“I am very encouraged to hear that Governor Hochul shares the same goals as the constituents I represent in the 110th Assembly District: providing meaningful relief to working families, expanding access to childcare, building more affordable housing, tackling the opioid epidemic, and ensuring our public schools receive record funding. Where the Governor and I differ is in our approach to addressing these issues.

“I strongly disagree that giving out one-time checks for $300 will help working people. New York State has attempted this policy before; it has never worked. People regard it as a re-election gimmick. Instead, we should invest the surplus sales tax revenue she cited as a source for the checks into providing real benefits for all New York families, like universal pre-kindergarten. Families in my district would prefer universal pre-K, a $17,000+ value, to $300 checks.

“I also challenge the notion that tax credits generate economic development. The Comptroller’s studies have shown that tax credits usually are not a net positive for the state. Tax credits often favor select groups or businesses, shifting the burden of lost tax revenue onto the broader public to compensate for the shortfall. Further, many of these credits benefit foreign-owned companies and workers who are not residents of our state.

“While I agree with providing universal school meals, offering free tuition to state colleges for high-demand fields, and cutting taxes for the middle class, I am troubled by the lack of specifics on where the revenue will come from. Cutting revenue while increasing spending is impossible. There needs to be more clarity on how we will pay for these programs. I have proposed restoring the Stock Transfer Tax, a one-half penny per dollar tax on sales of stocks and bonds, which New York had from 1905 to 1981. At that low rate, it does not affect consumers at all.

“The Governor's proposal to ban firefighter gear containing PFAS is a program I am extremely pleased to see included. In 2019, legislation I introduced that would accomplish this passed the Assembly. Unfortunately, this bill was amended in the Senate and severely watered down. The amended version of the bill required New York State to cover 50% of the expenses when a fire department chooses to replace their equipment with PFAS-free equipment. I want to thank Governor Hochul for proposing a strict ban on PFAS-contaminated equipment so we can protect those who protect our communities every day.

“As Chair of the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Committee, I commend the Governor for her proposal to allow paramedics to administer Buprenorphine. Medical professionals have witnessed many situations where someone undergoing withdrawal cannot access a hospital. By allowing first responders to administer this medication, which blunts the craving for opioids, people in withdrawal are more likely to choose recovery over re-use. Many states, including New Jersey, have this law on the books.

“Working people are looking for economic reforms that increase their purchasing power, which was the theory behind the reforms implemented by President Franklin Roosevelt. Businesses create jobs when citizens have adequate money to spend. We cannot address economic issues by simply sending out one-time checks or paying a multi-million-dollar foreign company to locate in Upstate New York. Instead, we need to create jobs by investing in our infrastructure and building affordability through universal childcare, less costly healthcare solutions, and affordable housing. The Stock Transfer Tax can raise the money to do that.

“We’ve been subsidizing developers to build affordable units for 40 years. That has only brought us to the crisis we are in now. We need to prefer housing not-for-profits over profit-making entities when it comes to affordable housing and to restore successful cooperative housing programs like Mitchell-Lama. (My grandparents lived in the first Mitchell-Lama housing project called Morningside Gardens.)

"We must move beyond empty promises and resist yielding to corporate interests at the expense of broader progress. Tax credits that favor select businesses over others are not the answer. Relying on profit-making entities to build affordable housing has failed. We need comprehensive legislation that delivers lasting benefits to all New Yorkers, not just temporarily attractive proposals. This approach will enhance purchasing power and fuel sustainable economic growth across the state."