Palmesano: End of Session a Disappointment, Urges Leaders to Call Lawmakers Back to Finish Outstanding Business

A statement by Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C,I-Corning)

“I am urging leaders of the state Senate and Assembly to call us back to Albany this summer to complete our work for the people of New York. As session limped to a close, too many important issues were left unresolved. Too much important legislation was sidelined because of unfortunate political games and a lack of communication between the legislative leaders.

“We must pass our bipartisan legislation to protect the Finger Lakes from the ill-advised Romulus trash incinerator project. As yet another corruption trial begins, we need to pass bipartisan legislation to increase transparency, accountability and oversight of the governor’s economic development programs. Legislators on both sides of the aisle and in both houses back proposals to create a searchable, online database of all state development contracts and restoring the comptroller’s procurement oversight powers. We need to take advantage of broad, overwhelming support for ending our overreliance on high-stakes, standardized tests by separating them from teacher evaluations and allowing more local control of the teacher evaluation process.

“These issues and others are being linked together in negotiations to advance controversial legislation. They are too important for that. Let’s return to Albany and pass them on their merits and get our work done for the people we represent.”