Delivering the Changes
Western New York Deserves



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Help ensure the new license plate mandate is rescinded! Steve Hawley Assembly
Delivering the
Changes Western
New York Deserves


Join Steve Hawley’s Fight for a Better Western NY
Name, Address, Email, Phone Number
Please print, fill out and send this card to:
Assemblyman Steve Hawley, 121 North Main Street, Suite 100, Albion, NY 14411
or just e-mail him at hawleys@assembly.state.ny.us

Click here for a printable form



Steve Hawley Stands Up for Farmers
This year, New York State farmers felt the pinch of the tough economy perhaps more than anyone. This was due, in part, to devastatingly low dairy prices and Albany’s downstate legislators’ attempt to add more mandates and significantly raise labor costs for farmers through legislation which came to be known as the “Farm Death Bill.”
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Our Assemblyman led the fight, bringing local farmers and the Farm Bureau to rally at the State Capitol. Steve also debated the bill on the floor, asking the downstate legislator who sponsored the bill: how many farms were in her district; to name three products grown on NY farms; and to name three pieces of farm equipment. Of course, she couldn’t answer any because she lives in Queens where there are no farms.

Fortunately, this bill was not enacted into law. However, Albany failed to act on another vital issue: saving dairy farms.

Steve Hawley, who serves as a member of the Assembly Agriculture Committee, was among the first legislators to call on the Governor to use the remaining $1 billion in federal stimulus dollars to assist dairy farmers. In fact, Steve hosted the first “Dairy Rally” in the state right here in the 139th Assembly District, which helped bring more attention to the plight of dairy farmers across the state.


Hawley Appointed Minority Ranker of Veterans’ Affairs Committee
photo This year, our Assemblyman was appointed to serve as the Ranking Minority Member of the Assembly Veterans’ Affairs Committee in addition to new appointments serving on the Insurance and Tourism committees. Additionally, the Assemblyman accepted the invitation to join the Assembly Minority Leadership, serving as the Vice Chair of Program Committee for the conference.

Assemblyman Hawley also maintained his membership on the committees of Agriculture, Racing and Wagering, and Rules – the committee through which all legislation passes before coming to a vote.



$50 Fee for Mandated Collection of Sales Taxes?
In 2008-09, Albany passed another out-of-touch measure: to charge businesses a $50 fee for the mandated collection of sales taxes when doing business. Steve believes it is outrageous to further hurt economic growth by charging businesses to collect sales taxes. This measure simply tells businesses that NYS is a hostile environment to locate and further encourages existing businesses to move on to greener pastures. To resolve this, Steve has authored new legislation to rescind the entire fee. Call Steve’s office to learn more: (585) 589-5780 or e-mail him at hawleys@assembly.state.ny.us.





UPDATE: Hawley’s Bill to Repeal New Utility Tax Gains Steam in Albany
Learn how you can join Steve’s fight to repeal this excessive new tax
The tax increase was made as part of the enacted 2009-10 State Budget, which Steve opposed. The newly increased tax went into effect on July 1, 2009 and will cost average homeowners an increase of $40 to over $200 annually.

Steve’s bill, A.9098 has been introduced and referred to the Assembly Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions for its review. With support growing, Steve is hopeful that the bill will be addressed when the Assembly is called back into session.

Members of the public who would like to see the 2 percent utility tax repealed should contact Assemblyman Hawley’s office to sign his petition, which will be delivered to the Governor.



Fed Up
Help Ensure New License Plate Mandate is Rescinded!
When the public and their representatives come together, positive changes can happen. Thanks to the support of thousands of residents, Steve Hawley was able to pressure the Governor to agree to rescind the DMV new license plate mandate, which was slated to take effect in April 2010.

Help make sure the Governor keeps his word. Call Steve’s office at 589-5780 to learn how.




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DEC Summer Camp Essay Contest Winner Announced!
This year’s annual state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Summer Camp Essay Contest winner was Monroe County resident Christine Zulkosky. Previous winners included students from Orleans and Genesee counties.

