Schimel: I Am Running for Re-election for The NYS Assembly

The following was submitted by Michelle Schimel, D-Great Neck, who is running for re-election for the New York State Assembly in the 16th Assembly District.

This year, I am running for re-election for the New York State Assembly in the 16th Assembly District. It is my hope that you will re-elect me this November 4th to continue to be your legislator and to work hard for you.

My peers recognize me as one of the most respected Long Island advocates in the Assembly for my passion and work ethic.

A sponsor of the tax reform law, I’ve voted to cut income tax rates to their lowest levels in 58 years, and voted for on-time budgets, four years in a row. This year, like every year during my tenure as Assemblywoman, I made sure the citizens of my district had a strong voice in Albany.

This was my most effective legislative year ever. During the legislative cycle of 2013-2014, I introduced 18 bills, 16 of which were approved by both the Assembly and State Senate. Thus far, Governor Cuomo has signed 14 of my bills into law, and two more are awaiting his signature.

I’ve become the leading voice in the New York State Legislature on gun violence prevention and illegal gun trafficking. I was elected co-Chair of State Legislators Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan, bi-cameral organization of New York state legislators working to reduce gun violence. I have worked with public safety advocates and state leadership to make the

NY SAFE Act the strongest state bill in the nation.

I’ve earned a perfect score for my environmental record, achieving a score of 100% from Environmental Advocates for my support of key environmental legislation. I was selected to represent New York State at the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL) conference, held this year in Minnesota.

Serving on the Assembly Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation, I am a well-known opponent to the controversial hydraulic fracturing process. I have been a panelist at numerous public hearings on fracking, throughout New York State. I am one of a small handful of state legislators who visited hydraulic fracturing facilities in Dimock, Pennsylvania to see the operations firsthand.

Commonly known as hydro-fracking, this process is a well-stimulation technique in which rock is fractured by a hydraulically pressurized liquid. A high-pressure fluid (chemicals and sand suspended in water) is injected into a well bore to create cracks in the deep-rock formations through which natural gas and petroleum will flow more freely. Hydro-fracking’s health and environmental impacts are still under review by the New York State’s Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in no small part, because of my advocacy in sponsoring and voting for several moratorium bills.

Alternatively, I am a strong proponent for renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. This summer, I gave testimony at the Department of Public Service review of PSEG’s Utility 2.0, a 94-page written framework to develop cost effective energy services implementing renewable energy, such as wind, solar, and bio-fuels, demand response, advanced grid technology, and energy efficiencies.

In the midst of many important initiatives put forth and voted on in the Assembly: including

NY SAFE Act, Marriage Equity, Medical Marijuana, and the Women’s Equality Act, which includes Reproductive Health, I never lost sight of the need to put education on the front burner throughout the year.

My strength and confidence gained during my seven years in the Assembly was never more evident than during the long and tenuous budget negotiations. My role as a negotiator was never more evident than bringing focus to the need for radical change in the Education Budget, including GEA restoration funding of $602M and unprecedented addition of $1.12 Billion to the Education Budget, the highest increase in five years. This will help maintain our top quality education while helping offset additional property tax increases.

I’ve worked hard to make sure that the State Education Department refine and improve the Common Core Curriculum, which is now on a better path to improve educational outcomes for both students and teachers. In Albany, I had one-on-one meetings with Chancellor Meryl Tisch and our own Regent, Roger Tilles. I voted to ban standardized tests for students in grades K-2; delay the use of test results from becoming part of the permanent record for students in grades 3-8; limit the amount of classroom time used for test preparation and assessments; ensure that students with disabilities and English Language Learners are assessed based on their instructional level rather than their chronological age; and direct the State Education Department to provide tools, resources, and materials to assist teachers in professional development related to the new standards.

I currently serve on the Assembly Standing Committees of Environmental Conservation, Local Government, Government Operations, Veterans’ Affairs, and Transportation.

This election, I am running on the Democrat, Independence, Working Families, and Women’s Equality Party Lines.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2014. The polls will be open from 6am-9pm. Please be sure to come out and vote!