Assembly Will Barclay

The New York State Department of Budget reported in its quarterly update that the state estimates it will receive $4.2 billion in 2015 from financial settlements reached by the Department of Financial Services, Department of Law, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. This is unexpected revenue for the state and has provided us with a surplus. There are a number of ideas circulating on how or if we should spend this money.

My office receives a lot of inquiries from constituents who wonder why their energy bills are so high.
These inquiries are well founded, as New Yorkers pay some of the highest residential energy costs in the nation. In fact, New York’s energy costs rank in the top 5 highest in the country. We pay on average 19.56 cents per kilowatt hour – significantly higher than what customers pay in other states.

On Aug. 7, 1782, George Washington first presented a Badge of Military Merit to soldiers for “any singularly meritorious action.” The award he created from his headquarters in Newburgh, NY, was a purple, heart-shaped piece of silk and had the word “merit” stitched across the front. Only three known soldiers received the honor.

Tourism is a big industry for New York. According to recent state statistics, the New York tourism industry generated $59.2 billion in direct spending, which produced an estimated $7.5 billion in state and local taxes in 2013. The industry is also reportedly growing.

The implementation of the Common Core Learning Standards was easily the most talked about issue in K-12 education this year. The Common Core is an initiative adopted by most states, including New York, that, in theory, is supposed to set new educational standards that will ensure all students are on track for college and career readiness. While on paper this seems like a good idea, the adoption and implementation of the Common Core standards in New York has been anything but ideal.

The Legislative Session has come to a close for the year. There were many good measures that passed and many more, however, that did not come to floor for a vote. Here are a few noteworthy items that passed that I was pleased about. This list is not comprehensive and I will be sharing more about other measures which passed throughout the coming weeks but I wanted to share with you some highlights.

On a number of occasions in the past, I have voted against the legalization of medical marijuana. However, in what is a rare occurrence in Albany, the sponsors of the initial legislation to legalize marijuana agreed to sit down with the Governor and others and amend the legislation in order to take into account the legitimate concerns of those who opposed it. As a result, a compromise was reached and legislation to legalize medical marijuana was passed in both houses with limited opposition.

Unfortunately, our office often hears firsthand accounts from local residents who have been scammed. I wanted to let people know of common scams local residents have experienced recently and how to avoid scams and identity theft. One scam currently affecting local residents is a lottery scam. In this scam, an email is sent announcing that the recipient has won a prize.

We’ve seen many cases in recent months concerning heroin use and overdoses. It has become a public health epidemic. The stories are sad and often tragic. Overdose rates have increased substantially. Deaths from heroin overdoses in New York more than doubled from 215 in 2008 to 478 in 2012.