Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,I,C – Batavia) today participated in a press conference supporting mandate relief for school districts and local governments. With the closure of the 2011 Legislative Session just days away, Hawley spoke to the importance of reaching an agreement to reduce unfunded state mandates before the Legislature adjourns for the summer.

“The reason that Western New Yorkers are plagued by such crippling local taxes is the litany of unfunded mandates passed onto local governments and school districts by state government,” said Hawley. “Homeowners in Genesee, Monroe, Niagara and Orleans counties pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation. Businesses have fled our communities, taking their jobs with them. Our young people are voting with their feet, leaving Western New York as fast as they can, all because of the excessive taxes that impede people from working, living and raising a family in their own backyard. I am proud to stand alongside Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb and the rest of my colleagues that understand that mandate relief must be a top priority for legislative leaders as the 2011 Legislative Session draws to a close.”

Assemblyman Hawley has been a consistent supporter of mandate relief throughout his time in the Assembly. Among other measures, he is the co-sponsor of Assembly bill 8447, which would enact the Taxpayer Protection and Mandate Relief Act. The legislation would repeal and reform the cost drivers that have forced local taxes through the roof in recent years.