I was devastated this week to see the extent of the damage done by Hurricane Maria to Puerto Rico. The island of 3 million Americans is suffering from extensive water and fuel shortages. Homes have been destroyed and left many homeless, and supplies are running low. Please consider donating to one of the organizations collecting for hurricane relief: United for Puerto Rico, The Hispanic Federation or text 'MARIA' to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross to help Hurricane Maria Victims.

Testimony before NYS Department of Labor. I testified before the NYS Department of Labor’s (NYSDOL) public hearing on employee scheduling on Thursday, which was called by Governor Cuomo earlier in the month. I spoke in favor of fair scheduling practices while highlighting a similar legislative proposal addressing on-call scheduling she introduced in 2015. On-call scheduling is the practice in which shift workers are called to work on short notice, or not called in at all if business is slow. My bill requires a minimum of four hours of pay for workers who are sent home part-way through their shift, assuming they were scheduled for more than four hours. The bill also requires at least one hour of pay for on-call workers who are called off less than twenty-four hours prior to their shift.

New Tax Plan Has Negative Implications for NYS. Preliminary plans for the new federal tax plan were obtained by journalists early this week. One particular note of concern is the proposed elimination of the State and Local Tax Deduction, which would result in significant reductions in deductions for New York residents. This deduction exists to ensure taxpayers are not taxed twice on each dollar of income they pay to state and local taxing authorities. The elimination of this tax break would hurt New Yorkers to pay for tax breaks for large corporations, and I stand with state and federal officials opposing this portion of the proposed reforms.

New Assembly Committee Chairs Announced. Congratulations to the new chairs of several Assembly committees, which were announced on Thursday. I look forward to working with each of my colleagues in their new roles:

Chair, Majority Conference: Steven Otis

Vice Chair, Majority Conference: Ron Kim

Secretary, Majority Conference: Walter T. Mosley

Standing Committees

Chair, Corporations, Authorities & Commissions: Amy Paulin

Chair, Election Law: Charles D. Lavine

Chair, Energy: Michael Cusick

Chair, Ethics & Guidance: Aravella Simotas

Chair, Judiciary: Jeffrey Dinowitz

Chair, Libraries & Education Technology: Didi Barrett

LEGISLATIVE COMMISSIONS

Chair, Administrative Regulations Review: Dan Quart

State Seeks Ideas for Erie Canal Development. The Erie Canal is an historical treasure right in our backyard, celebrating its bicentennial this year. Governor Cuomo on Monday announced a contest for proposals to develop the canal as a recreation and tourism destination. $2.5 million in prize money will be awarded to help winner implement their idea.

New Investment in Water Quality Projects. Tuesday it was announced that $50 million in grant funding is available to help New York livestock farms implement water quality protection projects. The funding is a part of the Governor's historic $2.5 billion Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017, which invests unprecedented resources for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure and other water quality protection across the state, including funds to ensure proper management and storage of nutrients such as manure on farms. I am a strong supporter of investments in water quality in New York, and am glad to see implantation of this Act across the state.

Community Updates

Mohawk Hudson Humane Society Opens New Animal Care Facility. I joined the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society at the ribbon cutting celebration for their new Animal Care Center in Menands on Wednesday. I support this great organization caring for Capital Region’s animals, and helped them secure a grant for $125,000 for this new facility.

Events and Exhibits Mark Suffrage Centennial. 2017 marks the centennial of women’s suffrage in New York. Big anniversaries offer us an opportunity to reflect on our history, and we’re lucky that in the Capital Region, there are many ways to reflect on women’s suffrage. The Times Union released a list of events and exhibits in the area for the upcoming months. I personally recommend the Spotlight on Albany and Anti-Suffrage exhibit running now at the Albany Institute at 125 Washington Ave.

Albany Pine Bush Seeks Volunteers. The Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission is looking for neighbors that live within half a mile of the preserve to help track changing weather patterns by measuring the depth of snow in their own backyard. On Wednesday, October 4 from 7:00-8:00pm come to the Discovery Center at 195 New Karner Road in Albany to learn how to collect and submit measurements. Regionally, climate change is altering seasonal weather patterns, especially temperature and precipitation, but little is known about specific changes in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve. The Pine Bush Commission is therefore asking neighbors to help fill this knowledge gap by inviting them to participate in this citizen-science project. Learn more and sign up here.

Altamont Fall Fair. The Village of Altamont is hosting its Second Annual Fall Festival this year! They'll have plenty of homemade artisan goods, food and drink, live music, farm fresh goodness, food demonstrations by Veronica's Tavern, face painting, pumpkin painting, bounce house, games for adults and kids, and so much more! Show off your baking prowess with their first ever Apple Baking Contest.

Shine On Albany Free After School Dance Program for Girls 12-18. The Center for Nia and Yoga on 4 Central Avenue in Albany will be holding free after school hip-hop dance classes for girls 12-18 from 4:00- 5:15 PM Wednesdays and Fridays. Instruction is designed for beginners and up. Shine on Albany classes are taught by Albany local Jillian Faison, who offers classes as a way to combine her love for dance and youth empowerment. Forward all questions to jilliane.faison@gmail.com.

Event on Women’s Rights in Syria. Syria is constantly in the headlines. Ever wonder what truly happens in the peace talks involving world powers you read about in the news? Or what it is like to represent women’s rights for the first time ever in such negotiations? Come meet the woman responsible for leading this task and hear her insider’s view of the tragic Syrian civil war and the delicate diplomacy. On Tuesday, October 3rd at 4:00 PM in Humanities 354 on the UAlbany Main Campus, UAlbany will be hosting Nawal Yazeji who is the Chair of the Women’s Advisory Board for the UN Office of the Special Envoy to Syria. The event is free and open to the public, attendees are asked to RSVP to govrelations@albany.edu.

Job Opportunities: New York State has set up a new job portal entitled Jobs Express, where thousands of private and public sector jobs are listed. Visit jobs.ny.gov for more information on how to apply for these opportunities.

As always, for the latest news or for upcoming events, please visit my office online, on Facebook, on Twitter, or my Times Union blog. If you would like to reach my office, please feel free to send us a note.