The New York State Assembly is the lower chamber of the New York State Legislature. Alongside the New York State Senate, it forms the legislative branch of the New York state government and works alongside the governor of New York to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the New York State Assembly include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.The New York State Assembly meets in the state capitol building in Albany, New York.New York Assembly district 146 includes the town of Amherst and the village of Williamsville in Erie County, and the town of Pendleton in Niagara County.
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Instagram
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Experience and Qualifications
30 years as a law clerk to judges of the NYS and federal courts; 6 years in the Assembly
Community Involvement
10 years on the Village of Williamsville, NY Environmental Advisory Committee; Member - Women's Bar Association of NYS; Member - Congregation Sir Shalom; Member - Adirondack Forty-Sixers, Adirondack Mountain Club.
Education
BA, JD, SUNY/Buffalo
Party Endorsements
Dem. , Working Families
Campaign Phone
(716)348-3468
Campaign Instagram
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Campaign YouTube
In no particular order, my three top priorities are quality education (K-12, higher ed, and vocational), environmental sustainability, and economic development/jobs. We, of course, want to make sure that kids have a sound educational foundation, whether they choose college or the trades, and we should continue to keep a SUNY education as affordable as possible. We should ensure that the business community is supported and job creation is encouraged so that the students of today can be the employees of tomorrow. And finally, we need to address the problem of climate change by transitioning to renewable sources of energy, keeping in mind the affordability and feasibility of such transitions on all New Yorkers.
In NYS, we have enacted aggressive goals to reduce harmful emissions. The challenge now is to implement policies that help us meet these goals. Most emissions come from transportation and housing. I believe we should continue to incentivize the transition to renewables, like rebates for electric vehicles, heat pumps, geothermal systems and solar energy. I think we should encourage public transportation, and make sure that it's convenient and affordable. I have a bill that would require municipalities to consider ways to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) when planning highway construction projects. And, as we address the housing shortage across NYS, we should build housing that is located adjacent and convenient to public transportation.
When I was first elected in 2018, I was proud to vote in favor of several election reforms, including early voting and pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds. In 2022, we passed the John R. Lewis New York Voting Rights Act, which requires adequate polling sites in traditionally disadvantaged neighborhoods, prohibits voter intimidation, deception and obstruction, and requires the translation of ballots in some communities. I believe it is important to make voting as convenient as possible to maximize voter participation.
As Chair of the Assembly Women's Issues Task Force, I have been particularly focused on child care and women's health. We must continue to invest in child care, making it more affordable and accessible for all NYers. We were also able to make doula care available to more women through Medicaid. I voted in favor of the Equality Amendment which will be on the ballot this November and would enshrine in our state constitution the existing statutory prohibitions against discrimination based on ethnicity, disability, age, sex, gender, gender expression and abortion access (race and religion are already in the state constitution). It is important to make these rights constitutional, to better protect them from the winds of political change.
