PRESS RELEASES
Friday, January 02, 2009
Progress Report
As I begin my fifth term, I appreciate the opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments of my past year. In 2008, I ran a successful re-election campaign and had 14 pieces of my legislation signed into law by the Governor. I also secured an increase of $7.6 million in state aid to public schools in my assembly district, which is 11.6% more than last year and almost $5 million more than the Governor had proposed. Furthermore, the state budget was passed nearly on time even in the wake of the shocking and chaotic resignation of former Governor Eliot Spitzer.
In 2008, I continued to serve as the chair of the Committee on Libraries and Education Technology and was honored by the Westchester Library System and the New York Library Association for my outstanding advocacy for libraries and contributions to literacy. I was also named a leader in the fight against domestic violence by the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and honored by the American Heart Association for my work on tobacco control.
Legislative highlights
My fourteen new laws from 2008 will protect our children, continue the fight against crime and domestic violence, make government more open and responsive and make healthcare more affordable and accessible. One new law I am especially proud of will protect our children from the adverse effects of second-hand smoke by banning smoking in college dormitories.
This past year gave me numerous opportunities to build on and strengthen my laws from prior years. After eliminating the statute of limitations on rape in 2006, this year I added sodomy to the list of crimes for which there is no statute of limitations. Additionally, I continued to fight against human trafficking and protect its victims by passing a law requiring the State to reimburse domestic violence agencies for emergency shelter provided to all human trafficking victims. This was one of the only bills with fiscal implications signed by the Governor this year.
Throughout my four terms in the Assembly, I have always worked hard to ensure that government remains open and responsible, and 2008 was no different. The governor signed into law my sunshine legislation requiring a court to award attorneys’ fees in proceedings where a meeting was held, and an action taken, in violation of the State open meetings law.
2009 Agenda
As we enter 2009, our great state faces a difficult economic crisis. While budget cuts loom on the horizon, I know that maintaining quality schools, keeping families safe and healthy, and decreasing high taxes are very important issues to the residents of Scarsdale. I remain committed to passing legislation that will support these priorities. In light of the upcoming budget cuts, one especially important priority will be to fight the notion that everyone in the suburbs is wealthy in order to ensure that Scarsdale does not bare a disproportionate share of the cuts to education. Towards this end, I will continue to fight hard for necessary school aid for Scarsdale’s public schools, which in turn will ease the burden on property taxpayers.
In 2008, the statewide group EPL/Environmental Advocates awarded me a 100 rating for my support of environmental initiatives. I will continue to promote the use of green energy sources in 2009 by working with the Senate to pass my legislation adding alternative energy sources to the list of factors a town must consider when creating its zoning regulations.
Locally, I look forward to continuing to meet with my constituents to listen to their perspectives and concerns, as many of my legislative initiatives have evolved from these discussions.
As the new year begins, I am proud of my accomplishments for Scarsdale and the 88th Assembly District. I remain honored to represent Scarsdale in the Assembly and look forward to working with Scarsdale residents to continue the progress we have made together over the last eight years. As always, I can be reached at my district office at 723-1115 or via e-mail at paulina@assembly.state.ny.us.