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Friday, December 21, 2018
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Dear Friend:
During the 2018 Legislative Session, I was pleased to co-sponsor the Toll Payer Protection Act, which mitigates some of the problems vehicle owners have faced due to the expansion of cashless tolling throughout the state.
S.8946/A.9805-A
was delivered to the Governor for his signature on Monday, December 17th, and he has until Friday, December 28th to sign or veto the bill. Read more about the Toll Payer Protection Act in the section below.
With the New Year just around the corner, there are upcoming changes to minimum wage requirements throughout the state and the Paid Family Leave policy. Read more about these in the section below.
As always, if we can help you with an issue, please don't hesitate to reach out to my office at 914-934-5250 or smayer@nysenate.gov.
I wish everyone a happy, healthy holiday season!
Warm regards,
Shelley B. Mayer
New York State Senator
37th District
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CONTACT ME
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37th STATE SENATE DISTRICT
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District Office
222 Grace Church Street
Suite 300
Port Chester, NY 10573
914-934-5250
smayer@nysenate.gov
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The 37th State Senate District includes the Cities of Yonkers, White Plains, Rye and New Rochelle; the Towns of Bedford, Eastchester, Harrison, North Castle, Mamaroneck, and Rye; the Villages of Bronxville, Larchmont, Harrison, Mamaroneck, Port Chester, Rye Brook, and Tuckahoe; and the unincorporated places of Katonah, Bedford Hills, and Armonk.
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THE TOLL PAYER PROTECTION ACT
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The cashless tolling system has many benefits, including easing traffic congestion and increasing efficiency. With the expansion of cashless tolling throughout the state on bridges, tunnels and roadways, many vehicle owners have faced challenges, such as when a statement for a toll is missed or never delivered. When this occurs vehicle owners are burdened with hundreds of dollars in fines, or even worse.
S.8946/A.9805
creates the Toll Payers' Bill of Rights to improve the process for notifying drivers of toll fees, ensure toll and late fees are fair, and prohibit authorities from suspending motor vehicle registration due to an unpaid toll from a cashless tolling facility. The Toll Payers' Bill of Rights also asks authorities to create a system where vehicle owners can be alerted by e-mail or text message of outstanding tolls or fees.
The bill is sponsored by State Senator Andrew Lanza (SD-24) and Assemblymember Tom Abinanti (AD-92). I urge Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign the Toll Payers' Bill of Rights into law. To read more about the bill,
click here.
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PAID FAMILY LEAVE & MINIMUM WAGE
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The beginning of 2019 marks the 2nd year of the Paid Family Leave program for workers in New York State. I am proud to have supported the bill that created the most robust paid family leave program in the nation.
With Paid Family Leave, workers are entitled to take time off to bond with a newborn, adopted, or foster child; take care of a close relative who has fallen ill; or assist in the home when a family member is deployed on active military service. Paid Family Leave also guarantees that your employer cannot discriminate against you for using the program, and your job or a comparable position will be there for you when you return.
Click here
to learn more about New York State's Paid Family Leave program and find information about eligibility.
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More than 2 million New Yorkers throughout the state are employed in jobs that pay minimum wage. Increases in the minimum wage ensure that wages begin to meet the cost of living within each region. Westchester's minimum wage increases to $12.00 per hour on December 31, 2018.
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On Friday, December 14th, as Chair of the Senate Education Committee, I was pleased to meet with
Instructional Leader Alise Becker-Santa, Executive Director
Jacqueline Simms, and other leaders
from the Cleary School for the Deaf. They shared the excellent work they are doing with their students, as well as the fiscal challenges they face. I have been a longstanding advocate for increasing educational opportunities for our hearing-impaired students.
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The Workforce Development Institute organized a meeting with representatives from the manufacturing industry, Westchester & Putnam County government, labor, and other advocates to discuss opportunities for increasing manufacturing and good paying jobs throughout the region. I look forward to continuing to support the light industry and manufacturing sectors throughout Westchester.
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The
2017-18 NYS Budget
included the establishment of the NYS 2020 Complete Count Commission. The Commission is comprised of 16 members appointed by the Governor, speaker of the Assembly, and President of the State Senate. Part of the Commission's responsibilities include studying, examining, and reviewing the issues that have led to past census undercounts in the state, and making recommendations to ensure an accurate count in the 2020 United States census. I look forward to seeing the Commission's work in their first report due by January 10, 2019.
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The deadline for January 1, 2019 health insurance coverage saw a record 4.7 million New Yorkers enroll through the NY State of Health. This is a 9% increase over last year's enrollment numbers. Affordable, quality, health insurance is an important issue for residents of the 37th Senate District and throughout the state. For those still looking to be covered through a private insurer offering qualified plans on the marketplace, the deadline to enroll is January 31st. Click here to find plans in your area.
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The Westchester County Department of Health offers free Narcan training sessions for residents interested in learning how to administer the nasal spray. Narcan saves lives by restoring breathing that has been dangerously slowed due to a heroin or other opioid overdose. The next free training session is on January 24, 2019 at 10:00 AM. To find out more or register for the session,
click here
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Copyright © 2018. All Rights Reserved.
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