To the Editor:

As the New York State Legislature concludes work on this year’s state budget, I’d like to provide an update to the residents of the 46th Senate District on what this year’s state budget does for them. The final budget reflects my priorities to properly fund our schools, and to help reduce the cost of living for our struggling families, seniors, and veterans.

The budget makes a $1.4 billion investment into our classrooms to ensure our children are receiving the very best education possible. Thanks to efforts by the Senate Republican Conference, it eliminates almost 60 percent of the remaining Gap Elimination Adjustment that has forced schools to reduce programs and cut services since it was enacted in 2010.

Schools in Albany County will receive, on average, an overall increase in aid of over 5 percent and will have almost 64 percent of their GEA cuts restored. This is a great victory for our children and our schools, and I will continue to advocate to eliminate the GEA entirely by next year.

This budget also provides much-needed property tax relief and holds the line on new taxes and fees. It makes an investment to increase broadband access, which is so vitally important in our rural communities.

Improving our aging infrastructure has been another issue I have focused on, and this budget makes a strong investment in infrastructure that will help create new jobs, attract new businesses, and allow existing businesses to grow and expand.

The Senate has worked diligently, in a bipartisan fashion, to produce a fiscally sound, on time budget that is good for the residents of the 46th Senate District, and all New Yorkers.

George Amedore

NYS Senator, 46th District