Some good news last week: the >Capital Region posted a record high job total for April last month, with a total of 472,400 jobs! On an additional positive note, there was some rare good news from Washington came this week as the Senate voted to overturn the FCC’s ruling to repeal Net Neutrality. I’ll be continuing to push this important issue for small business and students in the legislature!

Barbara Underwood Appointed as Attorney General. I voted yesterday in support of Barbara Underwood to be appointed as NYS Attorney General, making her the first woman to hold that position. Attorney General Barbara Underwood has decades of demonstrated experience and effectiveness in strongly advocating for New Yorkers. She has exemplary qualifications and I am proud to support her as she takes on this elevated role with truly national implications to protect New York residents, our economy and environment during this increasingly challenging time in Washington. I am confident she will dutifully serve the remainder of her term.

Report Recommends Wadsworth Labs Stay in Albany. After a lot of work over the past two budget seasons, I am pleased to note that the Governor's Office released its report on the location of the Wadsworth Labs recommending two Albany sites. Deloitte, the firm retained to recommend a new site for the Wadsworth Laboratories, recommended that the labs be located at the David Axelrod Institute near Albany Med. This massive investment of $750 million in Wadsworth will create world-class life science labs, while positioning the Capital Region to attract greater private research dollars and further cement this area as a national epicenter of health, science, and technological research. Currently, 800 jobs are tied to the public health labs in Albany and this upgrade and consolidation will leverage private-sector investment while attracting more jobs and research dollars.

Assembly Passes Property Tax Relief for Some Guilderland Residents. I’m pleased to note the Assembly passed a bill I sponsored which would create temporary segmented equalization rates for certain portions of the Town of Guilderland to correct for an irregularity which resulted in in a large property tax increase for some residents. The bill, which now awaits the Governor’s signature, will help lift some of the burden this tax year while the town conducts a reassessment.

Push for Additional LEAD Program Funding. I joined local and stare elected officials and law enforcement to promote a bill I sponsor, A. 10403, which would direct additional funding to Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) programs. LEAD programs, including a nationally-recognized program in the City of Albany, seek to divert non-violent offenders into substance abuse, mental health, housing assistance or related programs instead prosecution in the criminal justice system. These programs do not have a steady stream of funding, and rely on grant or foundation funding, which has limited their growth. My bill would authorize the use of proceeds from civil asset forfeitures for LEAD programs, and would additionally provide the Commissioner of the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) the ability to make funding available to LEAD programs in the state to assist individuals with substance use disorders.

Governor Announces Working Group for Lyme Disease. Governor Cuomo announced last Tuesday an aggressive Lyme and tick-borne disease control plan to control tick populations on public lands, increase public awareness and access to available data, and create a working group to participate in a Lyme disease summit this summer. To implement this plan, the Governor has directed the Department of Health, Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to collaborate in order to target priority counties and public lands with the highest risk of tick exposure and Lyme disease.

Naturalize NY Program. Two years ago, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the launch of NaturalizeNY – the first public-private partnership of its kind in the country to promote U.S. citizenship. The initiative provides comprehensive support to citizenship-eligible immigrants through the naturalization process – featuring free online eligibility screenings, application assistance, naturalization prep exam, and a lottery for application fee vouchers for low-income immigrants. Prospective applicants should determine their eligibility for citizenship and their eligibility for the lottery by visiting: http://www.naturalizeny.org/. More information is also available by calling the New Americans Hotline at 1-800-566-7636.

Tipped Wage Proposal. The Times Union ran an opinion piece on Thursday about the Governor’s proposed elimination of the tipped minimum wage. I echo some of the concerns raised by the TU’s Steve Barnes on how this proposal will impact restaurant workers in particular. With some businesses such as car washes and nail salons, I agree that the elimination of the tipped wage will positively impact worker incomes, it is much less clear that this plan will benefit restaurant workers, who could end up with more less hours or fewer jobs due to automation (ordering from tablets). I will continue to raise concerns about this issue as this proposal is considered by the Department of Labor.

Governor Announces Plan to Make NY Plants Coal Free. Governor Cuomo announced on Thursday that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has released proposed regulations to require all power plants in New York to meet new emissions limits for carbon dioxide. The regulations, a first in the nation approach to regulating carbon emissions, will achieve the Governor's goal to end the use of coal in New York State power plants by 2020. I’m supportive of this measure and ambitious timeline, and it’s good to see the Governor taking this significant action on climate change.

Worker’s Comp Premium Rate May Decline. The Times Union reported on Friday that the premium rates for worker’s compensation insurance will likely fall by about 12% this year. This will save employers about $1 billion statewide, thanks to worker’s compensation reforms enacted in last year’s state budget! I was proud to support these reforms last year and am glad to see the positive impact they are having on small businesses.

Community Updates & Events.

Opioid Discussion at YMCA Tonight. Do you have questions about the opioid crisis that is gripping our communities? In conjunction with the Albany County District Attorney, David Soares, the Y has convened an expert panel of law enforcement, addiction services, public officials and others to discuss the effects and responses to the opioid crisis. The discussion will be held on Wed, May 23 at 6 – 7:30 PM at the Guilderland YMCA, 250 Winding Brook Drive. Register at the Y or call 518-456-3634.

Annual Tulip Dig. Join the Washington Park Conservancy for annual Tulip Dig & Sale on Saturday, 5/26 and Sunday, 5/27 (Memorial Day Weekend). The dig is a week later than usual this year, due to spring taking its own sweet time getting to Albany. The Tulip Dig begins 9 AM at the Moses Fountain, in Washington Park. Bulbs are $5 for a bag of 30 – 5 bags per person. The tulip dig is limited strictly to designated beds, under the direction of park staff and volunteers, and ends at 12:00 noon. Bring a garden fork. No shovels or rakes, please.

Save the South End Historic District. This past April Historic Albany Foundation shared that their nomination of the South End-Groesbeckville Historic district would be included in the Preservation League of New York State’s 2018 Seven to Save List. In the mid-nineteenth century, the South End-Groesbeckville National Register Historic District was one of the most densely populated areas in the city of Albany. This neighborhood development evolution reflects the city’s nineteenth-century industrial expansion and population growth and has buildings that date from the 18th century through the 21st century.

For the South End-Groesbeckville Historic District, first listed on the National Register in 1984, demolitions have reduced the stock of approximately 550 contributing buildings to under 400 – and loss of nearly 30%. Unfortunately, due to public safety concerns, these demolitions continue. The State Historic Preservation Office and members of the Historic Resources Commission have expressed concerns about the integrity of this historic district as a result of the extensive amount of loss. I strongly support efforts of the Historic Albany Foundation to preserve this important piece of local history.

As always, for the latest news or for upcoming events, please visit my office online, on Facebook, on Twitter, or my Times Union blog. If you would like to reach my office, please feel free to send us a note, or give us a call at (518) 455-4178.

Pat