February is American Heart Month, which is the perfect time to start making small lifestyle changes that strengthen hearts and saves lives. Chances are you or someone you know is battling heart disease. It is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. An estimated 103 million U.S. adults are fighting one of the biggest contributors to heart disease and stroke, and that’s high blood pressure.
The Assembly Majority is once again advancing an early voting bill through committees with a vote expected on the floor in the near future. The Governor is also making his push for early voting in his budget this year. While there are slight differences between the two proposals, both would result in another unfunded mandate and change our current system when it does not need to be changed.
As chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I take great pride in the work the committee does each year to support and strengthen New York’s family farms. In 2017, my colleagues and I continued to made great strides towards these goals, securing record state funding for key programs, increasing our efforts to make locally-grown foods more readily available for consumers, helping promote New York’s booming, farm-based craft beverage industry and continuing to encourage young people to pursue careers in farming.
Unfortunately, New York has a habit of creating policies that are punishing to businesses. In the past two years, business owners in New York state have had to ingest several onerous mandates such as new wage orders, higher minimum wages, and a new paid family leave policy. Now the Department of Labor is considering another mandate, known as the “call-in pay” regulation that will, if adopted, place additional strain on those business effected.
In the face of so much terror, heartbreak and despair during World War II were stories of hope and bravery. Many of those stories involve nearly 1,000 European Jewish refugees who fled Nazi persecution and were brought to the only Holocaust refugee shelter on American soil – Fort Ontario in Oswego. During the last years of World War II, in an effort to help some of those being persecuted by the Nazi regime, the United States government brought 982 European refugees to Oswego, New York.
For many New Yorkers, high student loan debt and the cost of living can make it difficult to achieve the dream of owning a home. As a result, fewer people may be able to invest in homes in our local communities. Legislation I sponsor known as the New York State Diplomas to Homeownership Program would incentivize graduates of New York state colleges to purchase homes rehabilitated by local land banks.
For most communities across the county, the fourth Sunday of April is recognized as Arbor Day. It is a day when family, friends and neighbors come together to plant trees and more importantly, raise awareness of the role trees play in our environment. Locally, Arbor Day means even more.
In his State of the State address given earlier this month, Governor Cuomo called the recently passed federal tax reform bill “economic civil war” that will raise New Yorker’s property taxes and income taxes. Unfortunately, no explanation for this statement was provided. As a result of this type of overheated rhetoric coming from the Governor and others, confusion continues to reign as to what effect the new tax law will have on New York state.
January marks National Blood Donor Month. It is a time to recognize the lifesaving contributions of blood donors, and renew the call for more donations. The American Red Cross, which supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply, says the winter months are the most difficult time to collect blood.
January is selected for two reasons. First, during January fewer people donate because of the cold and flu season and inclement weather. Second, given that many people make resolutions in January, the American Red Cross hopes people will consider making a New Year’s resolution to become regular blood donors.
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