A RECORD OF RESULTS
PROTECTING A WOMAN'S
RIGHT TO CHOOSE
Chris acted with his colleagues to enact some of the strongest protections in the country of a woman's right to choose, including swiftly taking the first step to enshrine these rights in the NYS Constitution after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade.
Chris sponsored the recently-enacted FIRE HATE Act, which protects those
coming to New York for an abortion by
Photo courtesy Amy Drucker
creating a cause of action for unlawful interference with certain protected rights, including the right to legally terminate a pregnancy.
FUNDING FOR OUR SCHOOLS
Chris helped secure historic levels of funding for public education, including record-level funding for our school districts and a significant increase in funds for the state's higher education system.
Every school district in the nine municipalities making up the Assembly District is receiving significant support, helping to maintain excellence in education for our children while also holding down property taxes.
GUN SAFETY
Following a string of mass shootings and the Supreme Court's overturning of New York's common-sense concealed carry law, Chris worked to enact some of the strongest gun safety laws in the nation. The law restricts the carrying of concealed weapons in sensitive public places and expands requirements for concealed carry permits, including character references, firearm training, and background checks .
MIDDLE-CLASS TAX CUTS
Chris strongly advocated and joined colleagues for an acceleration of New York's middle-class tax cuts, resulting in the lowest middle-class tax rates in 70 years for those making a combined income of between $29,700 and $323,200.
He also supported the property tax circuit breaker for low income homeowners trying to stay in their homes.
PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT
Chris has a 100% rating from the New York League of Conservation Voters based on his strong record of fighting Climate Change and protecting our fragile environment. He cosponsored the historic amendment to the NYS Constitution guaranteeing every citizen the right to clean air, clean water and a healthy environment.
In combating Climate Change, Chris joined his colleagues to provide urgently-needed funds to implement New York’s climate change law, the most ambitious in the nation. In addition to helping provide the highest funding levels ever in the state budget for protecting the environment, he also advocated for and helped secure an increase in the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act, which will appear on November's ballot. If approved by the voters, the Bond Act will make $4.2 billion available to safeguard clean water, reduce air pollution, and improve quality of life. The Bond Act will also give a much-needed boost to small businesses and the economy in every region of the state, helping to revitalize our cities, towns, and villages by supporting nearly 100,000 family-sustaining jobs
Chris has also secured grants for wastewater treatment while helping to get funds for flood mitigation and clean water projects. He wrote legislation to authorize local governments to prohibit pesticides in their wetlands to protect drinking water in our wells and public water systems.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
As Chair of the Subcommittee on Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities, Chris has prioritized eliminating barriers to employment, including authoring two bills to improve employment opportunities for those with disabilities (expected to be signed into law this fall). He is also working closely with state agencies to cut red tape for those getting services.
FIXING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE
With his grounding in local government, Chris understands their needs and helped secure increased funding for municipalities for local road paving, capital funds for local libraries, higher budgets for the NYS Department of Transportation to provide needed funds for upkeep of state roads running through the district.
He also is joining local elected officials to implement the recommendations from the DOT’s engineering report on ways to unsnarl I-684 and prevent traffic taking to local roads.
CREATING MORE HOUSING
Long an advocate of affordable housing, Chris joined his colleagues for calling for a new five-year capital plan and, as a member of the Housing Committee, pressed with colleagues for an increase in the total funding which will support the creation of 100,000 affordable housing units, 10,000 of which will be for supportive housing including for those with special needs.
VETERANS
Serving on the Veterans Affairs Committee, Chris strongly and vocally advocated to elevate the state Division of Veterans' Services to a full cabinet-level department. This change was passed as part of the 2022-23 budget and will take effect next April. As a result, veterans service programs will now be consolidated for one-stop access for veterans and their families.
HEALTHCARE
Chris has supported higher funding levels for healthcare including for substance abuse programs, suicide prevention, mental health counseling and for the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities.
He advocated for the recently-implemented increase in pay for home health care workers who are so critical to our seniors and people with disabilities.
SECURING FUNDS
FOR THE DISTRICT
Chris has secured over $3 million in funding for district municipalities and nonprofits. Chris takes pride in working in a nonpartisan manner with every municipality and its elected leaders and community-based organizations to help them secure vital grant funding and needed state authorizations and approvals.
PROBLEM SOLVING
With a strong focus on constituent services, Chris’s office works to resolve issues involving state agencies, such as the Department of Labor, the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Transportation.
In the depths of the pandemic, Chris and his office helped residents cut through red tape involving unemployment and emergency rental assistance. The office also worked to secure COVID-19 vaccination and testing appointments for constituents, when such appointments were scarce.
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