Mark Grisanti's Press releases

Senator Mark Grisanti is co-sponsoring legislation to amend the public service law in relation to requiring negotiation of fair terms between cable television franchisees and competing independent cable channel.

“In Western New York we are not able to watch Buffalo Sabres hockey games on television if you have Time Warner Cable due to these unfair negotiations,” said Senator Grisanti. “Since terms cannot be reached we want the public service commission to amend the law so that the parties must conduct an arbitration.”

Time Warner Cable has been negotiating with MSG for over a year, but no deal has been reached to bring MSG’s networks and the Sabres game back to Time Warner Cable customers.

Assemblymember Dennis Gabryszak (D-Cheektowaga) announced the Assembly passed a bill he authored that would amend the Criminal Procedure Law to assist a victim of false financial practice, helping them remedy the fraudulent financial claim that the victim is indebted or obligated to a defendant, or secured party, in a criminal action (A.3457)“When someone makes a false financial claim against you, it can cause excessive and unfair damage to your credit rating,” Assemblymember Gabryszak said. “We cannot allow victims of fraudulent financial statements to go unprotected with nowhere to turn.

"I applaud Governor Cuomo and his team for their work on the 2012 budget. We look forward to passing an on-time and balanced budget to eliminate the state’s deficit while ensuring vital government services are not impacted.   I am also pleased to see that Environmental Protection Funding held level at $134 million, and the commitment the Governor has in Western New York to get our private sector economy rolling again.  In addition, this budget starts the much needed discussion of true mandate relief, including the state takeover of Medicaid growth, which I support.  I do have some questions about how this budget impacts Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the NFTA, two vital services to Western New York.

New York State Senator Grisanti was named the winner of the 2012 William B. Hoyt Environmental Excellence Award for his outstanding work on behalf of conservation and the environment. The full award letter can be viewed by clicking here.

“Typically we present this Award to members of the legislature who had a long tenure of fighting for change, but your early dedication to upholding the New York’s State’s environmental laws and your visionary approach to the state’s most pressing conservation issues make you stand out as a most deserving 2012 Hoyt Award Recipient,” said Audubon Council of New York State in the award letter.

"I applaud Governor Cuomo, who realizes the potential Western New York has. By investing $1 Billion into Western New York, this should attract businesses to come to our area. As stated a few weeks ago when Governor Cuomo visited the University of Buffalo, I introduced him as 'Western New York's new best friend.' He has certainly lived up to that expectation and I look forward to working with him and other lawmakers to determine the best use of this money and thank him for believing in Western New York.”

-Senator Mark Grisanti, 60th District

In stark contrast to the gridlock in Washington D.C., the Senate Republican Majority has worked together with Governor Andrew Cuomo to accomplish major changes and positive reforms this year. The new Middle Class Tax Cut and Job Creation Plan will build on these successes by cutting taxes for hardworking middle class families, and helping to create new private sector jobs.

UB is to be Awarded $35 Million Dollars by State under the NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant Program $375 Million Plan Will Create More Than 3,000 jobs

Albany, NY (December 13, 2011)

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed the University of Buffalo 2020 challenge grant in Amherst, kick-starting a $375 million plan that will help revitalize Buffalo's economy and create thousands of jobs.

New York State Senator Mark Grisanti (60th District) launched a free "job resource center" online that will provide assistance to constituents in his district who are currently looking for a job."Creating new jobs and retaining existing jobs is really what it is all about here in Western New York," said Senator Grisanti. "Since taking office in January, I have made bringing jobs back to Western New York one of my top priorities."  Currently unemployment is at  9.1% in the United States, 8% in New York State-wide and in 7.3% in the Buffalo/Niagara Region.

With billions of gallons of untreated sewage released in New York’s waters each year, including a recent accident where over 200 million gallons of raw sewage entered the Hudson River, the New York State Senate Environmental Conservation Committee held a major hearing on the issue.

The hearing, organized by Senators Adriano Espaillat and Mark Grisanti, focused on preventing untreated sewage from entering our waterways and establishing strong notification systems to protect the public. 

The hearing took testimony from various experts and activists, including New York City Dept. of Environmental Protection Commissioner Carter Strickland and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Regional Administrator Venetia Lannon.