“After another marathon week in the Assembly, passing hundreds of bills a day into the wee hours of the night, finishing session at nearly 4AM on Friday, I can confidently say that while we did pass some important pieces of legislation to accomplish more for the people of this area, many critical items were left on the table unaddressed.
“I am proud of numerous pieces of legislation we passed, including several that I introduced and sponsored. We did more to honor our veterans, protect our environment, strengthen our state’s health care system, combat the opioid epidemic, as well as support our libraries, schools and seniors.
“That said, it still missed the mark in many other ways and the missed opportunities are piling up. The legislature failed to reassert itself as a fully functioning branch of government and restore checks and balances. It neglected to act on the growing calls for impeachment of a corrupt governor clinging to power. Lastly, yet again, the Legislature failed to address the affordability crisis plaguing New York leading to more out-migration and a shrinking New York delegation in the U.S. Congress.
“Attempts to restore our liberty and freedoms, reduce the tax burden, help our volunteer fire departments that provide ambulance service recover rising EMS costs, and address the violent surge in crime were all ultimately rejected by the powers that be in Albany’s ivory tower.
“While I’m proud of some of the things we accomplished, it is clear we still have a lot of work left to do. These are just a few of the issues I will continue to focus on as we gear up for next year’s legislative session,” stated Assemblyman Kevin Byrne.
