Assemblyman Chris Tague (R,C,I,Ref-Schoharie) is leading the charge among his Minority colleagues in the Assembly to demand the governor allow graduation ceremonies to proceed in the state. Tague insists this can be done safely with proper precautions, and says graduates deserve to celebrate their achievement after having their academic lives and years of hard work and bonding with classmates upended by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our students have worked for years to earn this moment that’s been taken from them out of unnecessary fear and lack of imagination,” said Tague. “We owe it to our students to find a way to give them this recognition and a small amount of normalcy in the aftermath of this event that took away so many memories and opportunities. We can have people social distance, we can have these ceremonies slightly later in the summer, and we can get creative to keep these gatherings safe for all of our school districts of various sizes and circumstances throughout the state. For many students not going to college and pursuing careers in trades, the military and elsewhere, this is the one opportunity they have to be recognized in a graduation ceremony, and for all their hard work we owe it to them to give them this moment and acknowledge their achievement.”