Assemblyman Joe DeStefano (R,C-Medford) supported his colleagues at a press conference today led by Assemblyman Robert Smullen (R,C-Mohawk Valley and the Adirondacks) as they were joined by local school superintendents to highlight a proposal that would allow school districts to submit a waiver to the commissioner of education allowing them to opt out of the zero-emission school bus requirements being implemented across the state (A.2005). Many regions across the state do not have the capacity to implement this mandate by July 1, 2027 due to environmental restrictions, limited energy capacity, and costs.

DeStefano condemned the electric school bus mandate, arguing it ignores the specific needs and limitations of regions like Long Island. “The renewable energy mandate is unrealistic, being the largest unfunded mandate in a generation. This mandate places an undue burden on communities that lack the resources to implement such changes,” he said. “While the Governor and Albany Majority claim that this mandate will help grow the market and reduce prices, we haven’t seen this come to fruition. Assemblyman Smullen’s bill will allow this mandate to be implemented on a case by case basis, allowing freedom of energy choice while taking into account regional circumstances.”