Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

People are concerned about the direction our state is headed. We have some of the highest property taxes in the U.S., a sluggish economy, and an onslaught of corruption cases and other scandals involving taxpayer dollars. The following are some questions I am frequently asked on these important issues and some ideas on how to change and improve state government.

Some good news was recently announced that hopefully will help spur private investments in communities that traditionally have had difficulty attracting business investment. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 created an economic development tool known as Opportunity Zones designed to encourage long-term investments in low-income communities.

At times, a person’s struggle with drug addiction starts with access to unused medication in a home medicine cabinet. In order to help prevent this pathway to addiction and also help the environment, this session the State Legislature passed a measure that, if signed by the Governor, will for the first time in New York require drug manufacturers to assist with the collection of unused drugs.

The 2018 session has officially ended in Albany. Unfortunately, much of the dialogue in Albany was spent focused on President Trump instead of seizing the opportunities to improve New York. Even before session began, the Governor claimed New York was under assault from the federal government. Due to anticipated cuts in health care funding, he said that New York would face a $4 billion deficit. Further, he claimed that the recent federal tax reform would only widen this gap and harm our state.

In a recent legislative district survey, respondents noted that one of our area’s strengths is its cultural events and historical sites. I happen to agree with them. We are fortunate to have organizations throughout our communities that work to preserve history and foster the arts. It has always been important to me that the state supports these local efforts which enrich our communities.

Legislative Disabilities Awareness Day was held last week by the State Assembly. The day highlights both the issues and the accomplishments of advocates, families, and individuals with special needs across our state. As part of the awareness day, more than 40 agencies and associations that serve people with disabilities participated in an outreach fair to advocate for disability-related issues and promote services, programs, and adaptive equipment.

During World War I, American women wore a black arm band that featured a blue star around their left arm to show they had family serving their country. As the war progressed and, sadly, more and more soldiers died in combat, families sought to show their personal loss and display of patriotism by covering the blue star with a gold star.

This month, Albany was hit with yet another scandal when Attorney General Eric Schneiderman resigned only hours after it was reported that several women had made accusations that he had been physically abusive to them. While, as far as we know, the allegations are not related to his official duties, due to the seriousness of the claims a quick resignation was wholly appropriate and a full investigation needs to be undertaken. In the meantime, the question of who will replace Schneiderman has preoccupied Albany.

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.