“New York City has long proclaimed itself a ‘sanctuary city,’ but it continually fails to live up to those standards. And now, when it finds itself too overwhelmed, it repeats the habits it decried months earlier – sending buses to areas that...

Assembly Minority Whip Karl Brabenec (R,C-Deerpark) is commending the Independent Redistricting Commission (IDC) for successfully drawing new Assembly district lines that are fair and not gerrymandered as in years past. The current set of Assembly maps,...

I wrote last week about the issues I had both with the state budget being late and what was supposedly being discussed behind closed doors. Something that’s come to light since negotiations commenced is that there is apparently one reason in particular...

Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C-Deerpark) joined a bipartisan call for an end to the so-called ‘Raise the Age’ law, which was passed in 2018 and allowed 16- and 17-year-olds charged with misdemeanors to be sent to family court, and those charged with...

Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C-Deerpark) joined with fellow Assembly Minority colleagues to denounce Gov. Kathy Hochul’s high-rise plan, which promises to force urban building in traditional and established suburban communities, even if it is against...

For the past decade, in keeping with rising costs and the natural pace of inflation, New York has spent more and more yearly, being eclipsed in spending only by California. Last year’s budget of about $220 billion was heavily debated, with one point...

This past week, the Minority Conferences in the Assembly and Senate rallied with local highway superintendents and laborers to champion the cause of better funding for local roads and bridges. Known as the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement...

Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C-Deerpark) and his fellow Assembly and Senate Minority members have pushed for better funding of local roads during the course of the state’s annual budget debates. Potholes and old roads plague a large amount of the state,...

One of the most pressing issues New York faces is the continued population loss thanks to outmigration. Between July 2021 and July 2022, New York saw its largest population loss of 299,557 people. They didn’t die from COVID-19 or old age, they moved...

It was nice to be away from Albany last week, because it freed me up to meet with members of the community and reacquaint myself with the needs of my constituents. I spent time with members of law enforcement, religious groups and library advocates, just...

Once again, Albany played host, as it often does, to lobbyists and concerned citizens looking to make the case for policies and funding on various issues that have the attention of the state’s citizens. But something that was special about this past...

Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C-Deerpark) and Assemblyman Brian Maher (R,C-Walden) are joining forces to push for a better allotment of funding and compensation for local district attorney offices during state budget negotiations. After hearing the concerns...

The governor recently presented her budget proposal for the 2024 fiscal year, and like many governors before her, it didn’t strike the right chord for me. Now, I won’t say that her intentions are bad, but like this government continues to do, it overcompensates...

“Another budget proposal from another governor has arrived, and much like years before, it’s bloated, weighs far too heavily toward New York City’s individual needs and is filled with a good amount of policy that is barely connected to spending...

Earlier this week, Assembly and Senate Minority members united for a press conference about the ongoing problem of bail reform. Since its implementation in 2019, our state has heard case after case, concern after concern, about bail reform and the leniency...

Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C-Deerpark) is again pushing for the Legislature to amend the state’sbail reform laws, following over three years of rising crime rates and horror stories from across New York. At a press conference today conducted in partnership...

I was first elected in a special election in 2014 when my predecessor, Annie Rabbitt, became the Orange County clerk. For my first two years in the Assembly, one of my biggest policy initiatives was a push for further transparency in state government....

Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C-Deerpark) is cheering on the implementation of Assembly committee meetings finally being presented with video. The initiative was pushed in the Assembly Chamber during the 2016 session by Assembly Minority and was passed...

For the first time in three years, a governor of New York addressed both houses of the state Legislature when presenting their State of the State. It was a good sign that after years of pandemic precautions, things in the state government were starting...

“The Albany swamp stills stinks, it seems. The governor presented her State of the State address with plans for the next calendar year, which included more egregious spending, more New York City favoritism and more promises for safety and security....