Legislation Assemblymen Vince Mazzeo and Joseph Lagana sponsored to help strengthen the business community in New Jersey received the approval of an Assembly committee on Thursday.
The bill (A-4129) would establish the “New Jersey Business Advisory Council” within the Business Action Center (BAC) in the Department of State. Members of the council, to be appointed by the governor, would advise the BAC and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority on issues related to improving the state’s overall business climate.
“This legislation is about building on New Jersey’s great potential and restoring an economy in which business leaders feel they can settle down and grow,” said Mazzeo (D-Atlantic). “Fortifying our business climate will enable us to retain top talent and bring in new jobs so that we can put our middle-class families back to work. The best advisors we can have on that front are the men and women who know first-hand what it takes to launch an enterprise here in New Jersey.”
The 12-member council would meet at least four times per year and would include at least three representatives each from the northern, central and southern regions of the state. Members would represent small, medium and large businesses based in urban, suburban and rural areas and would come from a variety of industry sectors, including those in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields as well as businesses engaged in military contracts or hiring veterans.
“An effective conversation about New Jersey’s much-needed economic revival has to incorporate open, honest feedback from job creators,” said Lagana (D-Bergen/Passaic). “This legislation will open the door to a diverse set of entrepreneurs who understand the challenges of starting a business in New Jersey and can cooperate with the state to eliminate those barriers.”
The measure was advanced by the Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee.