Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

New York’s tourism industry is alive and showing signs of growth. According to a recent study of the state’s tourism industry, it is estimated that 239 million visitors traveled to New York State in 2016. These visitors had an estimated economic impact of $104.8 billion and $64.8 billion in direct spending. While the number of visitors and spending is up from 2015, the state can do more to help increase tourism.

For more than 100 years, the New York State Commission for the Blind has assisted people in achieving their personal and vocational goals. The commission was established by law in 1913 to maintain a “census of the blind” in New York State and to help individuals who are legally blind find suitable employment. Today as a division of the Office of Children and Family Services, one of its primary objectives is to assist people of all ages to achieve full integration into society and economic self-sufficiency.

I am often invited to speak to school-aged kids and during these visits a common question kids have for me is what does it means to be a good citizen. The question itself is inspiring because it means they are searching for ways to be good citizens. What is even more inspiring is without realizing, many kids already know the answer and work to make an impact on our communities each day.

Upstate New York has some of the best hunting, trapping and fishing in the country with thousands of lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and millions of acres of forest and open space that are rich in wildlife. Those who venture out to hunt and fish tend to appreciate and often help conserve our areas’ natural resources. About 2 million people hunt, fish and trap in the state ranking New York third in the nation for the number of sportsmen obtaining licenses and permits. Locally, Oswego, Onondaga and Jefferson counties are among the top 10 counties in the state for total hunting and fishing license sales.

Unemployment rates are often viewed as an indicator of how the economy is doing. While these rates provide valuable insight on economic activity, because of how the unemployment rates are calculated, they should not be the sole assessment in determining the health of the economy. The current unemployment rate in New York State is 4.9%. From a statewide perspective, this is good because it shows a measure of economic growth since the recession when the rate was almost 9%.

Agricultural tourism is a growing component within New York’s $6.36 billion agriculture industry. More and more farms are inviting the public to have a firsthand experience on the farm and hosting farm tours where visitors can learn about farm operations. Agri-tourism businesses, many of which can be found in our backyards, have increased in recent years.

A few years ago I had the opportunity to chair the Assembly Republican Hunting and Fishing Task Force. During that time, the task force held forums and listened to outdoor enthusiast throughout the state. A primary objective of the task force was to examine how the state could encourage new opportunities for hunting, fishing and outdoor sports and it was determined that engaging youth was key to its growth. One solution that came out of this task force was to lower the hunting age, which we were successful in doing.

The Great New York State Fair will once again kick off on Aug. 23 and run until Sept. 4. Last year, more than 1 million people attended the fair which features animal exhibits, concerts, horse shows, the famous butter sculpture, history, youth exhibits, rides, and agriculture contests. Mixed with these traditional attractions are usually a few new exhibits.

Individuals with disabilities and their family members now have a new way to save and plan for future expenses. New Yorkers can now open a tax-deferred 529 Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account. The accounts are a savings option for families and money earned through the fund is tax exempt if it is spent on qualified expenses. Similar to the 529 College Savings accounts, contributions to the account may be made by anyone.