfunded state mandates that actually cuts the burden on local governments and property taxpayers. It is not enough to cap the growth of certain mandates like Medicaid; there needs to be real relief. According to the New York State Association of Counties, just nine of the costliest mandates consume 99 percent of collected property taxes, costing taxpayers $12 billion annually.

Numerous studies show that lower taxes result in economic growth. When people are allowed to keep more of their own hard-earned money, they have more money left to purchase goods from local small businesses, which then are able to create more local jobs. Then we will see more people able to take risks and become entrepreneurs themselves.

New York, during this budgeting process, must take the steps necessary to ensure lasting economic growth and prosperity. That means providing tax relief to residents, small-business owners, and family farmers. This is what New York needs to do to unleash economic growth.                       

Marc W. Butler (R,C,I–Newport) is a New York State Assemblyman for the 118th District, which encompasses parts of Oneida, Herkimer, and St. Lawrence counties, as well as all of Hamilton and Fulton counties. Contact him at butlerm@assembly.state.ny.us

There have been encouraging signs that the Republican leaders on Capitol Hill want to make Congress function again. They’ve talked about a series of changes to make the process more open for rank-and-file members, and insist they want to restore a healthy legislative process.

This has to be heartening to any American concerned about the level of dysfunction to which Congress had sunk. The question is how can we tell if Congress is actually fixing itself? Here is what you should keep your eye on.

First, differences in emphasis separate the leaders of the two houses — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan. The Speaker wants a bold Republican legislative agenda; McConnell seems to be focused on maintaining his Senate majority in this year’s election, which makes boldness a risk. This difference could lead to slim production.

So look to see how many and which issues the two leaders really push forward. Will they advance the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal in some version, or let it slide until the elections have passed? Will they tackle tax reform? How about authorizing support for the war against ISIS? 

The second big indicator is whether Congress has the political will to fix itself. Most members say publicly that they don’t want gridlock and are dedicated to making the institution function smoothly. The key measure of whether they really mean it is the attitude they take toward their political adversaries. If what you hear on Capitol Hill is nothing but distrust, then they’re not serious. If they’re willing to negotiate and compromise with one another — as happened at the end of last year, with the passage of an omnibus spending package — then there is hope.

Third is what you might think of as the rolled-up-sleeves test. How hard are members of Congress willing to work at addressing the key issues facing the country? So far, the evidence is disappointing. The legislative schedule put forth by the congressional leadership is, to be blunt, lax. You cannot run a government that is not in session. The best we can hope for is an obvious sense of urgency when members of Congress are in Washington. Look for it. If you don’t see it, little will get done on Capitol Hill.

Not all the responsibility for restoring Congress rests at the federal level. The states, too, have a key role to play. Will they get serious about how they draw congressional districts, so that politicians no longer have the luxury of picking their voters rather than the other way around? Will some states continue to pursue efforts to make voting harder — which, like gerrymandering, has the effect of shoring up the extremes in Congress?

In the end, good intentions and fine rhetoric don’t accomplish much. I hope you’ll keep an eye on Congress and cheer for its members to act in accord with their own advice. If they do, Congress will take a giant stride toward improved performance.

Lee Hamilton is director of the Center on Congress (www.centeroncongress.org) at Indiana University (IU), distinguished scholar at the IU School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years, representing a district in south central Indiana.