Assemblyman Scott Gray (R-Watertown) has had a busy week in Albany, working on regular legislative bills, additional budget extenders and, finally, budget bills. With the upcoming holiday, Gray also had a special message for those who have served and his weekly slate of visitors.

After the 14th budget extender, work on budget bills began. Gray said he supported ELFA, the education bill, saying it addressed concerns he had raised. He praised the bill for delaying the EV bus mandate, which he called costly for districts due to both buses and infrastructure. He also welcomed UPK funding and a 2% minimum increase in school aid. However, he noted that even 2% is not enough to keep up with annual growth in expenses like utilities, and rising gas costs that place significant pressure on districts, jsut like other New Yorkers.

Looking forward to the next piece of the budget, Gray spoke about the Public Protection and General Government bill. He strongly opposes it and said he’ll break down his concerns in greater detail in another edition of the Gray Area. He also announced a video highlighting his legislative work on data centers. This video shows how interconnected we are with them, as well as the concerns communities have about where they’re built and the utilities they use.

Gray also took time on the Assembly floor this week to recognize Customs and Border Protection Patrol Agent Sean McDonough, who recently passed away. With Gray having said, “I knew Sean McDonough, he was a personal friend of mine. We took a moment of silence on the Assembly Floor this week to honor him and his sacrifice. My condolences to the McDonough family.”

With a busy floor schedule, Gray had a limited number of visitors this week, including participants of allergy advocacy day, Hardy Fusion, and New York which he’ll meet on Memorial Day.

To end this week’s Gray Area, he gave a special message for the upcoming holiday weekend: “I wish you all an enjoyable Memorial Day. Remember what the weekend is all about. It is those people who have served our country and did not return home from a conflict. So, I ask everybody to take a pause and remember those who served.”