ASSEMBLYMAN JOE DESTEFANO

In a few days, I'm back in Albany for the start of the 2025 legislative session. The Long Island delegation is optimistic that we can strengthen our economic outlook and make our state more affordable, but we must also consider the substantial challenges standing in our way. Inflation, an oppressive tax climate, and myriad public safety concerns linger, and if we are to truly turn a corner in 2025, we are going to need to make some wholesale changes to the way we conduct business here in New York.

With every year that passes, New Yorkers feel less safe. Those of us in the Republican Conference will work diligently to restore law and order. Providing judges the latitude to hold dangerous criminals without bail remains a top priority, along with reforming our broken parole system and ensuring 16- and 17-year-old serious offenders are held accountable for their actions in the appropriate court. Too often, violent offenders escape responsibility by having their cases transferred out of Criminal Court.

In addition to making New York safer, we must also make it more affordable. It's no secret that families and small business owners are prohibitively overtaxed-one of the leading causes of New York's record outmigration numbers. For these reasons, we developed the Inflation Relief & Consumer Assistance Plan, which eliminates state sales tax on many everyday items such as gasoline and housekeeping supplies. We've also proposed the Division of Regulatory Review & Economic Growth, which would remove needless regulations inhibiting job growth.

To further help families manage cost-of-living concerns, we are committed to making child care more affordable through tax incentives for families and providers. Childcare costs are often one of the largest expenses in household budgets. Developing alternative childcare options and removing rules and regulations that drive up costs and obstruct access to care are essential to alleviating these financial pressures. To that end, our Conference developed the “A Blueprint for Childcare (ABC) Plan," which, if implemented, would save families an average of approximately $2,300 a year.

Our Conference also wants to ensure New Yorkers are free from costly, misdirected energy policies that limit consumer choice and drive up prices. The goals of the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act are unachievable. The potential costs associated with the near-total electrification of our energy grid are staggering, and it is extremely irresponsible the law passed without a complete financial analysis. We cannot afford to cut out traditional energy sources, and our school districts most certainly cannot afford to replace their entire bus fleets with new electric models as the legislation demands.

There is no shortage of important issues to tackle in 2025. With a steadfast commitment to protecting law-abiding New Yorkers and reducing costs across the board, the members of the Assembly Republican Conference are ready to work, and I look forward to the upcoming legislative session and the opportunities to move New York in the right direction.