MEET JOE DESTEFANO

The 2026 Legislative Session has come to a close, but the work of fighting for Long Island families is far from over. As a member of the Republican Conference, I spent this session pushing back against the same failed policies that have made New York less affordable, less safe, and more difficult for working families and small businesses.

And now, our attention turns towards the 2026 elections, when voters will have the opportunity to send strong message to those in control in Albany: after years and years of being ignored by the Democrats, it is time to solve the long-standing problems of the state.

Affordability remains one of the defining issues facing New Yorkers. Our state is one of the most expensive places to live in the nation, and city-centric policies continue to punish the suburbs and the working class. Long Island should not be treated as a cash cow to fund a staggering $277 billion state budget— $137 billion more than Florida, a state with 3.5 million more residents and no state income tax.

Public safety also remains a top priority. Democrats' disastrous bail reforms and soft-on-crime, anti-police policies have made our communities less safe by allowing repeat offenders to cycle through the criminal justice system with few consequences. Throughout this session, we fought to restore judicial discretion and hold criminals accountable, and we will continue pressing for meaningful reforms.

New Yorkers are also paying the price for Albany's misguided energy agenda. The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), passed by Democrats in 2019, continues driving up energy costs while forcing unrealistic mandates on families, schools, and local governments. Instead of relying on costly wind projects, massive solar farms, and lithium battery storage facilities, New York should embrace an energy policy that is affordable, reliable, and practical.

Assembly Republicans continued advocating this session for a rational energy policy—one that doesn't ban natural gas appliances, force schools to spend millions on electric buses, or require fire departments to purchase prohibitively expensive battery-powered equipment. New York sits atop one of the nation's largest supplies of clean-burning natural gas, and it's time we put those resources to work for New Yorkers instead of importing higher energy costs.

Throughout the session, Assembly Republicans also advanced proposals to lower taxes and reduce the cost of living. Our Inflation Relief & Consumer Assistance Plan would eliminate state sales tax on many everyday necessities, including gasoline and household supplies, while reducing burdensome regulations that make it harder to create jobs and grow businesses in New York.

We also continued fighting for a state spending cap, rolling back excessive regulations and fees, eliminating unnecessary taxes on mobile telecommunications services, and addressing the soaring cost of health care driven by policies coming out of Albany.

Helping families afford childcare remains another priority. We support tax incentives that provide direct relief to families and childcare providers— not costly programs offered only in New York City that leaves the rest of the state’s taxpayers footing the bill. Our Blueprint for Childcare Plan would save families an average of approximately $2,300 per year while delivering relief across the state.

Transportation funding also remains a major concern for Long Island. We continued fighting to repeal the MTA payroll tax and congestion pricing while pushing for greater accountability for the billions of dollars Long Islanders send to the MTA every year. If our residents are expected to continue funding the system, they deserve safer roads and bridges, better transit service, and long-overdue electrification of the diesel rail lines serving Suffolk County.

Although this year's legislative session is over, the fight for New York's future is just beginning. The decisions made in this year's elections will determine whether Albany continues down the same path or finally embraces policies that make our state more affordable, safer, and more competitive.

The Empire State continues to lead the nation in out-migration because too many families, workers, and businesses believe they can no longer afford to stay. That doesn't have to be New York's future. But changing course will require electing leaders who will stand up to one-party rule in Albany and fight for taxpayers, public safety, and common sense. That's the choice before us this November, and it's one we cannot afford to get wrong.