Addabbo Starts New Legislative Session WITH Intent to Address Issues Plaguing District, State

With the 2015 Legislative Session in full swing, State Senator Joseph Addabbo, Jr. has once again focused his efforts to continue his fight for small businesses, city schools, a transparent Albany and much more.

“The small details and inner workings of a community play the biggest role in day-to-day situations,” Addabbo said. “Our small businesses give residents a convenient, affordable, reliable place to shop and are also places for employment. Store owners and workers need our support. Students are truly our future and it is important they receive educational resources that reflect that. And neither of those measures, nor others that affect our neighborhoods, can happen without a transparent, trustworthy and credible state government in Albany.”

The first question for the State Legislature, Addabbo said, is how to effectively use funds from the State  Budget, which starts with the Executive Budget proposal to be revealed later this month. It is likely to include ideas on how to spend the $5.6 billion in revenue received as a result of legal settlements with corrupt banks and other financial institutions at the center of the devastating housing foreclosure crisis.

“This is a very sizable and welcome infusion of funds, and we must use it wisely and efficiently,” said the Senator.  “Whether it goes to bolster educational opportunity, rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, reduce tax burdens, accelerate job creation efforts, or all of the above and more, we need to ensure that this one-time windfall is invested thoughtfully and responsibly to address some of New York’s most pressing needs.” 

A high priority for the Senator is pushing to allocate money for area hospitals, such as St. John’s Episcopal and Jamaica Hospital. Additionally, the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities has suffered from funding issues in recent years, and Addabbo would like to see that suffering come to an end.

Also on the agenda for this session is renewing, revising or eliminating mayoral control over New York City’s school system. This law currently gives the mayor and the Department of Education (DOE) the power to ultimately control schools’ operations. Under the DOE, students’ state test scores have soared in the Senator’s district and there is additionally a sense of transparency and accountability that did not exist when the Board of Education oversaw public schools.

Addabbo, a Senate Education Committee member, would like to see this law remain in effect, with revisions that give parents, teachers and administrations a greater voice. He also hopes to fight for the end of mid-year school budget cuts.

The Smart School Bonds Act referendum was approved by the voters during last November’s election, and now New York State elected officials must set guidelines and execute the act in an efficient and equitable manner. Additionally, revisions to the Common Core are far from over, the Senator said.

“A schools’ environment and its administrations ability to deliver the needed education to our students are always high on my list,” Addabbo said. “I have, and will continue to, visit schools and parent meetings within my district, seeking credible ideas and input on these important issues.” 

This session also brings the proposal of a Small Business Summit, similar to the first annual Veterans Summit held last year. The Senator hopes to use this summit as a tool to cultivate additional ways to help small businesses thrive. Also on the table is the expiration of New York’s rent stabilization and control laws, which ultimately is intended to provide long-term, affordable housing – a measure Addabbo hopes to become a reality for all residents, especially seniors suffering with complicated housing situations.

While many bills will be introduced and reintroduced this session, Addabbo has major pieces of legislation he will be concentrating on, such as the Paid Family Leave Act.

“Current law leaves little allowance for employees to have time off in case of a family emergency, childcare situation, etc.,” Addabbo said. “In order to protect our businesses, we need to find a way to protect our employees. The Paid Family Leave Act does not burden the business owner and is paid by the employee.”

“The 2014 session brought much success, but also left a lot of room for improvement. I hope to see that improvement this year and continue to be the voice for my constituents in Albany,” he continued.