When you’re looking for a job or trying to make a career change, connections matter. In fact, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70 percent of all jobs are found through networking. Helping people make connections with businesses and organizations looking to hire is main goal of my job fairs, held annually in St. Lawrence and Oswego counties.
Now that the school year has ended, a great way for children to retain the vocabulary and knowledge they’ve acquired this school year is to encourage them to read each day over the summer. Studies show that reading just 15 minutes a day helps prevent learning loss. Summer reading is an opportunity for kids to learn more independently. According to recent studies, children’s early understanding of literacy is developed within their family and their community.
While eating nutritious food is important for everyone, it’s especially important for senior citizens. That’s why I’m pleased to report that included in the most recent state budget was funding I helped secure that will help New York’s aging population get the fresh foods they need to stay healthy.
The Legislature recently passed a bill that, if signed by the Governor, would reform the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) and expedite the process for those in search of public records. The measure passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in both the Senate and the Assembly. I am urging the Governor to sign the bill into law and make this change effective immediately.
Five, that’s the number of books experts say students need to read over the summer to prevent what’s known as “summer learning loss,” the loss of knowledge and skills that occurs during summer vacation. Preventing learning loss is key to ensuring students are able to build upon what they’ve already been taught and be successful when they head back to the classroom in the fall. That’s why I’m once again partnering with local libraries and taking part in the New York State Senate’s 2015 Summer Reading Program.
Each year, more than 14.5 million Americans become cancer survivors. Many local service providers are working to increase those survival rates by encouraging regular screenings. Cervical cancer rates have been reduced dramatically since the Pap test was first introduced 65 years ago and 90% of cervical cancer can be cured if treated early. Despite these success rates, every two minutes, a woman will die of cervical cancer somewhere in the world.
With summer vacation approaching for students, more and more teens are taking to the roads. In fact, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day marks the busiest time of the year for teen drivers, not to mention the most dangerous. It’s known as the “100 Deadliest Days,” a time frame when we see a spike in the number of crashes involving teens.
It is not a secret that New York is a challenging state in which to do business because of our high taxes and oppressive regulatory scheme. Some, but not all, of these policies originate out of New York City which faces different demographics and economic conditions than we do in Upstate New York. A big push this year by many NYC legislators has been to raise the state’s minimum wage. Under current law, the minimum wage is $8.75 an hour and it is set to raise to $9.00 an hour on December 31, 2015.
Did you know that every 19 minutes, someone falls victim to identity theft? Today, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, affecting more than 12.7 million people last year alone. Identity theft has the power to ruin credit and wreak havoc on reputations, and it costs victims roughly $16 billion annually.
Here are some bills introduced by lawmakers that make some of us scratch our heads. Even by Albany’s standards, these are a bit unbelievable. I want to share a few with you this week.
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