Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

Earlier this month, it was reported that more than 130 people overdosed on K2, a synthetic drug, in New York City. Emergency responders and eye witnesses stated people were lying on the sidewalks and leaning up against trees and shaking due to the effects from the drugs. While the news media hasn’t reported an outbreak of this magnitude in some time, synthetic drugs are clearly still an underlying problem in communities across the state.

There are an estimated 15,000 women diagnosed each year with breast cancer in New York. According the American Cancer Society, an estimated 90 out of 100 women survive breast cancer for five years or more after being diagnosed but we need to do more to improve those rates with early detection. In this legislative session, we passed a bill that will increase access to screenings and remove financial barriers.

This year’s maple syrup production season broke a 70-year-old state record. Maple producers recorded collecting more than 700,000 gallons of maple syrup, which was an 18% increase over the harvest in 2015. Warmer-than-normal temperatures extended the maple syrup season and the number of taps also increased. In fact, producers recorded the most taps since 1947.

The vote earlier this month in the United Kingdom to leave the European Union (“Brexit”) has raised the question as to whether something similar could happen here in New York State. More specifically, could Upstate New York vote to secede from New York City and Long Island and form its own state. This issue of secession is not a new one. However, the movement has gained momentum in recent years.

The 2016 state legislative session ended in the early morning hours of June 18 after a long week of debate and votes on hundreds of bills. Notwithstanding the broken legislative process, the Legislature and the Governor were able to come to agreement on several pieces of key legislation that will benefit New York.

The warm weather is finally here and with that comes the opportunity to visit our state beaches, historic sites and parks. This year in the 2016-17 enacted state budget we continued our investment in New York’s parks and historic sites. Over the past several years, the state has invested millions back into the state park system to preserve, make repairs, and enhance amenities to drive visitors back to our parks.

On your mark, get set, READ! This is the theme this year for the New York State 2016 Summer Reading Challenge. Each year, I sponsor a summer reading challenge for children of all ages. Kids are challenged to read or be read to for just 15 minutes a day for at least 40 days during the months of July and August.

Last week, New York state extended to all veterans who are members of the New York State retirement system the ability to purchase military service credit. I am honored to have been one of the many members in the State Legislature who sponsored and supported the bill.

New statistics from the State Department of Health show heroin and opioid-related deaths have increased 47% in New York over a five-year period, from 2010-2014. These increases are evident in CNY. Tragically, in comparison to 10 years ago, data shows there’s been a tremendous increase in heroin and opioid related deaths in Jefferson, Oswego and Onondaga counties. For example, Oswego County reported there were no deaths related to heroin or opioids in 2004 but in 2014 there were 13.