Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C-Batavia) signed on to a letter calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to respond and investigate the nursing home mismanagement disaster from the COVID-19 pandemic in a more timely and open manner.

As many New Yorkers are aware, nursing homes were some of the most highly volatile areas where the coronavirus spread. This was largely due to elderly citizens being particularly vulnerable, and then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo deciding to relocate hospitalized patients to nursing homes once there were no more beds in hospitals. Hawley, like many legislators, wants accountability from those who made the decision that led to so many deaths.

“This saga has gone on for three long and painful years, and it’s time for the governor to be more transparent with what her plans are,” Hawley said. “We’ve had families plead for justice, for answers, for accountability, but they have gone unheard thanks to a government that has tried its hardest to sweep its mistakes under the rug. We owe it to all New Yorkers to be transparent and timely with them about this matter.”

Western New York had a particularly notable case that demanded answering for. The Village of Orleans is currently facing a class action lawsuit and a separate lawsuit from the New York State Attorney General’s office regarding the mishandling of the elderly in their care during COVID-19. With incidents like these in our own backyard, Hawley is eager to see wrongs be righted.

“Families deserve justice, plain and simple. Both here in Orleans County and across this state. I sincerely hope the governor agrees to our request and makes this process more transparent,” Hawley concluded.