Assembly Will Barclay

Because veterans have given so much to our country we, as US citizens, either through our government or otherwise, should be willing to give back to them. I am proud that New York state offers a number of programs to assist veterans, particularly after they have concluded their service and are transitioning back to civilian life. It is my understanding that the time of reintegration into civilian life is the most challenging for veterans. One of the most successful ways of helping veterans reintegrate i

New York has a habit of enacting policies that, rather than finding a balance, addresses the issue by creating burdensome regulations that are costly, overreaching and often untested. Nowhere is this more evident than with the paid-family leave program that is due to go into effect on January 1, 2018. The concept of paid-family leave is something most New Yorkers (including myself) agree with – that is, providing employees with the ability to take paid time off from work to care for a sick family member or to provide care for a newborn child. But as too often is the case in New York, our paid-family leave policy fails to balance the needs of the employee with the employer and pays scat attention to costs.

In 2008, an 8-year-old Stony Brook, NY, resident named Lauren Shields was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and heart disease. Doctors determined that Lauren’s condition was life threatening and in order to survive, she would need a heart transplant. On Feb. 3, 2009, her name was placed on the organ transplant list. No one knew when a heart would become available and Lauren’s health was quickly deteriorating. As a result, doctors had to place her in a medically-induced coma while waiting for a donated heart.

For years, state lawmakers convicted of abusing power related to their public duties have been able to collect a state pension and sometimes even behind bars. Thankfully, this could change for future criminals if voters approve an amendment to the state constitution in November. This election year, New York state voters will have the opportunity to amend the State Constitution to permit the forfeiture of state pensions for those public officials convicted of a felony related to their public duties (e.g. bribery).

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%.