“Today is an extremely important day in Albany when we have a chance to meet stakeholders and those who serve our citizens with disabilities to gain some insight into their struggles and triumphs, especially as it pertains to help from state government. Our most vulnerable New Yorkers need our support and protection and this day serves as an outlet for their voices to be heard.

“I was proud to host a grassroots forum in the Hudson Valley last year along with my Assembly Minority colleagues as part of our statewide task force on Protecting the Rights of People with Developmental Disabilities in order to hear directly from those who work in this field and serve those with disabilities. We used this knowledge to introduce legislation in the Assembly and develop a comprehensive report of findings that can be found here.

“Let us not forget that it was the Assembly Minority Conference that fought to restore $90 million to fund the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) in the 2013 State Budget, when Gov. Cuomo and Assembly Majority tried to funnel the money into the pockets of Hollywood movie executives.”