LOCAL ASSEMBLY MEMBER HITS THE GROUND RUNNING

 Harry Bronson named to five Assembly Committees and sponsors critical bill on education

photo:  Ove Overmyer

Rochester, N.Y.--  Newly elected to the NYS Assembly last November, Harry B. Bronson (D-131, Rochester, Chili, Riga, Rush, Wheatland), has been assigned to the following New York State Assembly Standing Committees: Labor, Economic Development, Local Governments, Transportation and Agriculture.

 

“This is a tremendous opportunity for me to voice the diverse concerns of the families of the 131st Assembly District,” said Bronson.  While our state suffers from a budget hangover, Bronson said in an email to constituients that he realizes the dire circumstances we face and is looking forward to the challenge of reforming Albany.  He also stated he is proud to serve New Yorkers on these committees that are so vital to our state’s economic growth.

Assemblymember Bronson will bring his experiences as a former Monroe County Legislator, counsel to the Assembly Labor Committee and as a small business owner to help taxpayers utilize these committees ensuring that they are serving the working families of our area.

On the other side of the legislature, local State Senator Joe Robach (R-56th, Greece, Rochester, Brighton), will chair the Senate Labor Committee.

Harry Bronson

Bronson gets right down to business; delivers for the RCSD and libraries

One of Assemblymember Bronson's first orders of business was sponsoring legislation extending several ongoing education programs facing disruption due to the expiration of current law provisions (A02289 / S2026).

These provisions are traditionally included in the state budget and the Assembly’s measure seeks to counteract the negative impact caused by last year’s veto of the Education, Labor and Family Assistance Article VII bill.  This bill will include the restoration of thousands of dollars to operate the Rochester Regional Library Council (RRLC).  The RRLC supports academic, corporate, public and school libraries throughout the Rochester area.

“That veto was unfortunate, coming at a time when Monroe County libraries and education programs desperately need funding to stay afloat,” Assemblymember Bronson said. He added, “The legislation passed by the Assembly continues our longstanding commitment to protecting education and ensuring our children are prepared when they enter the workforce.”

Legislation passed by the legislature would permit the state Education Department to continue current operational practices and authorize school districts to maintain the existing accounting procedures. Also, the legislation authorizes the Rochester City School District to purchase health services from BOCES ensuring school based nurses will continue to serve the children of the City of Rochester.  There are thousands of area workers in these disciplines who are represented by AFSCME and CSEA.

Additionally, the bill:

• Continues the state’s No Child Left Behind compliance provisions, so that schools don’t lose federal funding;

• Allows for the payment of aid to public, school and research library systems; and

• Extends the authority of the Commission of Education to grant waivers to public library systems and central libraries that cannot maintain local funding due to financial hardship.

“Even in the face of an economic downturn, we need to invest in and protect our most precious citizens – our children,” Assemblymember Bronson said. “This legislation is a victory for students, parents, and educators alike, because educating our kids must be priority number one.”

According to Voice Reporter sources, the bill will be delivered to Governor Cuomo's office on January 26 and take effect on April 1.  This bill has no fiscal impact on the budget.