Skoufis: 'There’s still much more work to do in 2020'

I am a firm believer that elected officials ought to do more than just clock into Albany, legislate, vote and then go home.

In my first year as your Senator, I'm proud to have led the effort in Albany to:

Protect sexual abuse survivors by passing the Child Victims Act;

Eliminate vaccine loopholes; make the property tax cap permanent;

Unmask shady LLC property owners;

Hold the Kiryas Joel-owned well in Cornwall accountable; and

Secure more money than has ever come back to our Senate District for our schools and roads.

Beyond this work, I'm not one to shy away from taking a fight public in support of my constituents.

When a mobile home park owner in New Windsor and Washingtonville imposed unlawful rent increases, I intervened to stop those increases.

When huge, corporate welfare-style tax breaks were being wrongly considered for an enormous company in Montgomery, I fought to successfully return that money to taxpayers.

When the Governor tried to slap millions of dollars in tax penalties on the taxpayers of the Newburgh and Chester school districts, I stepped in to prevent that from occurring.

Further, as chairman of the Senate investigations committee, I conducted three investigations:

Exposing how drug company middle-men are hiking prescription prices;

Revealing the low priority that too many communities place on code enforcement, endangering residents and first responders alike; and

Holding entities that shell out corporate tax breaks more accountable to New Yorkers.

But, there’s still much more work to do in 2020.

I thank you for affording me the great privilege of representing you and let me sincerely wish everyone a happy, healthy and successful new year.

James Skoufis

Senator, 39th District