Opinion
Ronald Reagan once famously said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help.” In the final days of this year’s legislative session, those words rang true throughout the halls of the Capitol. From radical climate policies to disastrous criminal justice reforms, the Majority played their greatest hits as they pushed countless initiatives through the Assembly in the dead of night when they thought no one was paying attention.
A prime example of this is Assembly Bill A.3780-E, which would require any new construction in the state with off-street parking to build electric vehicle charging stations. While on the surface this proposal may seem harmless, in practice it will be completely wasteful. Under this law, any new buildings, both residential and commercial, will have to include electric charging stations and parking spots even if there is no demand for them. This is pure legislative virtue signaling trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.
The Majority also took another shot at our state’s justice system by repealing the lifetime ban on felons serving on a jury. It never ceases to amaze me the lengths downstate politicians will take to compromise our public safety. We already have a process for felons to restore their ability to serve on a jury. This initiative will only tip the scales of justice in favor of convicts and take away even more credibility from our “reformed” criminal justice system. I’m all for second chances, but these lawmakers seem more concerned with protecting and coddling criminals than they are with defending victims and their families.
Sometimes failing to do the right thing is just as harmful as intentionally doing the wrong thing. The Majority exemplified this in the final days of the legislative session as they decided to not allow a bill aimed at helping older veterans. I sponsored an initiative (A.2050) that would exempt veterans over the age of 85 from paying state income tax. When the Majority had an opportunity to bring this bill to a vote, they pulled out all the stops to make sure it never saw the light of day. Sadly, this is how they operate. Instead of being transparent with New Yorkers, they’ll try to shut down any bill they disagree with so they can avoid responsibility from their constituents.
Even with the many disappointing and wasteful policies that came out of this year’s legislative session, there was some good that came out of it. For one, we were able to pass the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation for Kids Act. This proposal would help protect children and teens from addictive social media algorithms that are damaging to their sleep, education and mental health by requiring parental consent before using those apps and limiting late-night notifications. This bill exemplified the progress we can make when we work across the aisle to create common-sense legislation.
My colleagues and I also passed an initiative to honor one of our local heroes. Before this year’s legislative session, I partnered with Sen. George Borrello to designate a portion of State Route 77 in the town of Darien as the Sgt. Terry James Garigen Memorial Highway. Sgt. Garigen was a decorated Vietnam War hero who served his community through the town highway department, volunteer fire department and the Region 1 Patriot Guard Riders. I believe serving your country is one of the highest honors an American can have and I’m proud to honor Sgt. Garigen in this way.
Overall, the Majority left a lot to be desired at the end of the legislative session. New Yorkers are still struggling to make ends meet in the middle of an affordability crisis, but they increased spending for wasteful programs. Residents feel less safe than they ever have before, but the Majority continued to pass pro-criminal policies instead of keeping convicts off the streets. We need real solutions to fix these issues. We need to lower the cost of living, institute stronger penalties to deter crime and provide more support for our law enforcement officers. Since day one I’ve been committed to standing up against these radical and backward policies. As long as I’m in the state Assembly, you will always have a voice representing your interests in Albany as we continue to work toward making New York a better place to live, work and raise a family.
Assemblyman Steve Hawley
139th Assembly District
