State Senator Chris Jacobs' Statement Regarding Gov. Cuomo's State Of The State Address in Buffalo

(ALBANY, NY) — "l am extremely pleased to hear of the Governor's support of ridesharing throughout New York State. I have been a strong supporter of ridesharing in Western New York and today co-sponsored a ridesharing bill in the Senate (S1264). It is my hope that we can all work together to generate the momentum needed for swift passage of ridesharing.

I was happy to hear of the Governor's additional commitment of $500 million toward economic development initiatives in the area. In particular, the focus on workforce development and job training to assure our citizens' have the necessary skills to obtain good paying jobs in the advanced manufacturing sector as well as other areas of growth in the new economy in Western New York.

I applaud the Governor for announcing a major commitment to clean water infrastructure and water quality protection. Western New York suffers from aging sewer and water infrastructure; as a result, our community suffers too often from beach closures due to raw sewage overflows into our waterway. This is a sound public investment for the health, safety and quality of life of our citizens.

In regards to the Governor's education proposal, I always welcome a serious discussion about college affordability. I look forward to looking at the specifics of his proposal as well as a broader discussion around making high quality college education affordable and accessible for all New Yorkers."