Senator Young Discusses Issues Important to the Communities in Her District

Catharine Young

May 21, 2014

On Senate TV this week, Senator Young talked about a number of important issues affecting the families and communities in her district.

She discussed her grave concerns with the rise in heroin and opioid abuse, and what she and her Senate colleagues are doing to address this very serious problem affecting people all over the state.

Senator Young also spoke about the dangers of traumatic brain injuries for young people in our state. A traumatic brain injury, especially for a child, can have debilitating consequences and sometimes even lead to death. Tragically, this is what happened to Damon Janes,  a beloved high school student in Senator Young’s district who died of an apparent traumatic brain injury last year. She has introduced and is pushing a bill, S.7004, to help prevent a tragedy like this from occurring again and devastating another family.

Another important safety issue for residents in Senator Young’s district is the frequency of drivers illegally passing stopped school buses. Senator Young recently had a press conference and has introduced legislation, S.5028A, to tackle this problem, which is putting the lives of thousands of children at risk every day.

Senator Young also talked about obstacles being faced by people with developmental disabilities who want to work and be employed, and her success in securing language in this year’s state budget to help them. New federal mandates are making it more difficult for these motivated and hard-working individuals who want to earn their own paycheck and who take a great deal of pride in their jobs. This year’s budget includes provisions based on a bill Senator Young has introduced, S.6640, to rectify this injustice and help our citizens with developmental disabilities.

Finally, Senator Young brought attention to Dorothy Button and the Senate’s “Women of Distinction” ceremony held in Albany last week. At this annual event, special women from across the state are honored and recognized for their tremendous service and accomplishments. Senator Young’s nominee, Dorothy Button, is a U.S. Coast Guard veteran from Ashford who has admirably served her country and community. You can read more about all that Dorothy has done at:
www.nysenate.gov/press-release/senator-young-honors-woman-distinction-dorothy-button