As we start the New Year of 2023, I would like to share priorities for the legislative session that starts January 4th. Below are some items at the top of the list although these are not the only priorities:
- Housing – Supply and Demand has been and remains the principle for many economic policies and housing is no different. The demand for safe and affordable housing is great yet the supply is low. This is being exacerbated by the increasing interest rates which are impacting housing sales and therefore also impacting rental unit turnover. Rental rates continue to remain unacceptably high despite the over $3 billion in funds released last year to help landlords and tenants address rent arrears and it is still not enough. We need at the state level to build more workforce housing as rent prices continue to burden many individuals and families.
- Public Safety – it is no surprise Public Safety remains a concern, especially since it was the centerpiece of the last election cycle. Suffice it to say there was a fair amount of information out there striking fear into one’s mind – too bad most of it was incorrect. Please do not get me wrong, there are issues however blaming the rise in crime (which is national) on state changes to bail was a convenient message. That being said there is continued and expanded use of illegal guns, particularly amongst those under 19 which is problematic and we have to take a zero-tolerance approach. Additionally, we are seeing both in New York State and beyond continued retail theft, much of it at the organized crime level, which cannot continue. Needless to say, we have our work cut out for us in this area but I believe an honest bipartisan conversation is the best way to address the public’s concerns.
- Unemployment Covid Tax Relief -it is no secret that New York State paid out over $100 billion in Unemployment Insurance (UI) payments to millions of individuals during the height of the pandemic. Essentially, we paid out in two years what we normally would pay over 15 years. While that was critical to support families, that benefit comes at a cost as New York State must pay the federal government funds back. Unlike other states that used some of the federal assistance to lower the burden, New York has not which has had the consequence of the state assessing interest payments for the outstanding amount owed to the Federal government (now at $8 billion) on the back of small businesses. That amount was over $245 million last year. We cannot continue to carry out this backdoor tax on businesses as it impacts now only the owners but their employees – and ultimately consumers to whom that cost is transferred to directly or indirectly.
- Health Care Workforce Investment – our hospitals and nursing homes are struggling to stay open and keep beds available for those in need due to the large workforce challenges. It starts with nurses but also impacts many other health-related jobs. Coupled with the rapid rise in nursing salaries due to companies that jumped into the traveling nurse programs, we have significant costs being absorbed by the hospitals which are impacting service delivery. We will need to regulate the traveling nurse programs as well as invest in programs to help bring to scale our future healthcare workforce which in time when adequate will restore service delivery and reflects costs that are more sustainable.
- Emergency Medical System (EMS) Response – Relating to the health workforce issues, we need to also make changes to how EMS response is utilized in the field. With the advent of technology, there are many situations where we can avoid unnecessary transportation to the already overcrowded emergency rooms based on the level of need or acuity that the patient is experiencing. We need to expand telemedicine at the EMS visit and alter the payment structure so the focus is not on how many patients can be transported to the hospital but how care is provided based on the need at the patient’s home. This is not intended to limit care but instead align payment policies to provide the most appropriate care for patients yet rule out wasteful spending.
These are only a few of the long list of priorities I hope to address this coming legislative session. As you might guess the list is even longer which I intend to review and expand on the items mentioned above.
As always, if you have any thoughts or comments, please share at 518-455-4474 or at mcdonaldj@nyassembly.gov – Thank you!
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