The Albany
Report
Report
Assemblyman
Bill Magee
Bill Magee
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The Albany Report Assemblyman
Bill Magee |
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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Once again, summer and sunshine are upon us, the legislative session in Albany has come to an end and I want to provide you with a brief summary of what the state Assembly has put forth that affects you and your community. This year was a challenging year because New York State is facing a dire budget and financial crisis. In the next couple of years, New York will be faced with multi-billion dollar budget deficits that we are going to have to deal with through spending reductions in non-essential programs and general belt- tightening. However, we have pushed forward with bills to assist small business owners, encourage community members to join their volunteer fire departments and ambulance companies, recognize the valor and accomplishments of our veterans and assist our senior citizens. Whether it is the issues raised in this newsletter or other suggestions and concerns you may have, I would encourage you to contact me at 315-361-4125 or 607-432-1484 with your thoughts, comments and ideas. Sincerely,
Assemblyman, 111th District |
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Small business is the little engine that can Fighting for small businesses
Various studies have shown that small businesses create eight out of every ten new jobs in New York State. These entrepreneurs are truly the lifeblood of our economy in upstate New York. However, far too often, small businesses are overlooked by economic development agencies and assistance programs in favor of larger, higher profile projects. To help level the playing field, the Assembly passed legislation that requires the state’s economic development agencies to give preference to small businesses seeking economic development funds (A.6906). The bill would have required these economic development agencies to report annually on how they helped small businesses. This bill, which also passed the Senate , was unfortunately vetoed by the governor. Assemblyman Magee will do all he can to support this initiative in the future.
Bill would inform businesses of regulatory changes
Every year, state agencies take many actions that impact businesses throughout the state. However, it is often difficult for affected businesses to gather accurate information on these changes and be prepared to comply with new regulations on a timely basis. To assist them, the Assembly passed legislation that requires the Department of Economic Development and the Office of Regulatory Reform to jointly prepare an annual summary for the business community of key legislative, budgetary and regulatory changes affecting small businesses, enabling them to comply (A.732). This bill also passed the Senate and awaits action by the governor.
Recommendation to expand loan program
Since its inception, the Linked Deposit Program, which provides lower interest loans to businesses expanding in New York State, has proven to be very helpful in spurring economic development. Last year alone this program generated over $350 million in economic investments in the state. Currently, though, a business is limited to an aggregate loan amount of $1 million. Under legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Magee and passed by the Assembly, this limit would be increased to $2 million, recognizing the increased project costs and sizes being proposed by businesses throughout New York State (A.10976-A). This bill awaits action by the Senate.
America’s veterans – our heroes Respecting veterans funerals
Unfortunately, there has been a notorious series of intemperate protests that have recently taken place at military funerals across the country. These protests are not only disrespectful but they also infringe upon the privacy rights of grieving family members, causing further emotional distress to those who are mourning the loss of their loved one. There is no greater sacrifice that someone can make than to give his or her life for this nation, and we must ensure that fallen soldiers are laid to rest with the respect that they deserve. In response, the Assembly passed a bill that would prohibit and make it illegal for people to purposely create a disturbance at a funeral, burial or memorial service (A.2385). This bill also passed the Senate and awaits action by the governor.
Consolidating veterans programs
Currently, New York State offers an array of benefits for those New Yorkers who have served in the Armed Forces. However, given that only a small fraction of those benefits comes under the jurisdiction of the Division of Military and Naval Affairs, veterans and their families often have a difficult time identifying and applying for them. Under a bill the Assembly passed, a Veterans Program Consolidation Council will be established to promote efficiency, effectiveness, oversight and outreach for programs affecting veterans (A.11650). The ultimate idea is to ensure that these programs are operated in a manner that is most effective in assisting our veterans and that our veterans are able to easily identify them. This bill also passed the Senate and awaits action by the governor. Assistance for diagnosis and treatment of veterans’ mental health issues proposed
This state and country are facing a formidable challenge in serving the mental health needs of veterans returning from active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, over one and a half million active duty and reserve members have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and nearly one half million have been redeployed. With each deployment, our service members encounter extreme strains on their physical and mental health, which, in many cases, have resulted in unprecedented rates of physical and mental health concerns, most notably posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. To ensure that there is a trained health workforce who can assist our veterans and their families, the Assembly passed legislation to assist social workers, psychiatrists, doctors and other health care professionals with training providers in the diagnosis and treatment for these health issues. (A.10069-C). This bill, which also passed the Senate, was vetoed by the governor, but Assemblyman Magee will continue to fight for mental health training funds.
Vietnam veterans to be honored
The Vietnam War was one of the longest military engagements in our country’s history with hundreds of thousands of troops being deployed and over 50,000 troops losing their lives. To honor their sacrifice the governor signed legislation passed by the Assembly designating March 29 as Vietnam Veterans’ Day in New York State. Our farmers are growing New York Farmland Protection Program expanded
Wine ice cream OK in NY
Increasingly, dairy farmers are looking for new value-added products for the milk they produce. From flavored milk to specialty cheeses, our farmers and processors are finding more markets for local milk. The governor signed legislation sponosored by Assemblyman Magee that would allow the production and sale of wine-flavored ice cream (Ch. 189 of 2008). This new product would be clearly labeled that it contains alcohol and would only be sold to people over the age of 21. At least two dairy processors in New York State currently produce wine ice cream. Answering the call – our emergency volunteers Emergency services scholarship expanded
Our volunteer firefighters and ambulance personnel serve without compensation and are called upon no matter the time of the day or night, saving us and our property from destruction. To recognize the work of our volunteers, several years ago the state created the Volunteer Recruitment Service Scholarship to provide that each volunteer emergency organization may nominate one of their members to receive a renewable scholarship to attend college. Given the great success of this program in not only recruiting new volunteers but assisting those volunteers with their college expenses, Assemblyman Magee’s bill to expand the program passed the Asssembly and will allow fire departments and ambulance companies to nominate up to three of their members for this award (A.8424). The legislation will give our fire departments have an even greater tool to use in recruiting new members.
