The New York Legislature Gets to Work

The New York State 2016 Legislative session is open. The legislative year got underway with the convening of both houses January 6.

Debates over government corruption, education funding and the minimum wage are expected to be the primary focus.

Assemblyman Clifford Crouch says, even with the award of $500 million in state revitalization funds for the Southern Tier, he plans to concentrate on job development.

Crouch says other top priorities are going to require cooperation on both sides of the aisle.

The Southern Tier’s new senator, Republican Fred Akshar has been assigned to eight committees, chairing the Elections Committee and serving on three that tap into his law enforcement background.  He’s on the banks, cities, codes, crime victims/corrections division, consumer protection, elections, labor and rural resources committees.

Akshar replaces longtime Senator Thomas Libous of Binghamton, who lost his seat after being convicted of a felony count in federal court alleging he lied to the FBI about his involvement in his son getting a job at a Westchester law firm.