Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

With all the challenges that we face in our daily lives, it easily can be overlooked how lucky we are to live in the United States. Our form of government, the structure of which is set forth in the U.S. Constitution, is surely an integral part of our greatness.

One of the biggest legislative challenges in Albany is to make sure that there is parity in state spending between Upstate and Downstate New York. This is particularly challenging when it comes to transportation spending. Downstate New York relies on mass transit for their transportation needs, while in Upstate, we are much more reliant on our cars for our transportation needs.

Beginning this year, New York state high school students have more choices available to meet the graduation requirements. The State Education Department has dubbed this flexibility as “multiple pathways” or “4+1.” I was pleased to sponsor legislation which passed and was signed into law in 2014 that required the State Education Department to adopt instruction related to CPR and the use of defibrillators.

Almost every week there is news concerning a large cyberattack in which personal identifying information is compromised. This personal information has included addresses, phone numbers and even social security and credit card information. No one is immune to these sophisticated schemes, including the U.S. Government and it has proven hard to police for law enforcement.

Several local firefighters have been traveling throughout our communities and schools in conjunction with National Fire Prevention Month. This month they’re out teaching young children about the basics of fire safety, hosting tours of fire trucks, and opening their fire departments to meet and greet the public.

A report out last week graded New York’s overall infrastructure at a C-. The report gave roads and bridges a D- and D+ respectively. There were several categories included in the report published by the American Society of Civil Engineers, but since roads and bridges are our main source of transportation in Oswego, Jefferson and Onondaga counties, I wanted to mention some of the transportation investments made recently at the state level.

In New York State, approximately 3 million caregivers provide more than 2.6 billion hours of care to loved ones each year. According to the New York State Office of the Aging, the economic value of this care is $32 billion. A family caregiver’s commitment often allows loved ones to stay out of nursing homes or assisted living, and in familiar surroundings close to family and loved ones.

There’s an effort under way for a four-county shoreline region of Lake Ontario to be designated as a National Marine Sanctuary. If designated, the local fresh-water area would be federally protected, help teach locals and visitors about the area’s rich Native American culture and historic underwater landmarks, and promote our fishing industry.

Last week brought the unwelcome news that Entergy, the company that owns and operates the FitzPatrick nuclear plant in Oswego County, is considering shutting down the facility. If this is to come to pass, the consequences to the local community and Central New York would be catastrophic.