Dear Friends,

Fall is a beautiful time in New York State. The leaves are changing color and there is a chill in the air. If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, I encourage you to visit a state park – Rockefeller State Park Preserve and Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park aren’t too far away!

Election Day related deadlines are quickly approaching. Below, find important dates to remember, including the voter registration deadline on October 14.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the honor of presenting Empire Awards to American Legion Post 1097, the Bronxville Women’s Club, Today’s Students Tomorrow’s Teachers, and the Women’s Enterprise Development Center. If you know of a small business or nonprofit organization deserving of an Empire Award, please email elavin@nysenate.gov.

As always, if there is anything my office can assist you with, please email me at smayer@nysenate.gov or call (914) 934-5250.

Warm regards,

Shelley B. Mayer

State Senator

37th District

Election Day is November 8

October 14 is the last day to postmark your voter registration application or to register to vote in-person at the Westchester County Board of Elections. For more info, visit citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/register-to-vote.

Absentee Ballots

Requests for an absentee ballot for any reason must be received by October 24. To request an absentee ballot online, visit: absenteeballot.elections.ny.gov. Absentee ballots must be postmarked no later than November 8. You can also bring your absentee ballot to your early voting location during the early voting period, or deliver it in person to the Board of Elections.

Early Voting

Early Voting takes place from October 29 to November 6. For early voting hours and polling locations, visit citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/voting/early-voting-2022.

Election Day

On November 8, polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. To find your polling place, visit citizenparticipation.westchestergov.com/find-polling-place.

For more information, call the Westchester County Board of Elections at (914) 995-5700.

Upcoming Event:

Legislative Update:

Remaining Mayer Bills To Be Signed

At the end of the legislative session in June, I was pleased to announce 35 of my sponsored bills passed both houses of the legislature. Five of those bills were enacted as part of the New York State budget in April and 22 have been signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul. I will continue to advocate for the remaining eight bills, which address protections for employees, consumers, and people with disabilities; violence prevention; and flood resiliency. To become law, they need to be signed by the Governor before the end of the year.

Remaining Bills To Be Signed:

S.7582B/A.9216B: Requires that the New York State Building Code be revised to incorporate enhanced measures for flood mitigation and flood safety that account for the increased likelihood of flooding due to climate change.

S.6828A/A.9268A: Requires the Department of Labor to notify claimants applying for unemployment benefits within 30 days whether the claim has been approved or denied.

S.6363A/A.8102A: Requires the court, during order of protection proceedings, to order search and immediate seizure of firearms when defendants/respondents willfully refuse to surrender such firearms.

S.6443B/A.8105A: Requires judges, during order of protection proceedings, to question defendants/respondents as to whether they own or possess guns.

S.9432/A.8659B: Requires the MTA to establish a vegetation management policy that will enhance communication with residents living adjacent to MTA train routes.

S.7377/A.9162: Establishes the Statewide Group Home Families Working Group to give more voice to residents of group homes and their families and guardians into the policies of the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.

S.5557A/A.7383A: Allows former NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection police officers to transfer their service credit from the NYC Employees’ Retirement System when they take a job with a police department which is in the NYS Police and Fire Retirement System.

S.16D/A.431C: Prohibits selling diet pills and supplements for weight loss and muscle-building to minors.

You can advocate for these bills as well by contacting Governor Kathy Hochul’s office and asking her to sign them. In the coming weeks, I will be launching a social media campaign “#letsmakeitlaw” highlighting these bills. Keep an eye out for it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

School Librarian Roundtable

On Thursday, October 6, I held a School Librarian Roundtable at White Plains High School. Over 30 school librarians were in attendance from all across Senate District 37. We had very productive and enlightening dialogue on the challenges they face in the profession – including funding, state requirements, and recruitment and retention. Thank you to everyone in attendance for sharing your experiences!

And, thank you to White Plains Superintendent Dr. Joseph Ricca for welcoming us to your district!

New York State Empire Award Honorees

The New York State Empire Award honors small businesses and nonprofit organizations that make outstanding contributions to the growth, prosperity and betterment of their community and New York State. In Senate District 37, we are fortunate to have many small businesses and nonprofits that enrich our lives and create connections in our community – whether they provide food, culture, a place to gather, or direct assistance to people in need. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to honor organizations that are truly deserving of this award!

American Legion Post 1097 recently completed construction on a handicap accessible bathroom and added a handicap stairlift to its rear entrance thanks to a grant from Westchester County. I was proud to present an Empire Award to Tony and Fran Cicia and members of American Legion Post 1097 with County Executive George Latimer, County Legislator Margaret Cunzio and North Castle Councilmember Barbara DiGiacinto.

The Bronxville Women's Club is focused on community-building and intergenerational civic engagement, which it promotes through a wide variety of arts and cultural programming and local fundraising efforts. I was delighted to present an Empire Award to Club President Mary Westmoreland and to members Gene Westmoreland, Ellen Hunt, Joe Hunt, Kathy DeRusso, Marianne Spamer, Denise McKinney, Sandra Annunziata, Barbara Stevensen, Theresa Neal, James Briggs Murray and Rebecca Underhill.

Today's Students Tomorrow's Teachers mentors and guides students of color in education. I was thrilled to present and Empire Award to President and CEO Dr. Bettye H. Perkins, Ed.D., to her colleagues Mariana Gonzalez and Carney Burns, and to Leslie Piedra, a TSTT graduate and teacher at White Plains High School.

For 25 years, the Women’s Enterprise Development Center has provided mentorship and guidance for low- to moderate-income women in Westchester who wish to start their own businesses. WEDC is committed to eliminating barriers for those that seek financial independence through business ownership. I was happy to present an Empire Award to Chief Executive Director Nikki Hahn, and to her colleagues Noel D’Allacco, Persephone Zill, Veronica Bazan, Paula Zorilla, Mairead Daly-Diep and Lizbeth Julca.

Blooming in the 'Burbs

What a terrific response to “Blooming in the ’Burbs,” our district-wide gardening showcase! Check out a few of the top gardens below and be sure to keep an eye out for a full album of submissions on my Facebook page!