During these last weeks of the 2017 Legislative session, I am pushing for increased penalties for synthetic drug dealers, legislative ethics and rules reform, oversight of economic development programs, and financial assistance for flood victims.
Since April, property owners along Lake Ontario spanning from Western New York to the North Country have been battling record-breaking lake levels and have experienced widespread flooding and significant property damage. Entire communities have been working non-stop to protect homes, businesses and public infrastructure. In communities where residents rely on private wells and septic systems there is equal concern that flooding will comprise systems creating a public health danger.
Since Civil War times, our country has set aside a time in the late spring to honor brave men and women who have fought and died to protect our American freedoms and rights. Americans have kept the tradition for nearly 150 years.
New York State is a leader in the arts but one of the things that our region has traditionally struggled with is obtaining funding to help support the arts. Since New York City is so big and provides much by way of culture and entertainment, much of the state funding for the arts has been driven downstate. However, in recent years there has been a shift in how funding has been made available.
The higher than normal rainfall and rapid snow melt have caused lake levels to surge and property owners are now facing levels that are two feet above the norm. To put this into perspective, Lake Ontario has only seen this much water three other times in the past century and unfortunately, levels are expected to continue to rise. Last week the governor declared a state of emergency and as part of that, sandbags are being made available.
This year’s budget contains an incentive for localities to share services through a newly created Countywide Shared Services Tax Savings initiative. While many localities and counties in our region already share services, under this new plan localities will be eligible for state reimbursement if they find new ways to share services. The plan that passed is different from what the governor first proposed in his executive budget in January.
April is Donate Life Month – a time to draw attention to the importance of organ donation. Over the last year, New York substantially increased the amount of registered organ donors thanks to changes made at the state level. Medical professionals, public health educators, and others dedicated to raising awareness have advocated and supported these changes, however, more donors are needed in New York.
The 2017-18 New York state budget has been passed. The budget was nine days late breaking a streak of budgets that had been, for the most part, on-time for the last six years. The $163.2 billion budget is a behemoth. Not only does this budget continue New York’s reputation as a high tax state, this budget also ensures that New York spends more than almost any other state in the nation, second only to California.
According to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services uniform crime report for 2015, more than 70,000 violent crimes were reported and more than 300,000 crimes involving property such as burglary, theft or larceny were also reported across the state. These crimes can leave a lasting physical, emotional, and financial impact on victims and their families.
According to the New York State Maple Producers Association, New York is home to the largest source of tappable maple trees in the U.S., making New York an ideal producer of maple syrup. Maple syrup production has been steadily increasing since the late 1990s. In 2016, New York ranked 2nd in the nation, producing more than 700,000 gallons of syrup and second only to Vermont in terms of production.
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