109th Assembly District 2024 Constituent Issue & Budget Priority Survey

November 17, 2023

As we approach the 2024 budget process and legislative session, it is informative for me to hear from you on policies and issues affecting you and the communities of the 109th Assembly District. Your perspective on the complex issues facing our state and nation helps inform my work and helps prioritize what matters most to my constituency.

Please take the brief 3-to-5-minute survey below to provide your feedback. Your personal information is confidential and will not be shared. You must also be a constituent of the 109th Assembly District to participate.

Title

First Name

Middle Initial

Last Name

Suffix

Pronouns

Phone Number

Email

Confirm Email

Address

Address Line 2

Apt Number

City

State

Zip

Part I.

1.

Please choose up to three of the following issues that matter most to you as it relates to funding programs in next year’s state budget and legislative session:

Jobs and economic growth.

Housing Affordability.

Public safety and crime.

Climate change and renewable energy.

Healthcare access or affordability.

Mental health resources and access.

Roads, bridges and transportation infrastructure.

Investments in Pre-K and K-12 education.

Conserving parkland, open space, and climate resiliency.

Walkable communities and streets.

Opioid addiction services and rehabilitation.

Higher Education affordability.

Part II.

Please answer ‘Yes’, ‘No’, ‘Don’t Know/Unsure’ or ‘satisfied or this issue is not as important to me’ to note your support or opposition for the following policy proposals:

1.

New York has set ambitious carbon emission reduction mandates under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, including to reach an 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, to reach 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040, and 70% renewable energy by 2030. I sponsor legislation known as the NY Home Energy Affordable Transition (HEAT) Act, one of several bills aimed at meeting these ambitious mandates, which would phase-out the expansion of fossil fuel heating infrastructure and end subsidies that help pay for that expansion, including new automatic gas hookups. Are you supportive of efforts such as the NY HEAT Act to help New York meet these mandates and combat climate change?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

2.

Earlier this year, a comprehensive housing package that included protections for tenants and incentives for affordable housing construction failed to pass in the state budget. New York State is amid a housing crisis, with many unable to find affordable housing amid a lack of new units and rising rents. As part of that package, legislation known as ‘Good Cause Eviction’ would change how eviction proceedings are adjudicated in New York courts. The bill would apply eviction protections to non-renewal leases and grant tenants new legal protections from ‘unreasonable’ rent increases (defined as a 5% increase that may be adjusted for inflation). Supporters of the bill claim these additional protections will level the playing field for tenants in eviction court, while opponents claim the bill will undermine landlords’ property rights, require more court proceedings, and slow the growth of NY’s housing stock. Do you support this legislation?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

3.

New York’s Raise the Age (RTA) law amended the age that a person can be prosecuted as an adult to 18 years old. Prior to Raise the Age, New York was one of only two states in the nation to hold 16-year-olds criminally responsible, though concerns have arisen that these changes allow youthful offenders to evade court and court-ordered resources available to assist them. Do you believe New York should amend parts of the Raise the Age law to strengthen youth gun provisions and the ability to prosecute repeat offenders?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

4.

After years of work, in 2022, I was successful in securing $5 million for an engineering feasibility study to reimagine I-787. Since then, the New York State Department of Transportation has held open houses and provided ways for Albany residents to give feedback on the project. Are you supportive of this project and further efforts to reconnect Albany with its Hudson River waterfront and canals?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

5.

This year, I penned an op-ed with Senator Neil Breslin that urged the revitalization of the Harriman State Office Campus as part of the $1.7 billion Wadsworth Labs consolidation and upgrade project. Ideally, this would include more private sector businesses located on the campus. Are you supportive of efforts to revitalize the Harriman Campus to better integrate it with the City of Albany, and create a world-class research hub here in the Capital Region?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

6.

Last year, we were successful in securing a historic increase in funding for our SUNY and CUNY campuses in the state budget after years of disinvestment. CUNY and SUNY are economic powerhouses and the cornerstones of many communities across New York. Do you support further increased funding for higher education institutions, including SUNY and CUNY, to keep tuition costs affordable and invest in our campuses and student success?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

7.

Last year, New York State public schools, for the first time, saw the effects and impact of a fully-funded Foundation Aid education formula, which directs aid to some of the state’s most disadvantaged school districts, including a historic and record level of education funding for our public schools. Should New York State prioritize this commitment to funding our public Pre-K to K-12 education system in the state budget?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

8.

