The 2016 state legislative session ended in the early morning hours of June 18 after a long week of debate and votes on hundreds of bills. Notwithstanding the broken legislative process, the Legislature and the Governor were able to come to agreement on several pieces of key legislation that will benefit New York.
Summer in Central and Northern New York, it’s a time for getting outside, enjoying the warm weather, and of course, visiting our local farmers’ market to take advantage of all the fresh, local flavors of the season. Throughout Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Oswego counties, there are dozens of markets that offer everything from direct from the farm fruits and vegetables, to locally produced food and handmade wares.
The warm weather is finally here and with that comes the opportunity to visit our state beaches, historic sites and parks. This year in the 2016-17 enacted state budget we continued our investment in New York’s parks and historic sites. Over the past several years, the state has invested millions back into the state park system to preserve, make repairs, and enhance amenities to drive visitors back to our parks.
It’s often said that great things are rarely done alone, and that by working together, we can have an even bigger impact when it comes to achieving personal aspirations, or a collective goal. That’s the thinking behind the Upstate Women’s Leadership Council.
On your mark, get set, READ! This is the theme this year for the New York State 2016 Summer Reading Challenge. Each year, I sponsor a summer reading challenge for children of all ages. Kids are challenged to read or be read to for just 15 minutes a day for at least 40 days during the months of July and August.
Milk, ice cream, cheese, yogurt – the list of delicious dairy items made in New York State goes on and on. This month, we celebrate dairy, and the hardworking farmers responsible for the success of this key industry, during “National Dairy Month.” Established in 1937, National Dairy Month started out as “National Milk Month,” an event held to promote drinking milk.
Last week, New York state extended to all veterans who are members of the New York State retirement system the ability to purchase military service credit. I am honored to have been one of the many members in the State Legislature who sponsored and supported the bill.
As summer approaches, the thoughts of many students turn to time away from the classroom. However, as vacation nears, it’s so important that families continue to make learning part of the daily routine, as studies have shown that students need to read at least five books during their break to prevent “summer learning loss,” which is the loss of skills and knowledge that sometimes occurs during the summer months.
New statistics from the State Department of Health show heroin and opioid-related deaths have increased 47% in New York over a five-year period, from 2010-2014. These increases are evident in CNY. Tragically, in comparison to 10 years ago, data shows there’s been a tremendous increase in heroin and opioid related deaths in Jefferson, Oswego and Onondaga counties. For example, Oswego County reported there were no deaths related to heroin or opioids in 2004 but in 2014 there were 13.
Across our state and our region, heroin abuse continues to be a problem that threatens the safety of our communities and destroys lives. Building on my efforts to fight back against this epidemic, I recently joined with my fellow members of the New York State Senate Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction to release a report that outlines solutions for winning the battle against abuse of these substances.
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