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Assembly Will Barclay

Missing Child Case in Utica Highlights Importance of Passing Caylee’s Law

Utica police have been searching for a toddler since he was reported missing on June 11. Sadly, the 9-month-old child was reported missing two weeks after his disappearance by his father. Police have involved some members of the public to help search for the child and asking anyone with information to call. This case is an example of why New York needs to pass Caylee’s Law.

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Ritchie

This Summer – Safely Share The Road

On New York State roadways, the number of motorcycles has increased 12 percent over five years. In Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Oswego counties, motorcycle registrations in have grown by 31 percent, 21 percent and 16 percent respectively during that time period to more than 13,800. As the number of bikes on the road has increased, so has the number of accidents.

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Assembly Will Barclay

What to do about the Upstate Economy?

Understanding that his success as governor greatly depends on whether he can provide the leadership to help turn around New York’s languishing economy, Cuomo is pushing the legislature to pass what he calls “a game-changing initiative.”  I disagree with the Governor and think that this program, while it may provide some economic stimulus, it is really more of the same of what has been proposed in New York in the past and fails to accomplish what our state really needs – which is, broad-based tax relief.

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Assembly Will Barclay

Last Weeks include Push for Tax Breaks for Farmers, Active Military; Harsher Penalties for Synthetic Drugs; Improved Ethics Laws

My end-of-session priorities include getting tax breaks for farmers and active military. We need harsher laws for synthetic drug users and dealers on par with our current controlled substance penalties. We need to create laws that establish a protocol for inappropriate and unethical behavior for lawmakers, instead of leaving ethics up to the powers that be.

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Assembly Will Barclay

DREAM Act Would Place Strain on Taxpayers; Takes Away from Legal Immigrants, Middle Class

The New York City sponsors of this legislation have billed it as the DREAM Act.  However, because it will place an increased burden on our State’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), this could become a financial nightmare for the state and for those lower-and middle-class families who are already struggling to afford the ever increasing cost of higher education.

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Assembly Will Barclay

Time for an Independent Ethics Committee

As the cliche goes, when it rains it pours. This certainly holds true as a description of the numerous scandals that have arisen as of late in both Albany and Washington. This week in Albany, most attention was rightfully focused on the release of a report by the Joint Committee on Public Ethics that summarized its investigation of sexual harassment claims against Vito Lopez – the now former Assemblyman.

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