Senator Martins: Getting It Done For New York

Since taking office in Janaury 2011, Senator Jack M. Martins has worked with his colleages and the Governor to make Albany gridlock and dysfunction a thing of the past . Over the past two years, hard work and compromise resulted in landmark new laws that will keep New York State moving in the right direction. These major new initiatives include the following:

· DNA Databank: This landmark crime-fighting law will implement the largest expansion of the State’s DNA databank since it was first created in 1994.

· Mandate Relief: We approved new Pension Reform and Medicaid Takeover initiatives that will provide major relief to local governments and taxpayers. (In the next 5 years alone, they will save $1.2 billion in pension costs and $1.2 billion in Medicaid costs.)

· I-STOP: This important new law will help save lives, improve public safety and make New York a national leader in combating prescription drug abuse.

· Domestic Violence: We approved a landmark new law to help combat domestic violence – with tough new penalties for offenders, and stronger protections for victims.

· 2% Property Tax Cap: The historic new tax cap we passed is already working – helping to hold down tax increases in communities across the state.

· Middle Class Tax Cut: We enacted a $3.3 billion middle class tax cut for 4.4 million hardworking taxpayers – bringing tax rates to the lowest level in 58 years.

· MTA Tax Roll-back: We rolled back the notorious MTA Payroll Tax for 290,000 small businesses and more than 410,000 self-employed taxpayers as well as all schools, both public and private.

· Cyberbullying Law: This important new law will crack down on this serious problem facing today’s youth.

· Protecting Kids (Child Pornography Law): We closed a loophole that threatened child porn prosecutions.

· Autism Insurance Reform: This important new law expands insurance coverage for the screening, diagnosis and treatment of autism.

· Protecting Vulnerable New Yorkers: This major reform will provide important new protections to vulnerable New Yorkers, including those with disabilities.

Senator Martins is proud to have been part of the progress that has taken place in state government over the last two years and looks forward to continuing to working for the residents of the Seventh Senate District.