Dean G. Skelos' Newsroom

STATEMENT BY SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER DEAN SKELOS ON NEW SENATE WEB SITES

Posted by Dean G. Skelos on Thursday, May 7th, 2009

The new Senate websites that were unveiled with great fanfare today, cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop and will cost millions more to maintain.

Senator Smith has hired a new staff with a public payroll of at least a half a million dollars a year to give individual Senators and the public little more than they had with the previous Senate web sites that were designed and maintained by an outside vendor for $60,000 a year.

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SENATE REPUBLICANS URGE GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERS TO FIX EMPIRE ZONE PROBLEM

Posted by Dean G. Skelos on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

CONTACT: John McArdle, Mark Hansen  (518) 455-2264            FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Letter To Governor, Majority Leader & Speaker Calls Attention To Gouging Businesses for Interest-Free Loans

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MTA SECRECY - STATEMENT BY SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER DEAN SKELOS

Posted by Dean G. Skelos on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

CONTACT: John McArdle, Mark Hansen (518) 455-2264        FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Tuesday, May 5, 2009

    I am stunned by Governor Paterson’s latest comments defending the secrecy shrouding the MTA discussions.  He defends the indefensible by claiming that a little transparency and sunlight might prompt Democrat lawmakers to vote against the agreement. Obviously the Governor believes a little information is a dangerous thing.  

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Senate Democrats Defeat Republican Effort to Stop Largest Tax Increase in State History

Posted by Dean G. Skelos on Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Massive $4.1 Billion Income Tax Hike will be Disastrous for Long Island, NYC Metro Area Taxpayers; Result in Thousands of Job Losses

Senate Democrats today defeated a Republican sponsored amendment that would have put the brakes on the largest tax increase in State history, a whopping $4 billion plus Personal Income Tax (PIT) increase that will affect taxpayers making as little as $200,000 a year and lead to devastating job losses throughout New York.

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Senate Republicans Fight to Keep Prisons Open

Posted by Dean G. Skelos on Friday, April 3rd, 2009

The New York Senate Republican Conference today introduced an amendment that would to keep three minimum security prisons in Upstate New York operating. Under the budget agreement announced by Governor Paterson, Speaker Silver, and Senator Smith, Camp Gabriels in Franklin County, Mt. McGregor in Saratoga County, and Camp Pharsalia in Chenango County would be closed without the required twelve month notice required by law.

The closure of the prisons would result in the loss of over 300 jobs in Upstate New York. Senate Democrats voted to defeat the amendment.

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Senate Republicans Push to Stop Help Lower Energy Costs

Posted by Dean G. Skelos on Friday, April 3rd, 2009

State Senate Republicans today introduced an amendment to budget legislation being advanced by Senate Democrats that would remove onerous new taxes on natural gas and utilities, restore funds that were swept from the New York Power Authority, and expand the Power for Jobs program to provide low cost power to businesses and not-for-profit corporations that create or retain jobs in New York. Senate Democrats voted unanimously to defeat the amendment.

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Senate Democrats Prevent Passage of GOP Amendment to Stop State Budget's Assault on Middle-Class Taxpayers

Posted by Dean G. Skelos on Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Typical family will pay $2,400 more in taxes under Democrat-only Budget

Senate Democrats today opposed a Republican-sponsored amendment that would have eliminated dozens of new taxes and fees included in the State budget that will force an average middle class family to pay more than $2,350 in additional taxes this year.

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Senate Republicans Push to Put Lid on State Spending

Posted by Dean G. Skelos on Friday, April 3rd, 2009

In an effort to put the brakes on runaway state spending and taxes, Senate Republicans today proposed an amendment to the state budget that would put in place a constitutional state spending cap. The Senate has previously passed the spending cap plan with bipartisan support, yet today Senate Democrats changed their position and voted unanimously against it.

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Senate Republicans Propose Amendment to Increase Affordability and Access to Higher Education

Posted by Dean G. Skelos on Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Members of the Senate Republican Conference today proposed an amendment to the higher education budget legislation being advanced by the Senate Democrats that would help improve the quality and affordability of higher education by ensuring that money from tuition increases go directly to SUNY, increasing the tuition tax credit, and creating a prepaid college plan for SUNY and CUNY. Senate Democrats voted to defeat the amendment.

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Senate Republicans Fight to Maintain Environmental Protection Fund

Posted by Dean G. Skelos on Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Senate Republicans moved to protect the state’s commitment to fund environmental protection programs today when they proposed an amendment to the 2009-10 state budget that would stop a planned cut of nearly $80 million to the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). Senate Democrats voted unanimously in opposition to striking the proposed EPF cut from the budget.

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