Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

For years the Governor and the Assembly Democrats have pushed for state-funded political campaigns. With one-party rule, publicly-funded political campaigns are nearing reality. This year, the budget authorized spending of up to $100 million annually to fund statewide political races.

In 1994, the state began the Linked Deposit Program to assist and encourage firms, manufacturers and small businesses to make investments. This program offers reduced-rate financing to makes it less expensive to borrow money.

While not directly related to NYS fiscal issues, some of the biggest policies included in this year’s state budget were changes to our state’s criminal justice system. The biggest of those changes was the elimination of cash bail for most crimes other than certain qualifying offenses.

New York’s property taxes are the highest in the nation. Tragically, this year’s state budget, instead of trying to provide some tax relief to our already overburden property owners, makes ill-conceived changes to the one state program that is actually designed to provide property tax relief, that is, the STAR (School Tax Relief) Program.

Sometimes being an elected official can be challenging because you are forced to make difficult decisions.At times, I have had to vote on legislation that if enacted would have both a positive and negative effect on my district and the constituents I represent.

Some of the best tools that can be used to protect children from abuse and neglect is raising awareness about its prevalence and helping families seek resources they need.

United States Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously wrote, “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” What Justice Brandeis wrote 100 years ago still rings true in government today.

The New York State Comptroller estimates there will be $89 billion in unmet local infrastructure needs over the next 20 years with as much as $27.4 billion needed for bridges alone. The responsibility to take care of these major infrastructure costs, however, lies on the backs of local taxpayers with 87% of the state’s roads and half of the state’s bridges up to localities to maintain.

Our local ambulance companies and volunteer organizations provide a critical service to residents in need of medical transport.Many of us take for granted that calling 911 will result in the safe and fast transport of patients in an emergency.