Assemblyman Scott Gray (R-Watertown) sat down with Assembly Radio-TV Producer Ted Flint for an Assembly Update last week, where he addressed current issues facing New Yorkers, including the ongoing correctional officer work stoppages, the governor’s free college proposal and the latest on the state budget process.

State correctional officers have been on strike for weeks, citing dangerous working conditions and staff shortages. Inmate-on-staff and inmate-on-inmate violence is on the rise, while long hours—often 16-18 hours per shift—are taking a toll on both uniformed and civilian staff. Gray notes that policy changes imposed unilaterally—not contract disputes—are at the heart of the crisis. The governor’s ongoing push to close up to five more prisons in this year’s budget is worsening staffing and recruitment challenges. In the meantime, the National Guard has been deployed to maintain order, but Gray warns this is not a long-term solution, as they are not trained correction officers.

As a member of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, Gray also addressed the governor’s proposal to provide free college courses to adults aged 25-55. He questioned whether the state should focus on fulfilling its statutory obligation to properly fund community colleges first, rather than introducing new programs. Currently, the state covers only 24% of community college funding—far below the required one-third—leaving local governments and students to pick up the slack.

With budget hearings concluded, the process now moves into the next phase, where the Senate and Assembly will present their one-house budget proposals before entering negotiations with the governor.

Watch the full video to hear Gray’s insights on these topics.