Tax credit clarification for volunteers
To recognize the work and dedication of our volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers, the legislature enacted a $200 income tax credit. Unfortunately, there was a great deal of confusion about this as a volunteer could not receive both the tax credit and a locally enacted real property tax exemption. To try to address this and continue to honor the hard work of our emergency service volunteers, Assemblyman Magee sponsored legislation the Assembly passed that would allow a volunteer to receive both a real property tax exemption and the tax credit. This bill passed the Senate and awaits action by the governor (A.9864).
Health insurance for volunteers a priority
Our volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers provide critical services to our communities. In addition to their time on duty, volunteers must also meet ever-increasing training requirements. To assist fire departments and ambulance companies with both recruiting new members and showing appreciation to current volunteers, the Assembly passed a bill that would create the Volunteer Firefighter and Ambulance Work Health Program. This program would allow volunteers to access the health insurance plan offered to municipal employees thus allowing emergency volunteers to purchase health insurance at reduced costs. This bill also passed the Senate and the governor signed the bill into law (Ch. 331 of 2008).
Our seniors Senior housing a concern
Identifying elder abuse
There is a growth in the aging population and with that a recognition that elder abuse is a growing problem with as many as 90 percent of cases going unreported. With an eye towards ensuring that our police officers are receiving adequate training to assist them in identifying elder abuse, the Assembly and Senate passed legislation to create educational and other materials related to elder abuse for police officers to use as well as develop written procedures they are to follow when they encounter such abuse. The governor signed the bill into law (Ch. 184 of 2008).
More information... Gasoline prices too high
There is no doubt that gasoline prices have increased too much, too fast, placing an enormous financial burden on everyone. In an effort to combat these high prices, the Assembly passed legislation that allows service stations to sell unbranded gasoline. (A.9073-B). As it currently stands, under many motor fuel franchise agreements, service stations are generally prohibited from selling any gasoline, including unbranded gas, that does not come from the affiliated refiner. It is clear that unbranded motor fuel often sells at a lower price than branded motor fuel, so by allowing greater availability, it should result in additional competition in the market place and lower prices at the pump. This bill also passed the Senate and awaits action by the governor.
Drivers ed task force approved
Teen drivers have the highest accident rate of any age group. During 2005, 3,889 passenger vehicle occupants between the ages of 16-19 were killed on roads nationwide and 1.9 million were involved in crashes. This number is unacceptably high and we must continue our efforts in New York to improve the safety of teen drivers. Taking action, the Assembly passed legislation creating a special advisory panel to examine issues relating to driver education availability and curriculum enhancement to examine, assess and make recommendations regarding ways to improve driver education instruction and make such instruction more available. By increasing the availability of driver education programs in our schools we can reduce the number of teen driving accidents and fatalities. This bill also passed the Senate and the governor signed the legislation into law (Ch. 246 of 2008).
Green homes grant program advanced
The design, construction and maintenance of residential buildings can have a significant impact on our environment and natural resources. It has been estimated that residential buildings account for approximately 20 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, as well as 74 percent of water use and 21 percent of energy consumption nationwide. By employing green building practices we can reduce the production of greenhouse gases, lower energy costs, and reduce the use of natural resources. To encourage the use of green building techniques, the Assembly passed legislation to authorize the creation of a “green residential building” grant program to encourage the construction of new homes and the renovation of existing homes consistent with green residential building standards established by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (A.10684). The Senate also passed the bill and it awaits action by the governor.
Working to improve toy safety
Although we all hope that the toys we purchase for our kids are safe, more than nine million toys have been recalled worldwide by toy manufacturers. Even with these recalls, the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission does not require retailers to remove dangerous toys from the shelf. To ensure that our children are protected, the Assembly passed legislation that would outlaw the sale of recalled toys and other products while mandating that retailers take steps to inform consumers of recalls (A.11316-A). More than that, this bill would also require firms that manufacture children’s products such as car seats, high chairs, cribs and playpens to provide a product safety card to the purchaser at the time of sale, as well as require secondhand dealers of children’s products to provide notification to consumers emphasizing the need to check recall notices before purchasing a product. This bill also passed the Senate and awaits action by the governor.
Don’t forget... When making your plans for the unofficial ending of summer, make sure that those plans include visiting the Great New York State Fair. An annual tradition for over 160 years, the fairgrounds are located in Syracuse and annually draw a million people. The fun-filled days include everything from midway rides and games to cultural exhibits and the highlighting of agriculture. More than that, the fair also includes both free concerts and an outstanding list of grandstand concerts. What better way to spend time with the family than at the fair? This year, the fair runs from August 21 through September 1. Don’t miss it! |
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