Seward Receives Committee Assignments

ALBANY, 01/26/15 – State Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I–Oneonta) is set to fight for vital insurance, health, education and budget needs in the new senate session after receiving committee assignments.

SENATOR SEWARD 2015 – 2016 COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS

Insurance – chair

Agriculture, Education, Finance, Health, Higher Education, Mental Health, Rules

Seward was renamed chairman of the senate insurance committee.  “Insurance issues influence so many parts of our lives and will continue to be a prime focus in Albany.  For example, last year as a member of the New York State Senate Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction, I championed a key insurance change that will improve care for those seeking addiction treatment.  I have also worked to keep health insurance affordable for families, while assisting our small business owners who are doing all they can to offer coverage to their employees.   Fighting insurance fraud, which we all pay for in the form of higher premiums, is another top objective.”

Seward was also named to the senate standing committees on health and mental health.  “Health and insurance issues often cover common ground.  Being intimately involved in policies on all sides of the spectrum helps me develop comprehensive policies on these vital issues that truly meet the needs of New Yorkers.”

Seward will also serve on the senate standing committees on education and higher education.  “Education is always a focal point for state budget and policy discussions and this year will be no different.  Making certain our local schools are able to offer students the best education possible is a prime goal.  To do that, we need to erase the Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) which has cost schools millions of dollars.  I will also continue to advocate for innovative education programs like those that link our schools with employers, use technology to connect our high schools to area colleges, and other non-traditional initiatives that are working for many schools in my district.” 

Seward continues his service on the agriculture committee, another area of extreme importance across upstate New York. “Farming is our state’s number one industry.  Last year I helped advance new tax reductions to help ease the costs our small family farms face.   I also made sure important farming programs, like the New York Rollover Protection System (ROPS) Rebate Program, received needed funding.  We have been fortunate to see new ag-related businesses emerge in New York like Greek yogurt production, microbreweries, and farm to table ventures.  Now is the time to help our farmers take advantage of these new markets and grow further.”   

Other committee assignments include finance and rules.  The finance committee guides development of the state budget, and the rules committee reviews legislation prior to introduction on the senate floor.  

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