BUFFALO, NY - The new year means changes in New York that will affect a lot of residents. We're taking some time to break down the changes.
On New Year's Eve, the minimum wage in upstate New York rose 70 cents from $9.70 an hour to $10.40 an hour. This is the second-consecutive year the minimum wage went up. The Lexington Co-Op on Elmwood in Buffalo already pays above the minimum wage, and will take the state's new minimum wage into consideration when it gives out raises.
"We want people to want to work here and we want them to be able to take care of themselves and their families," said Jenny Bruce, the finance director at the Co-Op.
Beginning New Year's Day, private employers from pizza shops to nail salons to major corporations are required to have a Paid Family Leave program. This means these businesses, according to the Workers' Compensation Board, are mandated to have a Paid Family Leave insurance policy, that employees will pay for, with a small deduction from their paycheck.
People who have worked at their jobs long enough to qualify for paid family leave, can take up to eight weeks off at half their average weekly pay.
"Even if [...] you're not expecting a child, there's no one sick in your family right today, you would still be paying for the benefit. It's insurance, so it's there for you if you need it down the line," said Melissa Stewart, the public information director for the WCB.
During the November elections, about 67 percent of voters supported a change to the state Constitution, allowing judges to strip pensions of elected officials and government appointees if they're convicted of a felony related to their job. The change applies to felony crimes committed from January 1 on.
Middle-class taxpayers in New York will see a small cut in their state income taxes beginning in 2018.