Press Releases

Assemblyman Thiele: Funding for the South Fork Commuter Connection Service Increased to $750,000 for State Fiscal Year 2023-24

This week, Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) announced that the Enacted State Budget provides $750,000 for the operating costs of the South Fork Commuter Bus Service, an increase of $250,000 over the Executive proposal and over last year’s...

Final State Budget Includes Assemblyman Thiele’s Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act

Today, Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) announced that the 2023-24 State Budget approved on Monday, May 1st, includes the "Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act", as requested by Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. The Act will...

Assemblymember Thiele Secures Legislation to Protect Unmarked Burial Grounds in the Enacted State Budget

Assemblymember Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) today announced that legislation he sponsored to safeguard unmarked burial grounds across New York has been included in this year’s Enacted State Budget (Public Protection and General Government, Part...

Assemblyman Thiele Selected as AIA Peconic’s First Community Award Recipient

On Saturday, April 22nd, AIA Peconic, a local chapter of the American Institute of Architects, hosted its annual Design Awards Celebration at the Ross School in East Hampton. This year, in addition to honoring architects for projects in the region, AIA...

Statement from Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. on the U.S. Supreme Court Rejecting Ban on Abortion Medication

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) issued the following statement after the Supreme Court on Friday preserved women’s access to a drug used in the most common method of abortion, rejecting lower-court restrictions. Assemblyman Thiele said,...

Assemblyman Thiele Announces the Availability of Funding for Water Quality Improvement Projects

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) today informed the public that Governor Hochul has announced $425 Million in grants for critical water infrastructure projects statewide.  The Water Infrastructure Improvement and Intermunicipal Grant programs...

CPF Revenues Break the $2 Billion Mark

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) today reported that revenues for the Peconic Bay Community Preservation Fund (CPF) were $21.01 million for the Peconic Bay Region for the first two months of 2023. This compares with $39.28 million for the...

Assemblyman Thiele Statement Regarding Sand Land Case Update

This past week the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) participated in a backroom assault on its own Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The DEC, instead of protecting the public interest, did the bidding of the fossil...

Assemblyman Thiele Appointed Co-Chair of the Joint Budget Subcommittee on General Government and Local Assistance

Last week, Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor), Chair of the Assembly Local Governments Committee, announced that he has been appointed by Speaker Carl Heastie to serve as Co-chair of the 2023 Joint Budget Subcommittee on General Government...

Assembly Budget Plan Includes New Language for the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) announced that the Assembly Budget Resolution released last week includes the "Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act", as requested by Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. The Act, if adopted in...

Assemblyman Thiele: Assembly Budget Resolution Includes a Bold Plan for Affordable Housing In New York State

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor), Chair of the Assembly Local Governments Committee, announced that the Assembly Budget Resolution released on Tuesday includes his plan to modify Governor Hochul’s Housing Compact by eliminating mandates...

Assemblyman Thiele Announces Funding to Modernize Classroom Technology at East Moriches UFSD

Last week, Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) announced that $259,820 in funding has been secured for East Moriches Union Free School Districts through the Smart Schools Bond Act to modernize classrooms, enhance digital learning and utilize...

Assemblyman Thiele Co-Sponsors Legislation to Support School Districts and Improve School Aid Equity

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) has co-sponsored legislation with Assemblymember Sayegh to update the School Funding Formula and allow certain high-need school districts to receive an additional supplemental building aid ratio.The package...

Peconic Bay Community Preservation Fund Revenues for 2022 Total $172.63 Million Compared with $210.64 Million in 2021

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) today reported the Peconic Bay Community Preservation Fund (CPF) produced $172.63 million in revenue for the Peconic Bay Region in 2022. Revenue for 2022 was 18% LOWER than in 2021. 2021 and 2022 are the...

Statement From Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. on the Court of Appeals Decision in the Sand Land Case

Today, the New York State Court of Appeals unanimously annulled the mining permits illegally granted by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to expand the sand land mine in my assembly district. The court found that the DEC violated...

Assemblyman Thiele Asserts Biggest Slumlord on the East End Revealed: Stony Brook University

New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) today charged that Stony Brook University (SBU), due to its failure to keep its commitments as the stewards of the Southampton campus, has become the biggest slumlord on the East End. Thiele...

Statement from Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. on the Proposed Increase in the MTA Payroll Tax

One of the proposals in the Governor’s proposed 2023-24 Executive Budget is an increase in the MTA payroll tax. I voted against the institution of this onerous levy back in 2009 and worked diligently to at least a partial rollback of this ill-considered...

Assemblyman Thiele Introduces Legislation to Support Affordable Housing and Incentivize Construction of Accessory Dwelling Units

Assemblymember Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) today announced that he has re-introduced the Accessory Dwelling Unit Incentive Act to address the statewide affordable housing crisis and incentivize property owners to construct accessory dwelling units...

Statement from Assemblyman Fred Thiele Regarding the Department of State No Longer Objecting to Fishers Island Dredging Decision

Today, Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) issued the following statement regarding the Department of State’s decision to pull its objection to allow a Connecticut submarine builder to put dredged materials at a Long Island Sound disposal...

Assemblyman Thiele Introduces Legislation to Protect Unmarked Burial Grounds

Assemblymember Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (D-Sag Harbor) today announced that he has introduced the Unmarked Burial Site Protection Act to safeguard unmarked burial grounds across New York. This legislation, previously sponsored by former Assemblyman Englebright,...