“In what will likely be one of the tightest budget cycles in recent memory, Governor Cuomo laid out an ambitious agenda in his annual State of the State address. I was pleased that he raised a number of priorities that I share, including a few that directly impact my district.

“Here the Hudson Valley, we appreciate the Governor’s support of continued efforts to remediate PCB’s from the Hudson River and his commitment to bring our iconic river – so essential to our region's economic, recreational, societal and environmental wellbeing – back to health. I was also pleased to hear the Governor recognize Columbia County's own Olana State Historic Site, truly a national landmark, as a prime location for tourism investment. Further, I am hopeful that the Governor’s workforce development agenda will support my efforts to create new jobs in historic trades and preservation by working with our local community colleges and BOCES programs to train the next generation of plasterers, stone mason, woodworkers and more.

“Regarding the growing epidemic of Lyme and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) in the Hudson Valley, the Governor has included in his agenda an initiative that aims to advance research on diagnosing TBDs, reduce the number of ticks on public lands, and inform New Yorkers of the dangers of ticks and TBDs. I look forward to working with the Governor and his team to include our tick warning signs legislation in this public outreach campaign.

“Even as the Governor continues to unveil new proposals to meet his climate change goals, I wish he would commit to incentivizing climate smart agricultural programs like carbon farming. New York can still be a leader in this positive approach to reducing carbon in the atmosphere and sequestering it in the soil where it creates greater soil health and resilience – a win-win approach that would help our New York farmers and our environment.”