“I’ve heard from residents throughout our district including the Town of Orangetown and the Town of Ramapo, about the struggles of making ends meet and the need to support state services that residents use to get ahead. I helped pass a final budget that delivers on protecting childcare services, nutrition programs, local infrastructure improvements and ensures tax relief and enhanced environmental protections.

“I voted on a spending plan that includes an increase of $100 million to ensure the effectiveness of the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS) that maintains statewide roads and highways. The state spending plan also allocates $200 million for renewable energy programs statewide including funding to support municipal renewable energy projects. And $400 million to fund the Environmental Protection Fund to better conserve and improve resources, control extreme weather impacts, and air pollution abatement solutions throughout our state.

“Local families and youth are what make Assembly District 97 so special, and they deserve to see a state spending plan that puts them first. To that end, I supported a final budget plan that includes $50 million for social service districts to ensure access to childcare subsidies to protect and expand access to childcare services. There is also language to create a new BABY benefit program that allows a one-time cash benefit to help residents post childbirth. And the final budget secures additional $120 million for a total of $340 million for the expansion of the state’s universal school meal program. 

“The final state budget I voted on also includes language that eases the age and income requirements for the School Tax Relief Program (STAR) to better offer tax relief for eligible New York homeowners. I also supported a budget that creates a state office for gun violence prevention and funding for anti-gun violence grants and programming to address the public safety crisis.