Co-op and condo owners are an integral part of our community. This year, co-op and condo owners throughout the district were faced with higher than usual property tax valuations from the NYC Department of Finance.

I am proud to announce I am sponsoring a bill in the State Legislature (A.6684) which redefines the classification of co-ops and condos for the purposes of property taxes. The passage of this bill would result in a reduction in property taxes for owner-occupied co-op and condos by capping increases in assessments at no more than 6% each year or more than 20% in five years.

Many of the residents living in our area’s co-ops and condos are middle class families and on a fixed income. I pledge to continue fighting for our community’s residents, so that we can keep our elderly and working-class citizens in their homes and communities.

In Albany. On March 15, I spoke in support of the Early Intervention Program along with Assembly colleagues, providers, parents, and children.

Securing Services for Our Children

Protecting the well-being of our children has always been a top priority for me, and it will continue to be a priority, regardless of the economic climate.

Young children develop differently. One child may walk earlier than another; another child may begin talking first. Often these differences even out, other times children may need some extra help. For almost 18 years, the New York State Early Intervention Program has provided a variety of therapeutic and supportive services to infants and toddlers with developmental delays and their families. Early identification of developmental delays is key to positive outcomes and improving the quality of life of our children.

This season, I held multiple rallies and press conferences to call for restorations of funding to the Early Intervention Program. Our voices were heard. Reductions to the Early Intervention program were cut in half to 5 percent.

At a press conference supporting the Early Intervention Program on March 27 in New York City.

We want our children to thrive and have the best quality of services possible.

Even a 5 percent reduction is too much on top of last year’s large mid-year cut to the Early Intervention Program. We want our children to thrive and have the best quality services possible. This is why I have introduced legislation that would prohibit the New York State Department of Health from reducing the reimbursement rates for the early intervention program below the rates in effect as of March 1, 2010 (A.705)—effectively rolling back the last year’s cuts, allowing our children to have access to services that will help them grow and develop, and helping parents support and promote their children’s development.

Assemblyman Weprin Supports Investments in Education

Chancellor Dennis Walcott, a Queens native, and me in Albany on April 12. I was delighted to hear the news of Dennis Walcott’s nomination for Chancellor of our New York City schools and am looking forward to working with him on policies to benefit the education of our children

Despite the state’s fiscal problems, I could not, in good conscience, accept all the proposed cuts to programs affecting our public school children. The final budget that I voted in favor of restores $230 million in general support to public schools statewide. The final budget also includes a two-year appropriation for school aid, providing an $800 million increase in next year’s budget. This two-year budget appropriation will help principals better organize their budget priorities in advance for upcoming school year events. In addition, restorations for state-supported schools for the blind and deaf and the Summer Special Education program reduced the cost shift to NYC by $95 million. I fought for restorations to soften the sharpest cuts because we simply can not afford to abandon our public schools. All of our children deserve a top-notch quality education.

Weprin Votes to Protect Universal Pre-K and Preserve Funding for Higher Education

Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) programs provide a nurturing environment where children develop skills that form the foundation for future learning. It has been proven time and time again that early learning provides children with a solid educational foundation to continue to strive and excel. That’s why I remained committed to preserving and improving this vital program. To protect the UPK programs, I voted in favor of maintaining funding in the final budget at $384 million in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

The 2011-12 state budget also makes key investments in SUNY and CUNY, ensuring that New York’s public colleges and universities can continue to provide a quality, affordable higher education. The budget restores $18.1 million for base aid to community colleges, $12.9 million for SUNY, and $5.1 million for CUNY. This budget builds on the Legislature’s commitment to keeping New York a leader in public higher education.

The New York State Legislature honored West Point with a proclamation celebrating April 6, 2011 as West Point Day. I had the pleasure of meeting West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. David H. Huntoon, Jr. and Cadet Ross A. Chesaniuk, Class of 2011, a constituent and Fresh Meadows resident.

Weprin Votes in Favor of Job Creation for Working Families

Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy and I met about the new Economic Development Regional Councils. This year’s budget established 10 Regional Economic Development Councils, which will be chaired by Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy.

I am happy to have participated in this year’s on-time state budget that will provide a much-needed economic boost during this recession. While this budget had many difficult cuts, one of my top priorities was making sure there are good jobs for our families so that the Northeast Queens economy gets back on track. That’s why I voted in favor of funding regional councils, bringing economic development decisions to the local level, enhancing tax credits and incentives for job creation, and investing in infrastructure improvements, including highway and bridge construction.

Additionally, as of April 1st, the state sales tax exemption on clothing has been restored, so there is no sales tax on clothing purchases under $55; next year, the sales tax exemption will be increased to purchases under $110. Bringing back the sales tax exemption is a “win-win” for both local merchants and working families. The sales tax exemption helps promote economic growth for our neighborhood businesses; as well as allows working families to get more from their hard-earned dollars.

On May 1st, I stood with advocates for adoptee rights and Assembly colleagues to raise awareness and support for the Bill of Adoptee Rights.

My bill—the Bill of Adoptee Rights (A.2003)—will allow adoptees over the age of 18 to request and receive a non-certified copy of an original birth certificate and/or a medical history form, if available. This measure will provide adoptees with access to the same information that all non-adopted persons have a legal right to obtain.

Adoptees will be able to gain knowledge of their religious and ethnic heritage and access to medical information that may be necessary for preventive health care and illnesses that are linked to family history and genetics. A birth parent may seek to protect his or her privacy by completing a contact preference form that would be sent to the adult adoptee upon a request for a non-certified copy of an original birth certificate. The contact preference form provides the birth parent with the option to be contacted directly by the adoptee, through an intermediary, or to not be contacted at all.

The Bill of Adoptee Rights passed the Assembly Health Committee on April 12, 2011. I am optimistic that the bill will be taken up by the full Assembly in May.

Even in periods of economic strength, it can be difficult for older New Yorkers on fixed incomes to make ends meet. In the aftermath of the economic downturn, it is especially important to make sure that seniors can afford to put food on the table and get the services they need.

This year, we were faced with closing a $10 billion budget gap. Tough choices had to be made, but jeopardizing seniors’ quality of life wasn’t an option. We have a responsibility to care for the men and women who made our communities great.

My colleagues in the New York State Assembly and I worked diligently to restore funding to essential services for seniors, including funding for senior centers and EPIC. I know that now, more than ever, older New Yorkers look to senior centers for nutritious meals, health and wellness activities, and social events. This year’s budget restores $25 million to New York City senior centers, preserving the resources seniors depend on to continue leading happy, healthy lives. The Assembly also helped ensure that the 2011-12 state budget restored $22.3 million—a 65 percent restoration—for lower-income EPIC participants’ Medicare Part D premiums.