Dear eNews Reader,
Welcome to April. As March and its unpredictable weather comes to an end, I’m looking forward to Spring and all of the activities our area is known for. I was hoping to have news to report about the state budget, but we just passed an extension, giving the Legislature an additional week to honor the religious holidays. As usual, there are many outstanding issues that are holding up a final budget resolution. Hopefully, reason will prevail and policies will be adopted that, above all else, lower costs for families.
Donna
Johnson City YMCA Receives Major Grant
Robert Rodriguez, the President of the Dormitory Authority, recently announced that YMCA’s West Family Branch has been awarded a $1.41M BRICKS grant. The Building Recreational Infrastructure for Communities, Kids and Seniors (BRICKS) grant program supports renovations to community centers across the state that promote physical heath and community connections. The YMCA plans to replace the roof and HVAC system, and make improvements to the lobby and outdoor space, including adding new pickleball courts. This goes along with plans we announced last Fall to fully renovate their pool.
Nursing Homes Sound the Alarm
I attended two press conferences (one in Binghamton and one in Albany) in support of NY’s long-term care industry. We continue to sound the alarm about the financial crisis facing our nursing homes, largely because they have not received a significant Medicaid reimbursement rate increase in almost 20 years. Their financial losses are unsustainable, with homes closing and many beds at risk. Once again, we are urging the Governor and our colleagues to include the resources they need in this year’s state budget.
VINES Director Amelia LoDolce Honored
Amelia LoDolce, Executive Director of Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments (VINES), was honored during the NYS Legislative Women’s Caucus’ annual “Women’s History Month” celebration. Having known and admired Amelia for years, she certainly exemplifies this year’s theme of “women shaping a sustainable future” and I was proud to nominate her. Her strong leadership has helped VINES grow into a statewide model for community gardens, youth development, and sustainable food systems. She has already inspired many to follow in her path, helping to grow a new generation of community leaders.
New DOT Maintenance Facility Opens in Vestal
The Commissioners of the NYS Department of Transportation and Office of General Services were in town last week to cut the ribbon on our new $13.4M Maintenance Complex in Vestal. The larger heated indoor space and improved maintenance capacity will help DOT crews better respond to extreme weather events and other emergencies. I’m sure that the 20 DOT workers who are based at this facility greatly appreciate these long-awaited upgrades. A salt brine production and storage facility is also planned for the space in the coming months, helping to reduce salt usage in the area.
Push to Expand Farm-to-School Program
We rallied around legislation that I introduced with Senator Michelle Hinchey in support of NY’s Farm-to-School program, which purchases local food for local school meals. Broome-Tioga BOCES has done a wonderful job administering the program to 15 school districts here in the Southern Tier, but the program needs to be modernized. We want to expand the program to include breakfast and snacks, increase the reimbursement rate so that more schools can participate, and make other helpful changes.
Constituent Survey Results
Thank you to all who participated in my 2026 Constituent Survey that was mailed out in February. I wanted to provide an overview of some of the results. K-12 Education, Environment/Climate, and Public Safety were revealed as top priorities when it comes to state funding, along with healthcare and funding for road and bridge repairs. The majority of respondents were also concerned with New York’s involvement with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and support prohibiting state and local collaboration, along with protecting sensitive locations from warrantless enforcement. While Environment was a top priority overall, the majority of respondents were not in support of the All-Electric Buildings Act. Additionally, a majority support moving the Presidential Primary to the first Tuesday in March (Super Tuesday), expanding NY’s Bottle Bill law to raise the deposit value and include other types of beverages, and requiring companies to develop plans to reduce packaging and improve recycling processes.