Statement on 2017 Legislative Session

ALBANY, 06/22/17 -- State Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I/Ref – Oneonta) today commented on the close of the 2017 legislative session:

“The closing days of the 2017 legislative session punctuated an already productive year in Albany which included approval of upstate ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft, a new focus on college affordability, record funding for our schools, and an expansion of key tax relief programs.

“Among the items approved in the final days of the session – new measures to help grow our small businesses, enhanced healthcare for volunteer firefighters, an extension of Kendra’s Law that will protect the public and ensure medical care for the mentally ill, and the ‘New York Buy American Act’ to ensure large-scale construction projects here in the Empire State utilize American made iron and steel.

“I was disappointed that a strong package of bills to help deal with the deadly heroin crisis, advanced by the senate, was not voted on by the assembly.   We also need to take additional steps to make New York more affordable for businesses and residents.   Some mandate relief was enacted, but our local governments and business owners deserve more.  Finally, I am not done opposing the SAFE Act that only hurts law-abiding citizens and fails to go after real criminals.

“There were positive achievements this year, but there is still work to be done.  I do expect to return to the Capitol later this year to tie up loose ends and when that occurs my focus will be on the concerns important to those who live and work in the 51^st Senate District.”

-30-