Dear Friends:

New York State is making great strides toward vaccinating all who are eligible. As of this week, 30% of New Yorkers have received at least one vaccine dose. Increased vaccine allocations from the federal government allows the state to expand who is eligible to receive the vaccine. As of Tuesday, March 30th, New Yorkers who are 30 years old and over are eligible. Additional information about how to make an appointment and eligibility is included below. I recognize that there are not many downstate appointments available at this time. Please continue to be patient and check back daily.

On Tuesday, March 30th, the State Senate adopted the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, S.854A, and Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law on Wednesday, March 31st. Many of you already know that, over the years, I have had great ambivalence about legalizing marijuana. On Tuesday, after much consideration and work to address concerns in the bill, I voted for the legalization of marijuana in New York State for those who are 21 years old and over. Existing policies do not protect our young people from access, nor do they protect against the racial disparities in enforcement that lead to lifelong consequences & inequalities. I commend Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and bill sponsor & champion Senator Liz Krueger for working with Senators to address our concerns and the concerns of our constituents. We have made many improvements in the adopted bill, and I am committed to bringing together constituents, the school community, and law enforcement to hear your feedback and implement additional improvements as needed. Click here to read my full statement. Read more about the Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act in the section below.

The Senate, Assembly and Governor's Office continue to work toward an agreed upon 2021-2022 NYS Budget, and I am hopeful that we will come to an agreement that helps the state build back stronger from the economic devastation of the pandemic while funding our schools, protecting middle class families, and relieving the burden on local property taxpayers. I will send an update with the details of the agreement as soon as there is a resolution.

As always, if there is anything my office can assist you with, please don't hesitate to email me at [email protected] or call (914) 934-5250.

Warm regards,

As of Thursday, April 1st, more than 6 million New Yorkers have received at least one vaccine dose, and more than 3.5 million have received both doses. Click here to track the status of the state's vaccine distribution.

As of Tuesday, March 30th, New Yorkers 30 years old and over are eligible to receive the vaccine. Beginning on Tuesday, April 6th, New Yorkers 16 years old and over will be eligible for the vaccine. Click here to look through the list of eligible categories for the vaccine including essential workers, those 30 years old and over, and which comorbidities are eligible.

A list of non-state-run vaccine providers in Westchester County is available here. Supply is limited and each site has its own protocols for signing up or registering for a waitlist. Many of these locations already have a long waitlist of eligible residents waiting to get the vaccine. Please continue to be patient and check back as often as possible for any new openings. Click here for the Westchester County COVID-19 Dashboard to track positive COVID-19 cases and vaccine allocations throughout the county. The mobile friendly version of the dashboard is available here.

New Yorkers can use the Am I Eligible website to determine if they are eligible and make an appointment at a New York State-run vaccination site. Please check back daily for new appointments. If you have made an appointment for the vaccine, please fill out the New York State COVID-19 Vaccine Form, available here, and bring it with you to your appointment.

On Tuesday, March 30th, I did not take lightly my vote on the legalization of marijuana in New York State. Over the years, I have met with many—both those who were opposed and those supporting legalization—and I have taken to heart the concerns of the school community and law enforcement about the impact on young people. But the fact is that our existing policies surrounding marijuana have failed us. They have not protected young people nor curtailed usage among youth who have access to an illicit market selling uncontrolled & dangerous substances. Our current laws have also left too many—particularly young people of color—with criminal records that exclude them from student loans, employment, and other opportunities. I believe that the bill the legislature adopted this week will lead to a safer and more just New York for all, and I will continue to listen to concerns and work toward additional improvements as the law goes into effect.

The Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act (MRTA), S.854A, establishes the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) for the regulation of cannabis and decriminalizes the use of marijuana for those who are 21 years old and over. Local villages, towns, and cities, are able to opt out of allowing retail locations or on-premises consumption within their municipality. Any local opt out laws would have to be adopted by December 31, 2021.

As Chair of the Senate Education Committee, I sought modifications to the proposal to address the concerns of the school community. I am pleased that the legislation that was adopted provides significant protections for minors, including:

The MRTA also anticipates funding for training drug recognition officers and expands traffic safety protections, including the future implementation of approved roadside testing technology.

There will be a minimum 13% tax on all cannabis sales, 9% going to the state, and 4% divided between the county and city, town, or village. Revenues would flow into three funds:

Click here to read my statement on the passage of the MRTA. Click here to read more about the details of the MRTA.

My 2021 honoree for the Legislative Women's Caucus (LWC) Annual Women's History Month Celebration is María Susana Wise, a teacher at Post Road Elementary School in White Plains. During the pandemic, Ms. Wise has gone above and beyond to help meet the emotional and mental health needs of parents and students. In her free time, Ms. Wise hosts monthly "Tea Times" with parents to provide an opportunity for them to vent, ask questions, and share concerns. Ms. Wise also takes the time to do one-on-one mental health checks with students and parents on a regular basis. Teachers and essential workers like Ms. Wise have helped our communities thrive during this difficult time.

On Thursday, March 25th, I was glad to join parents, teachers, administrators, school board members, local leaders, and students, along with my colleague Assemblywoman Amy Paulin to demand fair funding for Eastchester Public Schools, Tuckahoe Schools & the New Rochelle City School District. Special thanks to Tuckahoe Trustee and Eastchester PTA leader Renee Howell for organizing this effort!

On Friday, March 26th, I joined Janet Langsam, CEO of ArtsWestchester, and legislative colleagues to press for funding to "ReStart the Arts." I am committed to working with my colleagues to ensure funding is set aside from COVID-19 recovery funds to be available for local artists and arts organizations devastated by the pandemic. We will benefit from their economic stimulus as well as the resumption of arts in our communities.

Westchester County is offering older adults and people with disabilities free transportation to receive vaccinations. Residents do not have to be registered with ParaTransit for this free service to receive their COVID-19 vaccine. To book a reservation with ParaTransit, please call (914) 995-727 at least 24 hours prior to your vaccination date. For additional information, email Evan Latainer, Director of the Office for People with Disabilities at [email protected].

Local community groups are hosting a 3-part webinar to explore the history, discuss solutions, and create an action agenda to bring fair and affordable housing to all of Westchester.

Register for the Zoom webinars here:

Sessions will also be streamed to Facebook:

(A Facebook account is not required to watch.)

April 7th: History of Westchester's housing crisis and what has inhibited fair and affordable housing from being built and fully integrated into the county. Hosted by Juanita Lewis, Hudson Valley Organizing Director, Community Voices Heard. Panelists include:

April 21st: Solutions to the housing crisis. Hosted by Joan Grangenois-Thomas, Trustee, Village of Port Chester.

Panelists include:

May 5th: Steps that the government and activists need to take to address the housing crisis. Hosted by Abe Baker-Butler and panelists will include: