A safe and healthy community is dependent on fair labor standards and wages across all sectors. I am proud to stand with unions across every industry to ensure they receive fair compensation and safe working conditions. From nurses to news producers, each plays an essential role in a thriving society.
Continue readingI’m a proud product of the SUNY system (and a SUNY parent) and recognize that for many families across the region that this option is the most affordable and attractive option to send children to college. Yet, over the past 25 years we’ve seen college costs skyrocket at public and private institutions alike. As Chair of the Subcommittee on the …
Continue readingAs a member of the Assembly Committee on Aging, I introduced legislation and led the effort to bring needed reform to our state’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP), and bring it into the 21st century. Now, residents of long-term care facilities and nursing homes will have a greater awareness of their rights as residents, and this program will now be …
Continue readingI’ve spent years fighting for our veterans as your Assemblymember. In the state budget, I’ve fought to deliver funding for the Veterans Outreach Center, which provides incredible services to Rochester-area veterans. The needs of our veterans simply aren’t being met like they should, and I support the creation of a new, executive-level agency like the New York State Department of …
Continue readingRochester and New York can and should serve as an example of the need for an innovative approach to addressing the root causes of crime. Without a holistic response, we are destined to see little change. I am committed to continue investing in violence prevention services, and efforts to rid our streets of illegal guns. However, we must recognize that …
Continue readingThe pandemic has laid bare the fragility of our current healthcare system, and the inadequacy of tying insurance coverage to employment. We have a moment to rewrite the status-quo, and center providers and patients in how we deliver care. Individuals spend too much time tied up in negotiations with their insurance provider, and fighting for coverage of necessary treatment. Providers …
Continue readingOver the past few years we have seen historic protests in our city, and a reckoning with the disparate experiences of Black and brown residents throughout Monroe County. Deep-seated quality of life issues remain for many, in areas of housing, food security, wages, criminal justice, and even health outcomes. I will continue to legislate with this reality in mind, and …
Continue readingExtreme weather and natural disasters have become all too common in our state. In the end, it is our community’s most disadvantaged populations that have to deal with the consequences. A $15 billion investment in line with the goals of the Climate & Community Investment Act would help counteract the effects of climate change, and bad-faith corporate actors. This funding …
Continue readingChild care has been a priority of mine as a member of the Assembly. The first bill I passed allowed child care providers to receive direct deposit of child care assistance funds, eliminating the lengthy wait times for care already provided that came with paper checks. I have a written and passed a variety of legislation that would improve access …
Continue readingEducation is what motivated me to run for the Assembly in the first place, and I couldn’t be more proud of our work to secure fully-funded Foundation Aid for our students each year. More work remains to be done, and I will ensure that Rochester, Brighton, and Irondequoit school districts receive the full funds they are legally entitled to.
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