Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay

There are a lot of things to be positive about in Central New York. Unfortunately, the economy is not one of them. Over the last decade, job growth in the Syracuse area has been anemic. The lack of jobs, among other things, has caused an outward migration of population which, in turn, places additional stress on our economy. We are not alone.

Because I am not an expert on the ethics laws of other states and because neither the governor nor the legislature has held public hearings regarding what needs to be done to strengthen the state’s ethics laws, it is hard to opine as to the veracity of the Governor’s statement. I am skeptical of the claim however in light of the fact that we have passed “landmark” ethics reform in the recent past and yet ethical lapses by elected officials continue to occur.

At approximately 3 a.m. on April 1, the New York State Assembly passed the last of 12 bills that make up New York’s 2015-16 budget. The state Senate had passed the legislation about four hours earlier. While technically not on time (pursuant to our state constitution, the budget is required to be completed before April 1) for all practical purposes, New York has its fifth timely budget.

Domestic violence, harassment, and sexual assault continue to be issues I am concerned about. Studies reveal that this occurs more than many realize. A few new laws were recently chaptered and aim to improve victims’ rights and protections. I supported all of these in the Assembly and I am glad they have been signed into law.

National Ag week was celebrated last week. It’s a week in which we recognize the abundant crops harvested by farmers all over the nation and the contributions they make to the economy. In New York alone, the agriculture industry recorded $5.68 billion in cash receipts in 2013, up more than $1 billion from 2010.

Recent findings by the Tax Foundation, a Washington-based research organization, should serve as a reminder to the State Legislature and the Governor during this year’s budget negotiations that New York needs to decrease spending, reduce state mandates, and cut property and income taxes. According to the study, “Facts and Figures 2015: How Does Your State Compare,” New York ranked number one in state and local tax burdens, surpassing New Jersey and Connecticut.

The software was recently implemented. Many aspects about the new system make sense and will hopefully improve inter-agency communication. What is troubling, however, is that last month, upon its implementation, reports circulated that thousands of state agency emails were deleted. With the new system’s implementation, a 90-day automatic deletion policy has also be instituted.

The Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network recently launched an ad campaign called Pass Life On. There are a series of videos which talk about the importance of organ donation titled “The Greatest Person Never Known” which feature a grateful organ recipient. The ad campaign is designed to help improve the state’s organ donation registration rates, which continue to be much lower than other states.

The second biggest budget item in the state budget is education, which is right behind healthcare. Last year, the state spent $22.3 billion on education. In 2012, combined with the local and federal share of education, New Yorkers spent $58.4 billion on public education. This is a 56% increase over what was spent on a combined basis in 2002. This year, the Governor proposes to spend $23.14 billion on education. This represents a $1.1 billion increase over last year.