Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick) today outlined some of his budget priorities as the Legislature heads into serious negotiations ahead of the April 1 deadline. McDonough, Ranking Minority on the Assembly’s Transportation Committee, emphasized protecting Nassau County’s bus routes as a top priority amidst projected budget cuts.

“One of the most important issues facing Nassau County residents is the potential for the serious cuts in service for the Nassau Inter-County Bus Routes (NICE). The governor’s proposal for non-MTA transit provided no increase for suburban bus companies. In that case, it would mean that NICE would have to reduce routes affecting over 5,400 daily bus riders including students and those who need transportation for their daily jobs. I have called on the governor to restore the needed aid in order to alleviate this serious problem. Budget negotiations for the legislature and the governor begin this week and we will strongly advocate that this be done.”

McDonough, a longtime member of the Assembly’s Education Committee and pivotal member in the fight against Common Core testing, spoke on the importance of Long Island schools and making sure they are properly funded.

“Education funding and providing our teachers and students with the resources they need has always been a concern of mine,” McDonough said. “The initial proposal by the governor is seriously deficient. Long Island has 17% of the state’s students, the highest graduation rate in the state, yet we continue to receive proposals of 12-13% of full aid. Full funding means smaller class sizes, more individual attention for students and a better chance for graduation and a successful future.”

McDonough helped introduce the Assembly Minority C.A.R.E.S. Plan last month that makes recommendations to protect those with developmental disabilities, and he will focus on increased services and resources in this year’s budget talks.

“Their efforts to provide for those who cannot protect themselves are unmatched, yet they face significant budget cuts if the state doesn’t step up and assist them” McDonough said. “We introduced our C.A.R.E.S. Plan as a framework to increase services at the local level for education and employment and create plans for sheltered workshops, but now we need the state to step up and fund these programs. We must protect the most vulnerable in our society and this is the year to do it.”

The 2017 State Budget is due by April 1, 2017.