O’MARA, SENATE GOP UNVEIL 2024 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA: 'A NEW HOPE FOR THE EMPIRE STATE'

Albany, N.Y., January 17—State Senator Tom O’Mara (R-C, Big Flats) and the New York State Senate Republican Conference today unveiled their 2024 legislative agenda, “A New Hope for the Empire State,” highlighting the conference’s top legislative priorities including addressing affordability, strengthening public safety, and sparking economic growth. 

O’Mara said, “We face an affordability crisis. We face a border crisis. Law and order are in free fall. The Albany Democrat direction for New York simply fails to produce any hope for a long-term, sustainable future for communities, families, workers, businesses, industries, and taxpayers. New York is a state in decline that continues to become less safe, less free, less affordable, less economically competitive, less responsible, and far less strong for the future. We are at a dangerous crossroads and we must enact an across-the-board agenda to cut taxes, address affordability, and rebuild stronger and safer communities.”  

Senator Republican Leader Rob Ortt said, “New Yorkers are deeply dissatisfied with the direction of our state and our Conference is here to provide an alternative path forward. I have traveled throughout the state and people are tired, frustrated, and angry. They feel forgotten. Over the course of the year, we have seen crimes and costs rise. Antisemitism is infiltrating our schools and communities and has become the norm. The migrant crisis has only gotten worse because New York City politicians continue to push their feel-good policies, but it is these radical policies that are driving New Yorkers out. As the Leader of this conference, I will not take a back seat to the progressive agenda destroying our state. Our Republican Conference will fight to give hope to those New Yorkers who feel they have no alternative but to leave our state. Our commonsense agenda provides solutions to build a greater New York for future generations.”

“A New Hope for the Empire State” is a comprehensive legislative agenda for 2024 (see the full report attached above) and will focus on priorities including:

> Increasing Affordability for all New Yorkers by taking specific actions to reign in out-of-control state spending including:

-- enacting a state spending cap;

-- rejecting tax increases and unfunded state mandates on local governments and school districts;

-- providing across-the-board tax relief;

-- rejecting extreme, mandated climate proposals;

-- increasing affordable housing options;

-- making child care more accessible and affordable; and

-- improving the state’s business climate by protecting small businesses and farms by reducing regulations, and lowering taxes and unfair costs.

> Improving Public Safety for all New Yorkers by prioritizing actions to combat rising crime and lawlessness statewide, including:

-- protecting New Yorkers from antisemitism and other hateful violence by making any antisemitic behavior a hate crime, making all hate crimes bail eligible, protecting hate crime victims and houses of worship, and implementing financial penalties on both college universities and students who condone or engage in antisemitic behavior while receiving state aid;

-- rejecting any efforts to make New York a sanctuary state;

-- reversing failed criminal justice policies that have made our communities less safe, including bail reform, discovery reform, and others;

-- rejecting policies that put criminals above victims and law-abiding New Yorkers; and

-- providing more services and funding to address mental health crisis and substance abuse disorders.

[Note: An archived video of today's full news conference can be viewed on the Senate Republican Conference facebook page: @nysenaterepubs]