Assemblyman Scott Gray (R-Watertown) released the latest episode of “The Gray Area” video series. In this week’s episode, Gray highlights the passage and implications of key bills, such as those addressing social media algorithms targeted at children and the contentious Climate Change Superfund Act. Gray also reflects on significant proposals that did not pass, including the New York HEAT Act and the Bigger Better Bottle Bill, stressing their potential impacts on the local economy and community.

“The SAFE for Kids Act and the Child Data Protection Act, both of which have passed, aim to protect kids online from addictive algorithm feeds and intend to have more control over social media for kids. That’s a good bill, and we hope the governor finds a way to sign it.

The Climate Change Superfund Act was also passed but is not a good bill and will likely have to stand the test of a court challenge if the governor signs it. This would require companies that have supposedly contributed to climate change to contribute to a Climate Action Fund, aimed at raising about $3 billion a year from these so-called polluters to help pay for climate mitigation measures and related infrastructure improvements. We are concerned about penalizing companies for operations permitted by state and federal governments, and we hope the governor vetoes it.

The short-term rental registry also passed. This is important as it will provide critical information to local municipalities. It was supported by the New York Association of Counties, the New York Association of Town Governments, the Conference of Mayors and widely supported within the tourism industry. It will help local governments understand the impact of short-term rentals on their market, which is important for public safety and housing dynamics. It also brings parity between the hotel/motel industry and short-term rentals in terms of what they charge customers, which is critical.

Some important things did not pass, such as the New York HEAT Act, which would have limited natural gas hookups and capped bills for low-income consumers. The single-use plastics or EPR bill did not pass either, which may have had benefits for our area, especially considering Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, but there needs to be a balance in terms of the economy and affordability for consumers in grocery stores. Increasing costs at any time is not advisable, and it would have had a major impact on large employers in our area who produce a lot of food products, particularly dairy producers and processors. For now, it’s a good thing it did not pass.

The Bigger Better Bottle Bill did not pass either. We have concerns about fraud in that market, with bottles being brought in from other states that do not offer redemption value. This forces distributors to pay redemption centers for those returns, even though there was no collection on the front end when sold at the store. This represents a significant stranded cost for many distributors. Additionally, raising the redemption value would cost consumers more at the store level for bottled products. It’s a good thing this issue remains parked for now.

As always, it’s a pleasure to serve you and an honor to serve you. I look forward to working and seeing you in the district in the coming months, especially through the summer. Staying in touch with the public is critical for someone representing you in Albany, as it keeps us grounded and informed on how best to serve you when we are back in Albany. I look forward to serving you and seeing you throughout the district,” Gray concluded.

Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xWS5gCJPZM