Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (D-Round Lake) announced her priorities for this year’s legislative session, continuing her efforts to support upstate families, businesses and communities during these difficult times.

“While it’s a relief to finally put 2020 behind us, we certainly have our work cut out for us in 2021,” Woerner said. “As we enter a new year and new legislative session, I’m ready to hit the ground running to help our families rebuild from the unprecedented challenges we’ve faced in the last year and move toward a brighter future. From investing in small businesses to strengthening upstate broadband access, I’ll continue fighting for policies that help our region and state move forward.”

Woerner is fighting for measures in the 2021 legislative session that will:

• require that insurance coverage payment for telehealth services are reimbursed at the same rate as in-person appointments to help expand access to health care in underserved, and especially rural, communities across the state (A.9667 of 2020);
• provide equitable and sufficient school funding, as well as help districts control costs by permanently granting the waiver for small group insurance plans at schools;
• invest in broadband infrastructure and improve broadband access statewide (A.8823 of 2020);
• strengthen the state’s food supply chain, especially meat production, to reduce our dependence on national and international sources;
• establish the Clean Fuels Program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the state’s transportation sector (A.5262-A of 2020);
• ensure family members of individuals with developmental disabilities have the assistance they need to continue supporting and caring for the individual throughout adulthood (A.6658 of 2020);
• authorize mobile sports betting and support the state’s equine industry to ensure its breeding and racing remains an industry leader; and
• stand with our military service members by allowing them to digitally request and complete an absentee ballot (A.8780 of 2020) and enhancing veterans’ STAR exemption for career military members.