“Like most New York state budget bills, the Transportation, Economic Development and Environmental Conservation budget bill I voted in favor of today was stuffed to the ceiling with policy initiatives that would have been better debated and considered outside the budget process. 

However, as I have done with every budget bill I have voted on, I weighed the negative aspects of these proposals versus the positives. My analysis led to a ‘yes’ vote for some very good reasons.

Unreasonable timelines and costly mandates associated with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) have been pushed back by a decade, including extending the state’s greenhouse gas reduction target from 2030 to 2040, while also changing carbon emissions evaluations from a 20-year to a 100-year time frame to align with federal standards. Deferring costly mandates that are driving up our utility bills can only help struggling ratepayers with estimates now showing the total cost of implementing the CLCPA could exceed half a trillion dollars. It is also further proof that our calls to repeal these mandates outright because of the massive expense associated with them are finally being heard.

Strengthening anti-fraud programs and limiting damages for at-fault parties are steps in the right direction that should begin to reduce our highest-in-the-nation auto insurance rates. This, too, is good news for my constituents who depend on their ability to drive in every facet of their lives.

Much more needs to be done to comprehensively address our state’s affordability crisis. These are steps in the right direction, and I believe the impact they will have on the residents I represent merits my support.”