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Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

Depriving Youth Access To Target Sports is Nonsensical

A bill was recently put forward by a Manhattan lawmaker that, if passed and signed by the Governor, would do away with marksmanship, archery, and shooting programs in New York state schools. The bill would also ban gun safety classes on school grounds by prohibiting the use of firearms as part of the lesson. Under this proposal, highly successful programs and teams that positively impact thousands of kids each year would be eliminated.

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Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

Laree’s Law Would Enhance Penalties for Drug Dealers

The heroin and opioid crisis has touched countless lives and ravaged families throughout the country. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 60,000 people died of a drug overdose in the U.S. in 2016, five times higher than in 1999. That number is roughly the same amount of people who live in a mid-sized city such as Utica.

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Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

Survey of Area Voters Indicates Economy, High Taxes Top Concerns; People, Nature Our Best Attributes

My office recently invited people in the 120th Assembly district to participate in a legislative survey and more than 800 people took the time to respond. The survey asked people their thoughts on the local economy, laws pertaining to drugs, child welfare, the SAFE Act, economic development, and health care. Not surprisingly, in this unscientific survey, the overwhelming majority of people are concerned about our local economy.

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Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

Changes to State’s Water Infrastructure Assistance Would Better Assist Localities

When the faucet is turned on, we take it for granted that clean, safe water will come out of the spigot. Unfortunately, as has been reported both nationally and in New York State, this is not always the case. In recent years, many problems have arisen due to aging water and sewer systems. In many cases, municipalities are dealing with systems that are more than 100 years old.

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Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

Libraries Enrich Our Communities, Empower Individuals

Libraries serve as a valuable resource for millions of residents in both rural and urban areas. In New York state there are more than 750 libraries. They are usually centrally located in communities and function both as a free and public space for events and provide key resources to people all ages. In addition to providing traditional services and educational resources, libraries provide free computer and internet access.

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Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

State Budget Continues to Burden Taxpayers

As has become an Albany tradition, the budget was passed in the early morning hours having been for the most part negotiated by what is known as “four men in a room” – the Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly, the Majority Leader of the Senate and the Leader of the Independent Democratic Conference of the Senate. The massive $168.3 billion budget is bigger than any other state’s budget with the exception of California, a state with twice as many people as New York.

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Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

State Park Investments Continue; Local Clean Up Days on the Horizon

In recent years, the state has made significant investments in our state parks. Specifically, additional funding has assisted in improvements at parks statewide and includes everything from playground equipment, entryways, beach areas, trails, and restroom facilities. Not only were many of these upgrades necessary as a result of age and preservation of our resources, they were strategically done to encourage tourism and increase park attendance.

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Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

More Transparency Needed to Improve Economic Development Programs

As was widely reported, earlier this month Joe Percoco, a former top-aide to Governor Cuomo, was found guilty of three corruption-related charges. While corruption convictions of state officials, sadly, are nothing new, the Percoco conviction was front page news because of his very close relationship to Governor Cuomo. Also, the trial shed light on how a few connected people have tremendous control over billions of dollars of public money that is supposed to be used for economic development.

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Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

Priority for 2018 Budget Should be Simple: Cut Property Taxes

Our property taxes are among the highest in the nation. New York needs to make structural changes if there is any hope for reducing tax bills for property owners. Legislation has been introduced that would help alleviate some of this burden for Upstate residents and stimulate economic growth. For starters, the state needs to take over the full cost of Medicaid. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program largely administered by states and is paid for with federal, state and local funds.

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Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

‘New York Doctors of Tomorrow’ Would Bring More Doctors to Rural Areas

By 2020, it is estimated there will be a shortfall of 45,000 primary care doctors and 46,000 specialists across the country due to doctor retirements and other contributing factors. This is especially problematic for rural areas where there is a particular shortage of primary care doctors. Upstate New York communities can attest firsthand to this shortage.

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