In early March, I attended the launch meeting for a new coalition program coming to the Peekskill area to help individual disabled military service members after their hospitalization so they can have a smooth transition into their new hometowns or communities. That is what Heroes to Hometowns is all about.

This national model is designed to provide returning service members with recognition that they are a part of the community, as well as with a network they can access where they will be supported with whatever particular needs they may have. This can only be possible with the full help of the community. Show your support by providing transportation, financial support, counseling, and many other services. For more information about this start-up program or to find out how you can help, contact John H. Donohue (Post Chaplain) at 917-834-8588, donohueNO1@gmail.com, or by regular mail at Peekskill American Legion Post 274, PO Box 21, 936 McKinley St., Peekskill, NY 10566.

Additionally, check public access TV listings around Memorial Day for my “Speak Out” TV show air times when I will be interviewing a representative from the American Legion along with Cortlandt Town Supervisor Linda Puglisi to discuss the progress of Heroes to Hometowns in the area.

As we continue to address the high property taxes in our state, the state legislature must enact mandate relief. Mandates are requirements, enacted through laws and regulations, which are imposed on school districts and local municipalities by both the state and federal governments. Local governments must comply with these mandates, although they are rarely fully funded. These unfunded mandates place a heavy burden on schools and municipalities. Mandates are usually well-intentioned, and created because individuals or particular interest groups have advocated for them in an effort to improve our society.

I have been working with various groups to address some of these mandates and to find ways to relieve local governments of excessive burdens which may not necessarily continue to serve the original purpose for which they were intended. However, some of the costliest mandates continue to have proponents as well as opponents, making our ability to eliminate them much harder.

Over the past year I have met with various groups to prioritize mandates and determine which may be possible to eliminate. Some groups remain opposed to these changes. I attended meetings with other legislators, held open houses, commented at the local hearing of the State’s Mandate Relief Council, as well as worked with school districts to help them meet with the Mandate Relief Task Force to identify mandates they thought could be eliminated. I have also introduced legislation to curb costs by eliminating current unfunded mandates and prohibiting new ones from being enacted.

Legislation I have introduced to date and the committees in which the bills are currently being considered are listed below:

A1592 No New State Mandates on Local Governments or Schools without Funding. (Assembly Government Operations Committee)

A2387 BOCES to Coordinate Sharing Services to Lower Costs for Our Schools. (Assembly Education Committee)

A3682 Reform the Wicks Law to Allow General Contractors to Coordinate Large Scale Construction Projects for School Districts. (Assembly Education Committee)

A6377 Allow Regional Collective Bargaining. (Assembly Government Employees Committee)

A6476 Eliminate Breast & Prostate Cancer Screenings Excused-Leave for Those Who Do Not Work 12 Months in a Year. (Assembly Government Employees Committee)

A7173 An Alternative Option for Schools to Raise Revenue through Mix of Income and Property Taxes. (Assembly Education Committee)

A7715 Allows School Districts to enter into Municipal Cooperative Agreements. (Assembly Education Committee)

A8534 Allows Sharing of Purchasing Contracts between Municipalities and Schools based on Best Value. (Assembly Local Governments Committee)

A8920 Allows School Districts to set up a Teacher Retirement System (TRS) Reserve Fund. (Assembly Government Employees)

A9038 Reassess Property Every 4 Years to Cut Back on Small Claims and Certioraris/Create Tax Equity. (Assembly Ways and Means)

A9283 Allow BOCES Capital Expenses to be Exempt from 2% Tax Cap. (Assembly Education Committee)

For more information on any of these bills, visit the assembly website at assembly.state.ny.us and insert the bill number on the bill look-up page, then be sure to check the “sponsor’s memo” and “text box” and search again for more information. Alternately, you may call my district office for copies of these or any other bills.

Here are the results I received from the 767 responses to the Constituent Questionnaire on the back of my January newsletter. I thank those of you who submitted responses. Your input is extremely valuable to me, as it allows me to better address the pressing issues we grapple with in the state with an understanding of your opinions. These are the percentage results for the responses I received as of March 2012. I will also share the results with my colleagues in both the Assembly and the Senate to encourage them to consider your points of view as well.

Annually, I invite high school and college students interested in government to intern in my district office in Ossining during the summer months. This unpaid internship program typically offers between ten and twenty students the chance to gain a firsthand look at how government works. Interns have the opportunity to work on research projects related to legislation, write letters and press releases, create citations, sit in on meetings with agencies and organizations, and attend events with me. I hope you know of a student who will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity by contacting Dana Levenberg at 914-941-1111 or emailing her at levenbergd@assembly.state.ny.us, or filling out the application on my website.