STATEMENT FROM SENATOR GEORGE AMEDORE

With just three days remaining in this year's legislative session, there are still many critical issues that must be addressed. First and foremost, we cannot leave Albany without acting on significant ethics reform, including pension forfeiture so the taxpayers of this state will no longer have to foot the bill for elected officials who have been convicted of abusing their office.

The heroin crisis continues to devastate our communities. After the Senate lead the way by passing a framework of recommendations to address the issue from the ground up, we have come to an agreement with the Assembly and the Governor on a strong package of legislation to address prevention efforts, treatment accessibility, and recovery services to provide much-needed relief to those struggling with addiction. However, we must continue our efforts to give law enforcement the necessary resources to go after the mid and high level dealers who are bringing these dangerous drugs onto our streets.

We also need to focus on common sense solutions to provide mandate relief to our local governments. The Senate is expected to pass legislation I co-sponsor to reimburse counties for the cost of indigent legal services, which is one of the largest unfunded mandates faced by our cash-strapped counties. This bill will give them relief, and allow them to continue to provide critical services to ensure justice and fairness for everyone.

Ride sharing services, like Uber and Lyft will help Upstate communities capitalize on technology to help bring jobs here, and to improve services for  residents, visitors, and existing businesses. Discussions are ongoing to create a statewide regulatory system for these types of services, which could be a great asset to so many of our communities.

As we head into the final days of session to address these outstanding issues and more, I am confident that we will achieve meaningful resolutions to help move New York forward.

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