Hugh T. Farley's Press releases

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) announced that he and his colleagues in the New York State Senate passed property tax relief legislation that enacts a cap on the growth of local property taxes.

The bill (S.5856) will cap school and local government taxes to less than two percent or the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is lower. Mandate relief is also included, with $127 million in savings to local governments, in addition to the creation of a Mandate Relief Council to identify and repeal unsound, unduly burdensome laws and regulations.

This tax levy cap would shift the focus from total spending to the actual property taxes levied to support school district and local government expenses. The bill includes the following provisions:

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) announced that he and his colleagues in the New York State Senate passed legislation on June 20th that would establish a fixed real property school tax rate for seniors who are eligible for the enhanced STAR exemption, providing much needed tax relief to hundreds of thousands of seniors throughout New York State.

Under the bill (S.2998), homeowners aged 70 or older and meet the eligibility requirements for the enhanced STAR exemption would be eligible to apply annually for the fixed real property school tax rate at local option. The state would reimburse school districts for lost revenue caused by freezing the tax rates for seniors.

The bill was sent to the Assembly.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) announced that he and his colleagues in the New York State Senate passed a measure June 16th that would prohibit the sale of children’s jewelry which may contain harmful levels of cadmium and other hazardous substances. The bill (S.4055A) protects children from accidentally ingesting cadmium, often used in inexpensive charm bracelets, pendants and other jewelry.

Cadmium is a known carcinogen, which can hinder brain development in children and cause kidney, lung and intestinal damage. A 2009 report by the Associated Press found that Chinese manufacturers have been substituting cadmium for lead to make inexpensive jewelry which is then being sold by retailers in New York and other states.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (r, C, I - Schenectady) announced that he and his colleagues in the New York State Senate passed a bill on June 16th protecting New York’s environmental and economic future by improving management of water supplies and preventing over-consumption by large-scale users. The bill (S.3798) ensures that water supplies will be protected to meet the needs of New York’s residents, industry, agriculture and environment now and into the future.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) announced that he and his colleagues in the New York State Senate passed "Renee’s Law" on June 15th, which would help protect staff of the state’s youth residential programs and ensure appropriate placement of youth based on their criminal history. The bill (S.5565) was prompted by the brutal 2009 murder of Renee Greco committed by youth in her care. Renee Greco was only 24-years-old when she was bludgeoned to death while supervising troubled teenagers at a group home in Lockport, Niagara County.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) announced that he and his colleagues in the New York State Senate commemorated the upcoming Memorial Day observance by taking time during the May 25th Session to honor current and former military service members, and especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

May is National Military Appreciation Month. Armed Forces Day was observed on May 21st and Memorial Day will be observed at the end of the month, on May 30th.

Our veterans have sacrificed so much for keeping our country safe and free, but do we ever take the time to tell them? Next time you see a local veteran, shake his or her hand and say "thank you" -- that all of the sacrifices were worth it.Memorial Day originally began as a time for the families of Civil War soldiers to commemorate the heroic actions of their deceased family members. Over the years, it came to serve as a commemoration to remember all the U.S. men and women killed or missing in action when serving their country.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) announced that he and his colleagues in the New York State Senate passed legislation May 17th that would enable public and private academic and research libraries in New York State to create an information infrastructure unequaled in the world.

Known as ARIA, the Academic Research Information Access Act (S.3736-A), leverages the state’s public and private higher education sector – arguably the largest and most diverse in the nation – to facilitate collaboration and efficiencies by providing for the voluntary pooling of assets in order to obtain access to high-end electronic, peer-reviewed, information resources such as journals, serials, and databases.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) announced that he and his colleagues in the New York State Senate passed the "Adopt-a-Park" bill on May 16th, which allows the state and municipalities to work together to develop agreements with volunteers to beautify parklands. Bill S.2686A would assist local governments in continuing to provide communities with safe and enjoyable public spaces by allowing volunteer groups to provide services to enhance and maintain parks.Modeled after the successful "Adopt-a-Highway" program, Adopt-a-Park gives local governments the ability to fully avail themselves of assistance offered by volunteer groups.