“With the conclusion of the 2025 Legislative Session, it is clear we missed the mark on reforms that could have positively impacted the affordability crisis, prison crisis, public safety and the overall quality of life of New Yorkers. While we did pass meaningful bipartisan legislation, particularly on Emergency Medical Services (EMS), human trafficking, increased benefits for our service members and aiding our nonprofits who have contracts with New York state, we continue to fail New Yorkers with a rushed and disorganized end-of-session marathon.”

“A continued area of concern is the prison crisis and challenges faced by correctional officers, civilian staff, National Guard personnel and their families. Staffing shortages, underfunding and unsafe workplace environments affect both correction staff and incarcerated individuals. We had some success bringing correction officers to the table for conversations on policy, but it was not nearly enough. Moving forward, our correction officers must have a seat at the table, and we must do more to ensure our correctional facilities are safe, properly staffed and adequately supported.”

“Another crisis that has flown below the radar but that will continue to get worse before it gets better is the New York State Child care Assistance Program. This program was expanded to ensure more families who were struggling financially could qualify for child care assistance.However, the program was not adequately funded by hundreds of millions. Despite bipartisan calls for more funding and fiercely advocating towards the end of the legislative session, countless parents have been waitlisted or denied child care benefits in counties throughout the state. With a $254 billion state budget, this is unconscionable. I will continue to work with county social service departments, the New York State Office of Children and Family Services and the governor to find a creative short-term solution.”

“When we work thoughtfully and in a bipartisan manner, we pass bills that can have a positive impact. I cosponsored a bill that will allow local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to develop county-wide plans to better support their services to our communities. In a bipartisan effort, we also passed legal immunity from prostitution-related charges to victims or witnesses who report a crime, seek medical help or assist law enforcement, an important step to encourage crime reporting and cooperation by protecting these individuals from prosecution.”