This Sunday marked the celebration of Earth Day at a time when we need to accelerate action now more than ever to fight climate change! The states must lead as the federal government is going backward on protecting the environment. That said, the threat posed to our planet by climate change can often leave us feeling helpless. This opinion piece from last year’s Earth Day edition of the New York Times highlights the best personal practices you can have to decrease your carbon footprint.

Save the Date: Run, Bike, Hike: Capital Region Trails Summit. Run, bike or hike: soon you’ll be able to get to places throughout New York in your running shoes, on two wheels, or in hiking boots. The Empire State Trail now underway will be a groundbreaking project for New York, while the Capital Region’s rapidly growing network of trails is also more than recreation, packing a serious economic stimulus. Save the date for Thursday, May 10 at the Run, Bike, Hike: Capital Region Trails Summit, at the NYS Capitol – Assembly Parlor, Room 306, 8:00 to 10:30 AM.

Panelists will include state and local leaders, and pedestrian and bike advocates highlighting walking and biking trail expansion and development across the region, including the Empire State Trail, Albany County Rail Trail and numerous on and off-road bike and pedestrian paths in between! Panelists will discuss the serious economic impact, tourism and health benefits of the present and future multi-use trails; share information on financial and regulatory barriers, and promote and coordinate the efforts underway. Coffee and check in at 8:00 AM, presentations and roundtable begins at 8:30 AM.

Assembly Passes Equal Pay Legislation. Women across the country only earn 80 cents for every dollar a man does. To ensure women have greater protections under the law, the Assembly on Monday passed legislation including the New York State Fair Pay Act to address and enforce pay equity, including broadening equal pay protections to include equivalent jobs, and ensuring that traditional female and minority jobs are not undervalued. I’m proud to have voted for this move to close the wage gap.

NY Budget Includes Secure Choice Savings Program. Saving for retirement can be a challenge and saving programs are often not offered by small employers, so one of the highlights of the recently passed budget is providing this option for those looking to help employees save. Read more on the new New York State Secure Choice Savings retirement program for private-sector employees here. The program will enable all employers to help their employees to better prepare and save for retirement through an automatic enrollment payroll deduction IRA. This is a major win for seniors and small businesses.

News & Updates.

Assembly Votes to Close LLC Loophole. Due to a loophole in state campaign finance law, corporations can form multiple LLCs to donate virtually unlimited funds to political campaigns. I’m proud to have voted for legislation the Assembly passed on Tuesday that would restrict LLC campaign contributions to the same $5,000 aggregate contribution limit that exists for corporations. The bill would also require the disclosure of all direct and indirect owners of the LLC and that all contributions by an LLC be attributed to each member in proportion to each member’s ownership interests.

Altamont Enterprise Article on Child Victims Act. The Child Victims Act passed with a strong bipartisan vote last year in the Assembly. The legislation would extend the statute of limitations for criminal cases for victims of childhood sexual abuse and would offer a one-year look-back period for civil cases. The Altamont Enterprise ran an informative piece this week on this legislation, which was not included in this year’s budget. I am hopeful that this bill will be passed into law by the end of this legislative session.

Local High School Student Participate in National Walkout Day. High School Student from around the country participated in National Walkout Day this Friday. I am so inspired by these student passion and their calls to action and am doing all I can to encourage and support them in hopes we can maintain this momentum. I joined students in Albany in Albany’s West Capitol Park as the called for action on common sense gun laws.

Community Updates & Events.

AARP Sponsors Shredding Event. Identity theft is a growing problem for seniors and the community at large. I joined an AARP-sponsored event to remind senior to shred their old financial documents and mail with personally identifying information.

Bethlehem Park Commissioner Retires. Congratulations to retiring Bethlehem Park Commissioner Nan Lanahan on a career well spent! I was proud to work with Nan on the construction of the new Elm Avenue Park. Best wished for a happy retirement to a dedicated public servant!

Giffen Elementary Principal Name Principal of the Year. The Capital Area School Development Association (CASDA) has named Jasmine Brown as Principal of the Year for her tireless efforts on behalf of the students, staff, families and community members of Giffen Memorial Elementary School. Brown, a South End native and Albany High School graduate, began her career in education as an English teacher at Albany High in 2002. Congrats, Jasmine!

Today! Buckingham Pond Earth Day Event. Come celebrate Earth Day with Buckingham Pond Conservancy this Sunday, April 22 from 1 to 3 PM for a formal ribbon cutting for the new playground followed by our annual spring pond cleanup. Children are encouraged to attend and to help hold the ribbon! This is the fruition of the hard work of many, and I’m disappointed to miss this event!

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, or give us a call at (518) 455-4178.

Pat