Assemblyman Matt Simpson (R,C-Lake George), Ranking Minority Member on the Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation, issued the following statement after yesterday’s Joint Budget Hearing on Environmental Conservation and Energy:

“I am encouraged to see a $500 million commitment to clean water infrastructure funding in the governor’s executive budget proposal. Clean water is a fundamental necessity, especially for our rural communities that are grappling with limited funds and where infrastructure challenges can be more pronounced. This investment is a step in the right direction, but we must ensure these funds are efficiently allocated to make the most meaningful impact.

“We will continue to engage in productive conversations with the state and push for increased Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) support for the Adirondacks and surrounding regions. Protecting our natural resources goes hand-in-hand with protecting our way of life and economic sustainability.

“However, I remain frustrated by the state’s inconsistency in enforcing its own mandates. While Albany forces electrification on homeowners, mandates electric buses for schools regardless of district size or infrastructure and imposes ACT regulations on trucks, which increases costs for all consumers, it conveniently disregards these policies when it is inconvenient for the state—such as its decision to use propane heating at the Ski Bowl lodge due to budgetary concerns. If electrification is too costly for the state, it is certainly a burden for hardworking New Yorkers as well. We must apply common sense and fairness in our energy policies,” Simpson said.