Freshman Senator Pulls Off Big WINS Despite Albany Turmoil

FRESHMAN SENATOR PULLS OFF BIG WINS DESPITE ALBANY TURMOIL

ALBANY—Senator Sue Serino (R, C, I—Hyde Park) released the following statement after the conclusion of the 2015 Legislative Session.

“I promised my constituents that I would tell it like it is: working in Albany has absolutely been an uphill battle. I come from the world of business, where we strive for and thrive on efficiency. Trying to work within the dysfunction that has plagued our Capitol this Session was culture shock, to say the least.

However, despite the turmoil, there was a lot accomplished that has the potential to substantially improve life in the Hudson Valley and beyond. I am especially proud to have been able to:

• Provide significant property tax relief to homeowners and extend the property tax cap until 2019-2020, giving community members the certainty they need to balance their budgets and plan for their futures.
• Provide a real boost to local schools by fighting for significant education funding—to the tune of $1.4 billion—as well as an additional $300,000 in targeted aid.
• Chart the course for sweeping reforms to the Common Core Standards by requiring a comprehensive SED review—with education stakeholders—of the effectiveness and appropriateness of the standards which will provide a real opportunity to reform the standards that were so horribly implemented and get our public education system back on track. It sends a strong message that change is necessary.
• Empower our seniors by providing $3.2 billion to fully fund STAR and Enhanced STAR, securing historic funding in the budget for programs that will help them maintain their independence and protect their health, passing a package of bills to prevent elder abuse and passing legislation to give critical information to Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers.
• Support our veterans by extending the Military Service Credit Law of 2000 to all veterans who have served in the military and fighting to pass a bill in the Senate that would increase access to transportation for our vets by creating a half-fare rate program for veterans riding the MTA. I am confident that my colleagues in the Assembly will recognize the significance of this particular bill, and the benefit that it will provide to our veterans, and pass it next year.
• Combat Lyme Disease by securing an unprecedented $600,000 in the State Budget and passing a package of bills through the Senate aimed at educating the public, equipping our children with the age-appropriate information they need to stay tick-free and providing real tools for prevention—a package that I am hopeful will pass in the Assembly next year.
• Stand up for women by ensuring equal pay for equal work, protecting pregnant women from discrimination in the workplace, strengthening the laws against human trafficking, and creating a tax check-off program that commits money to women’s cancers education and prevention.
• Make progress toward restoring our Second Amendment Rights by passing a package of bills in the Senate that would roll back some of the most egregious portions of the misguided legislation. For the first time since it became law, we’ve made real headway. However, because the bills failed to pass in the Assembly, there is still clearly work to be done to fully restore our Second Amendment rights.

While these were major wins for residents of the Hudson Valley, I am well aware that there is still a great deal of work to be done and my constituents should know that I have not lost the fire that brought me to Albany.

Now, I’m looking forward to being able to focus all of my energies directly on my constituents without the Albany distraction. When the dust from this Session settles, I am hopeful that we can move forward and enjoy a much more productive Legislative year. We still have a long way to go to ensure that New York becomes a place where people want to live, not one they want to leave and I will work tirelessly to get us there.”

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