October was national Domestic Violence Awareness Month. While I realize we are now in November, because I missed writing about this topic last month and because I strongly believe we need to continue to raise awareness about domestic violence, I am writing about this issue this month.
Veterans’ Day is a time we honor our veterans and thank them for their service. We pause to reflect on their lives and appreciate how their sacrifices keep us safe and protect our country and our freedoms. I’ve always believed that New York State should do more for our veterans. We can’t rely solely on the federal government’s benefit structure to honor our state veterans’ service.
According to the State Health Department, breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in New York State. Each year in New York, more than 14,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and almost 2,700 women die from the disease. It is estimated that one in eight women will develop breast cancer during her life.
When voters go to the polls on Nov. 5, they will be asked whether to support a number of amendments to the State Constitution. Recently, I talked about the casino referendum and the implications its passage will have on New York. This week, I want to let readers know about five other referendums that will appear on the ballot.
Recently, the Tax Foundation released a map showing the combined local, state, and federal cell phone rates. The map showed, not surprisingly, that New York residents pay the third highest cell phone tax rate in the country. Our state and local cell phone tax is 17.85%. When those taxes are combined with the federal tax rate, New Yorker’s cell tax rate is 23.67%.
Often issues arise in the State legislature where there are meritorious arguments on either side of the legislation. This holds true for the state-wide referendum championed by Governor Cuomo that, if passed, would change our State Constitution to allow, among other things, the siting of four commercial casinos in Upstate New York.
According to the most recent statistics reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, death by suicide surpassed death by motor vehicle crashes in 2010. Suicide rates for adults, ages 35-64, increased by 28% since 1999.
News of synthetic drugs is making headlines again. The Governor recently signed legislation which expands the chemical ban of 2012. This new ban targets drugs used to make bath salts and psychedelic drugs and adds them to the Schedule 1 controlled substance list.
A discussion about tax reform has started in Albany which I am glad to see take shape. Members of the State Senate Finance Committee have been holding hearings and asking the question – how do we improve our state’s tax policy? They have begun to gather testimony from business groups and other experts in tax policy in reaction to rankings that consistently rank New York’s tax burden as one of the highest in the country. The fact that New York state has high taxes is hardly a surprise to anyone living in the state.
In 2012, New York’s first Youth Firearms Deer Hunt was held on Columbus Day weekend. This has since become an annual event, thanks in part to legislation that passed in 2008 to expand big game hunting for junior hunters, those who are 14-15 years old. The annual event is set to take place on Columbus Day weekend again this year, October 12-14, and is organized by the State Department of Environmental Conservation.
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