Migrants and asylum seekers are currently unable to seek expedited work authorizations from the federal government. Once they do receive federal work authorization and find employment, they will pay New York State taxes, become more self-sufficient, and integrate further into our communities. Are you supportive of state funding to help local governments and nonprofit agencies to further support these newcomers amidst this crisis?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

9.

Do you think that individuals, regardless of immigration status, should be eligible for state health insurance coverage?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

10.

This year, the Supreme Court nullified the use of race-conscious admissions in its ruling against affirmative action, a long-standing practice that has helped catapult students from disadvantaged backgrounds to their dream of acquiring a higher education. Are you supportive of efforts at the state level to find alternatives to affirmative action that will ensure that higher education remains fully accessible for students of color and students from disadvantaged backgrounds?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

11.

New York State has continued to slightly reduce middle class income taxes in recent years in the state’s budget. Do you believe New York should continue to cut middle class income taxes in this year’s state budget and focus on reigning in property taxes?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

12.

Home-vacation rental websites such as Airbnb, HomeAway, and VRBO, are popular, but are straining local housing supply in a number of municipalities. I sponsor legislation to require a statewide short-term rental registry, basic safety requirements, and the collection of local taxes similar to those hotels and motels pay to directly benefit local tourism promotion agencies and municipalities. Do you support this legislation to help better regulate home-vacation rentals and level the playing field on local taxes?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

13.

A poll found that 63-percent of New Yorkers support medical aid in dying or ‘death with dignity,” which is the ability for terminally ill patients to choose to end their own lives with medical assistance. Should New York adopt legislation authorizing ‘Medical Aid in Dying’, despite concerns regarding limited safeguards for individuals living with disabilities?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

14.

Overdose Prevention Centers allow those struggling with addiction to receive dedicated care and treatment, while providing a sanitary and supervised site for injections to help save lives by preventing overdoses. Are you supportive of increased funding for Overdose Prevention Centers, or ‘injection sites’, in New York’s fight against the opioid epidemic?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

15.

New York is facing a projected $4 billion-dollar budget deficit this year and has lost population in the last few years. In those last few years, personal income tax increased for individuals making more than $1 million and taxes increased on corporations whose business income was more than $5 million. Should New York raise taxes on the income of multi-millionaires, billionaires, and tax the assets of the ultra-wealthy to boost revenue for state programs (i.e. Medicaid, Pre-K to K-12 education, transportation, etc) amid a projected budget shortfall?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

16.

Proposed legislation known as New York Health Act (NYHA) would create a public single-payer system in place of commercial insurance with no health costs to consumers relating to premiums, deductibles, or co-payments for health and long-term care. It would be replaced by a graduated income and payroll tax increase on non-payroll investment income (capital gains and dividends) to pay for costs associated with a transition. The total cost of the NYHA has been estimated at $139 billion a year. Should New York move toward a single-payer, public universal healthcare system?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

17.

Environmentalists are pushing for an expansion of New York State’s ‘Bottle Bill’ in the 2023 legislative session. This would raise the 5-cent bottle deposit and return fee to 10-cents and make other glass containers eligible in a bid to encourage more recycling. Do you support increasing the state bottle deposit to 10-cents?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

18.

To address the growing affordability crisis, I sponsor legislation that would expand New York’s earned income tax credit (EITC) to include more New Yorkers and raise tax credit amounts to lift incomes and incentivize work. In addition to expanding NY’s EITC eligibility by raising income phase-out limits, this bill also expands eligibility for the credit to those who do not have children, those aged 18-24, and those who file income taxes without a Social Security Number. The EITC phase-out start point would grow from $8,790 to $24,960 (annual income) for childless adults and single parents, and from $14,680 to $29,960 for joint filers. This bill also raises the total value of NY's EITC from 30% to 40% of the federal EITC. Do you support this expansion of New York’s EITC?

Yes

No

Unsure/Don’t Know

I am satisfied or this issue is not as important to me.

19.

The world of media has changed rapidly just in the past few decades. Today, what is your primary source for reading the news or receiving information? Please choose just one.

Instagram

X (formerly known as Twitter)

Facebook

Tik Tok

Newspapers (Albany Times Union, New York Times, etc.)

Television

Radio

Podcasting

Youtube

Snapchat

Other:

20.

Do you have any other priorities for the 2024 budget process and legislative session? If so, please be as specific as possible.

User Name