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Lawmakers Hear Small-Business Concerns Over Retail Theft, Seek Restoration of Discovery Amendments
Summary
During the Economic Development subcommittee meeting, senators and assembly members described retail theft and discovery-law changes as pressing problems for small businesses and said they want discovery-law amendments restored to the budget; specific bill text and vote counts were not provided.
Albany — Small-business owners and several lawmakers told the Economic Development joint subcommittee that retail theft and changes to criminal discovery laws are harming neighborhood businesses and called for legislative fixes during budget negotiations.
A newly elected senator representing South Brooklyn described conversations with local small-business owners and said theft is eroding slim profit margins. "They lose hundreds of dollars of merchandise a day to theft," the senator said, recounting a Key Food manager's statement about daily losses. The senator urged restoring discovery-law amendments to aid law enforcement and help businesses.
The senator representing South Brooklyn said the district needs opportunities to attract manufacturing jobs but added that local retailers are struggling with theft and enforcement challenges. "We need to help our law enforcement community," the senator said.
An assembly member speaking for the Assembly minority conference also recounted conversations with small-business owners on Long Island and Nassau County, describing storefronts that have closed and daily losses to theft. "Businesses are leaving to other states where it's better," the assembly member said, calling for more action to protect small businesses.
Several lawmakers said they were disappointed that discovery-law amendments were omitted from the House and Assembly budget versions and urged that discovery reforms be returned to the final budget to aid prosecutions and reduce repeat retail theft.
The hearing record did not include bill numbers, statutory text, or votes; members described these items as points for negotiation during the upcoming budget conference process.
