Photo: The state Senate and Assembly last week finally wrapped up the 2015 legislative session at the Capitol. Courtesy of Andy Newbold/flickr
The official end of the New York State legislative session—this year it came to a close last Thursday at 11:55 p.m.—invariably signals the start of analysis, 20/20 hindsight, griping, sniping, pouting and shouting among pundits, pols, lobbyists, and loons.
State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Howard Beach) took a look at 2015 in Albany and how it affected their communities and constituents.
Addabbo said that the legislative session “brought with it a number of successes and a number of failures, particularly with regard to the big ticket items” that became the focus of intense, last-minute negotiations.
Among those items is mayoral control of Big Apple schools.
“I appreciate that mayoral control of New York City schools has been extended for one year, and that we will now have an additional opportunity to make reforms to the policy to better benefit our children and educators,” Addabbo said. “While agreement was not reached on the Education Tax Credit, which would have allowed for financial assistance to both public and private schools, $250 million was set aside for non-public schools to help them with state-mandated transportation costs, textbook purchases, test administration and other expenses.”
Addabbo added that up to 50 more charter schools could be established in the city.
“While my primary focus will always be on adequately funding and supporting our public school system, I also strongly believe children in private and charter institutions deserve an equal chance to succeed academically and that parental choice must be respected—although never fully subsidized by taxpayers,” said the father of two young daughters.
Addabbo later highlighted the passage of the bill he sponsored to extend building permits for homes affected by Superstorm Sandy, along with legislation to ensure that there is greater oversight and transparency in how the state disburses federal Sandy funds.
Goldfeder said he was especially disappointed that a deal couldn’t be made for the Education Tax Credit, and that mayoral control has been extended for just one year.
“The legislative session and Albany is one big compromise, in that everybody fights for the best interests of their communities,” he noted. “A lot of it really was kicking the can down the road.”
While he said he was proud that he and his colleagues were able to extend the legislation that eases building regulations for homeowners coming back from Sandy, Goldfeder had higher hopes this year for the legalization of mixed martial arts in New York.
“It’s a sport that is exploding across the state,” he said. “I’m optimistic that it will pass next year, and give so many people who are fans the sport that they love.”
Goldfeder also provided reasoning for the Legislature’s decision not to grant the Metropolitan Transportation Authority an injection of funding to boost its five-year capital plan.
“Queens is a transit-starved borough,” he said. “So I can’t think of giving [the MTA] more money for Manhattan, when Queens needs rail service.”
By Michael V. Cusenza
michael@theforumnewsgroup.com
