Senator Sue Serino Fights to Eliminate GEA

Senator Sue Serino Fights to Eliminate GEA

ALBANY, NY—Senator Sue Serino (R, C, I—Hyde Park) today joined her Republican Colleagues at a press conference in Albany to announce their plan to eliminate the disastrous Gap Elimination Adjustment (GEA) that has had such an adverse effect on schools in the 41^st District.

“Throughout my campaign, I heard from countless residents who were absolutely appalled when they learned just how negatively our local schools have been impacted by the GEA,” Serino noted at the press conference. “I made a promise to work tirelessly to eliminate it, and today we are going beyond rhetoric to make that promise a reality.”

The GEA was first imposed on New Yorkers in 2010 by former Governor David Paterson and the Senate and Assembly Democrats who controlled New York State government at the time. It has since been a priority of Senate Republicans to reverse the damage caused.

This year, Governor Cuomo’s Executive Budget proposes an overall $1.1 billion increase in education funding over last year, however, his proposal did not specifically tie the increase to the elimination of the $1 billion needed for this year’s GEA.

Senator Serino and the Senate Majority announced today that a priority of its one house budget proposal will include using the majority of that $1.1 billion increase proposed by the Executive— up to $600 million—and is working to identify the sources for the additional $300-$400 million needed this fiscal year to eliminate the GEA permanently.

“There has been a lot of misinformation spread about how the GEA came to be, but the issue of eliminating it transcends politics,” Serino continued.“Plain and simple, it’s bad for our schools, it’s bad for taxpayers; and most importantly, it puts our local students at a distinct disadvantage.”

Senator Serino concluded by saying, “We have heard the voices of so many New Yorkers who are frustrated and today I am proud to join my colleagues in making the elimination of the GEA a top priority.” 

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