Two State Organizations Honor Magnarelli with Service Awards
Chris Koetzle, SSA Vice President of Member Services, presented Assemblyman Magnarelli the award.
Karyn Korteling, owner of Pastabilities, hosted the event at her Armory Square restaurant, a local member
business of the SSA.
The Support Services Alliance, Inc.(SSA) presented Assemblyman
Magnarelli with the
2008 Small Business Champion of the Year Award.
"Assemblyman Magnarelli helped SSA advance our Simplify NY agenda to make it easier for
small businesses to interact with State agencies," stated Chris Koetzle, SSA Vice President
of Membership Services. "He has supported recommendations of the Commission on Property
Tax Relief."
SSA is a membership organization serving thousands of members statewide. It offers 20 different
programs and services designed to help small businesses grow, including innovative health insurance
options, state government advocacy, and payroll solutions.
"Small business owners are no longer just competing with other stores down the street, but
also those across the world. To remain competitive, they must navigate the ever-changing technology
and business world," Magnarelli said. "Thriving small businesses affect the economy of
local communities. I feel strongly that helping to improve the small business community will help New
York’s economy as a whole."
Wayne Schlifke, president of the NYSSBA Board of Directors, presents Magnarelli with the award
at the New York State School Boards Association’s annual State Issues Conference at the Empire
State Plaza in March.
The New York State School Boards Association unanimously
voted Assemblyman Magnarelli as State Leader of the Year. The honor is in
recognition of his contributions to public education.
"In 2008, Assemblyman Magnarelli displayed his courage and leadership by introducing
legislation to streamline the tenured teacher and administrator disciplinary process. The introduction
of this politically charged legislation helped to achieve the enactment of a new law last year that
allows for the termination of convicted sex offenders from the classroom," said New York State
School Boards Association Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer.
A11337, the bill referred to, did not move through the Assembly in 2008.
Magnarelli will reintroduce the reform bill in the 2009 Legislative session.
"The bill is aimed at reforming the teacher disciplinary process. It allows for due process, but
serves teachers, students and the educational system by not allowing the wait to draw out beyond
a reasonable time," Magnarelli said.
The New York State School Boards Association consists of 683 member districts and 4,846
individual members. It advocates on issues related to public school boards such as labor issues
and tax issues.
Assemblyman Magnarelli held four Town Hall style meetings in
February to meet with constituents and hear their concerns about the 2009 budget. Despite
inclement weather, residents turned out for the meetings to voice their opinions. Magnarelli was
able to use this input as he returned to Legislative session.
Syracuse Stage thanked Assemblyman Magnarelli for
securing a $10,000 grant for the artsEMERGING Program. The program allows students
and teachers to explore the elements of theatre, and other forms of art, in the school
curriculum. Each year thousands of Syracuse City School District students work with
their teachers on this in-depth arts experience.
The students will be researching the themes of the plays that Syracuse Stage is presenting
in the Spring 2009: "Secret Stories" within Ma Rainey’s "Black Bottom,"
Tales From the Salt City, The Diary of Anne Frank, and Crowns.
Assemblyman Magnarelli posed with Lauren Unbekant, educational outreach director, Tim Bond,
production art director, and Jeff Woodward, managing director.
The students and their teachers see matinee performances and the work on reading, researching,
writing, and performance projects that encompass the same themes.
The ArtsEMERGING program also receives support from the SU Partnership for Better Education,
the Bristol-Meyers Squibb Company and the KARE Foundation.
Bill’s Sponsored Bills
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A317 - Authorizes insurance companies to offer discounts for older
vehicles retrofitted with daytime running lamps. It also establishes a standard of proper installation
for retrofitting daytime running lamps.
This bill recently passed the Assembly.
"Daytime running lamps improve safety on the road by increasing visibility of the car to
other drivers," Assemblyman Magnarelli said. "By providing incentives for drivers to
have this safety feature, we’re improving the safety of our roadways."
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A245 - Restricts violent felons from accessing victim records without
legitimate legal purposes. A few years ago, a convicted level 2 sex offender entered the school
of his 13-year-old victim and used a duly signed subpoena to request her records. If the records
are required for a legitimate court proceeding, an agent of the court will have to serve the subpoena
on the felon’s behalf.
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A5220 - "Silver Alert" Calls for a response to missing adults
diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia within 24 hours of being reported missing.
This is similar to the "Amber Alert" which Assemblyman Magnarelli also sponsored.
Cognitively impaired individuals and their families need a comprehensive system to allow authorities
to respond appropriately when these vulnerable citizens go missing. Several other states - Illinois,
West Virginia, North Carolina and Texas - already have this law.
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A318 - Seeks to amend the vehicle and traffic law to prohibit children
under seven years old from being left unsupervised in a car. Between 1998 and 2005, at least 250
children died of hyperthermia after being left unattended in a vehicle. In addition, leaving children
unattended in motor vehicles increase risk of abduction or a motor vehicle accident, if the child
were to attempt to operate the car. Parents and guardians need to be aware of these risks and
should face legal penalties if they leave a young child alone in a car.
