VOTE411 Voter Guide

When elected, I will work Across the aisle to reduce the cost of living, focusing on energy and food costs and other inflationary issues that have made it unaffordable to live in New York.

In education. I will be working to bring technical schools closer to lower income areas to promote employment opportunities to our youth. I also intend to introduce more financial literacy programs for all ages so that our youth can build generational wealth.

With regards to law and order. I will call for the rollback of the bail reform bill to Bring back safer neighborhoods. When we see crime brought back under control and criminals prosecuted, we can then open discussions on the next steps to building stronger communities together.

Managing our effect on the environment Is a herculean task to say the least. New York State passed the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act to address the clean Energy issue. The result has been dramatically higher Energy costs per household making living in New York even more unaffordable.

The closing of the Indian Point Nuclear Reactor. Without proper planning has put a massive strain on an electric grid.

We need to roll back. As much of the CLCPA As possible.

We need to reopen Indian Point with more modernized methods of producing electricity. We need to address our very overwhelmed electric grid.

The use of modular nuclear should be pursued as a viable option to meet our energy needs

Along with that, we need to remove any gas moratorium from drilling, as we are basically buying the same gas from neighboring states with an extremely prohibitive cost.

Social and racial justice need not be discussed in the halls of government. We need to find strong community leaders to address these issues and not rely on government to answer all the questions. A leaner government and stronger community is the correct response and action for these issues.

Decades of gerrymandering in New York have contributed to low voter turnout and weakened public confidence in the electoral process.

District boundaries should be developed through a transparent, bipartisan, and realistic process that reflects how communities are actually organized. The goal should be to create balanced, tiered districts for elected offices.

One - As the chair of the Senate Education Committee, my top priority is ensuring that our students' educational needs are met and fully funded. In addition, I am proud that my bill was included in the budget, ensuring that all students, regardless of their or their parents' immigration status, receive a free public education and that ICE is prohibited from entering schools without a judicial warrant.

Two - Addressing rising costs, particularly skyrocketing utility bills, is at the forefront of my agenda. Families across New York are being squeezed by unchecked rate hikes, and I’ve introduced multiple bills to hold utility providers accountable, strengthen oversight, and ensure New Yorkers can recoup costs when companies fail to deliver reliable and affordable service. I led the fight against the Con Ed rate increase. Three - I’m a strong public advocate for working people, specifically protecting individuals' right to organize and join unions and to be protected in their jobs.

I am fully committed to addressing this climate crisis. The impacts are all around us, and specifically, in my district, people face more frequent and severe flooding and rising sea levels. I have helped pass historic measures, including the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).

In the past, I have fought for and helped secure increased funding for Clean Water and the Environmental Protection Fund. I have also supported and advanced multiple measures to combat the climate crisis. I will continue to push for the creation of an executive office—the Office of Flooding Prevention and Mitigation—that would coordinate existing state efforts on flooding, assist municipalities in prevention and mitigation, and research flooding impacts and solutions (S1829).

Lastly, we need to invest in mass transit, reduce congestion in our cities, and find a way to fully fund the MTA’s capital needs.

As the Chair of the NYS Senate Education Committee, I believe providing all students access to quality education is one of the most important policies we can pursue to promote social and racial justice. I also support efforts to broaden school curriculum to include the full story of America, and the history and achievements of all segments of American society. I also know that one of the most pressing issues in our state is access to quality, affordable housing.I will continue to fight to expand rental housing options for New York families. In addition, I will continue to fight for fair wages and working conditions, including benefits, to promote social and racial justice in our state.

The Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais weakens the Voting Rights Act, a law secured by a movement and generations of effort, and makes New York's work in this area even more urgent.

It shows that New York cannot rely on federal courts to protect its elections. That responsibility falls to the state. That is why I fought for the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York, and why I am calling on my colleagues to ensure it is strong enough to stand on its own, fully funded and enforced, and built to withstand future federal court rulings. The Attorney General needs the backing of the state legislature and the executive office to defend New York law effectively.

It is also why I cosponsored the Democracy Preservation Act, which the Senate has passed twice. Foreign-influenced corporations should not be permitted to fund New York elections. The Assembly needs to pass this legislation so it can reach the Governor's desk.