Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

Offering our youth firsthand opportunities in government helps students gain a deeper understanding of our communities, our state, and the world we live in.

I love New York State. Our diverse natural resources offer opportunities that not many other states can compete with. We have the beautiful mountains of the Adirondacks and Catskills.

My office has been getting calls from constituents who are understandably confused about two rebate checks the state has begun to mail to property taxpayers and whether they should expect to receive one, none or both. I want to try to clarify for the public what these checks are and who should receive them.

Here in Upstate New York, we have some of the best areas in the nation to hunt, trap and fish. Each year, sportsmen have an opportunity to enjoy the thousands of waterways and millions of acres of forest and open space that are rich in wildlife.

For years, advocates who self-define as environmentalist have argued that New Yorkers must lessen their reliance on fossil fuels. Their first targets were any facilities that generated electricity by burning coal and, now, as a result of their advocacy, New York has either closed or converted its coal plants to natural gas.

In New York state there are more than 750 libraries located in cities, towns, and villages. They serve as both a community space for events and a key to resources and reading materials for people all ages.

The city of Fulton received some fantastic news this month when it was named the regional winner of this year’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative state grant. This is the second time a community in Oswego County has been awarded the DRI in three years.

Each day police officers put their lives on the line to protect our communities. From routine traffic stops to being the first to respond to an accident— their bravery protects us each day but their safety is not guaranteed.

Well-written bills detail what parts of existing law will change, how the change will impact people, penalties if they apply, and include estimates of their fiscal impact.