As New York’s mass exodus of precious taxpayers continues to grow, our economic development programs remain stagnant and thousands of New Yorkers have not yet received their STAR Rebate checks, the Assembly Majority chose to ram through a package of controversial immigration bills that are surely going nowhere in the legislative process.

This whining snowflake mentality is surely in response to President Trump’s Executive Order on Immigration, and New York City liberals would rather grandstand on one-house legislation going nowhere than address the real issues facing New Yorkers.

Among the measures passed were bills to provide free legal services and counsel to illegal aliens, essentially make New York a ‘Sanctuary State,’ handcuffing its ability to comply with federal immigration enforcement by prohibiting law enforcement from questioning an individual’s immigration status, and prohibiting the creation of any kind of database based on national or ethnic origin. These measures would undoubtedly make our communities more dangerous and prevent law enforcement from removing and deporting dangerous criminals.

Furthermore, as they do every year, the Assembly Majority again reaffirmed their commitment to free, taxpayer-funded college assistance to illegal aliens, also known as the DREAM Act, which is more like a nightmare in my opinion. Disregarding the extreme cost this would place on our tax base and generations to come, this is about unfairly and irresponsibly prioritizing the rights of illegal immigrants over the rights of middle-class families struggling to pay for college. When the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) hasn’t been raised in over a decade and tuition costs continue to rise, it is unconscionable to fund free giveaways to illegals on our dime.

I was proud to vote against these injustices and will continue to stand for New York’s middle-class taxpayers and homeowners. I hope Assembly leadership gets their priorities straight and starts focusing on issues here in our state instead of using their platform to turn our government into a partisan and theatrical circus.