Each year, every member of the State Legislature chooses one student from their district, between the ages of 12 and 17, to attend a DEC summer camp. To help select a student from the 139th Assembly District, Assemblyman Hawley holds an annual essay contest on the topic “Why the Environment is Important to You.”

Educators and students interested in Steve Hawley’s 2010 Essay Contest, to be held this spring, should e-mail his office at hawleys@assembly.state.ny.us.


Hawley Calls to Fill Vacancies with Open Elections
With four of the State’s leaders appointed, Steve Hawley is working to ensure “participatory government” and restore New Yorkers’ voice in who represents them.

“One of the greatest freedoms our nation has, and one of the greatest actions our citizenry has, is a voice in choosing who represents them. For the last three years, however, high-level state and federal leaders from our state have been ‘specially’ appointed rather than elected into office. This severely undermines the public’s ability to exercise their right to vote and their voice in government, and further diminishes an already damaged sense of trust in government,” said Hawley.

Originally drafted and introduced by Steve in March 2008, A.1140 and A.1141 would provide a process of open, public election for filling high-level state positions, such as Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller and Attorney General. Specifically, the legislation would change current law by automatically calling for an open election for any vacated top elected offices in the next scheduled general election, saving taxpayer dollars by not holding a special election. This would prevent appointments for 3- or 4-year terms without the public having had the opportunity to voice their opinion.


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Steve’s Bills to Support Emergency Responders Become Law!




Steve Leads Opposition to New Burn Ban Regulations
On October 14, 2009 the state Department of Environmental Conservation put into effect new “burn ban” regulations, which prohibit open fires in towns with populations of less than 20,000.

Having been a vocal opponent of this initiative during its public comment period and having expressed his opposition at the DEC’s public hearings, Steve Hawley is not giving up on reversing these cumbersome new regulations.

“While the DEC claims that there will be no additional mandates for local governments, that is clearly untrue. In fact, the DEC admits that, as a result of the new burn ban, local government waste managements will have to expand at an average increased cost of $50 per ton of waste. How much more ‘big government’ can our rural communities take?” asked Steve, who voted against a similar piece of legislation, A.5457 of 2007, when it came before the Assembly (the bill was held in committee in 2008).

Hawley has signed onto and supports A.7414, bipartisan legislation to prohibit the DEC from restricting the burning of garbage, refuse or rubbish in an open fire on land possessed by a single family or any part of a farm under certain circumstances.




Patriot Trip II
Steve hosted his second annual Patriot Trip for veterans this September and is proud that the trip was such a success. In addition to visiting the monuments in Washington, D.C., this year’s trip was also marked by a special visit from former U.S. Senator Bob Dole!
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LEARN MORE ABOUT STEVE’S 2009 ACCOMPLISHMENTS BELOW

Hawley Passes 16 Bills For Western New York
In 2009, over a dozen pieces of Steve’s legislation passed, despite a banner year for Albany’s notorious dysfunction. Nine of Steve’s bills were chaptered into law!

“Despite all the chaos, changes in leadership and gridlock, I was able to get some common-sense and important pieces of legislation passed that will greatly help the communities in Western New York, as well as the rest of the state,” said Hawley.

Of the 16 pieces of legislation that Steve sponsored, which passed the Assembly, five bills specifically helped local communities in Western New York. These bills include measures to help town court proceedings in the towns of Elba, Oakfield and Batavia, and the city of Batavia.

Steve’s statewide legislation also includes a number of initiatives to help those with disabilities. Assembly Bill 7848 requires access aisles of handicapped parking spaces to be marked with a sign and stripes, and Assembly Bill 7849 requires that handicapped parking spaces be at least 8 feet wide.

Steve also led the charge for other important measures such as property tax relief. During and after budget negotiations, our Assemblyman stood on the Assembly floor to demand relief for overburdened homeowners and businesses, specifically calling on both houses and the Governor to reinstate the STAR Rebate Program and restore cuts made to the traditional STAR program.
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