Owen H. Johnson

If you would like to save a life, please visit the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) link (www.dmv.ny.gov/) to enroll to become an organ donor.  Just click the organ donor link on the DMV homepage and start a NY.Gov ID account.  Go the extra mile and save a life!

Senator Owen H. Johnson joined employees of  Bethpage Federal Credit Union along with members of the Babylon Town Chamber of Commerce and other elected officials to celebrate the opening of the new Bethpage Federal Credit Union branch in West Babylon.  The official ribbon cutting ceremony took place on February 16, 2012 at the new branch location at 555 Montauk Highway, West Babylon in the Pathmark Shopping Center.

GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES ACCELERATED ROAD AND BRIDGE PROJECTS ON LONG ISLAND AS PART OF NY WORKS PROGRAM$40,686,000 Investment to Repair 86 Miles of Roads and Six BridgesGovernor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced an additional and accelerated $40,686,000 investment for nine NY Works projects that will repair 86 miles of roads and six bridges on Long Island. For the transportation component of NY Works, the Department of Transportation (DOT) reviewed its Capital Program and identified those projects, which can be accelerated by utilizing either the conventional design-bid-build project delivery mechanism or the newly-enacted design-build project delivery method.

Dear Friend:

I wanted to inform you about two tax cuts taking effect this Sunday, April 1st.

* State Sales Tax Exemption for Clothing and Footwear

All clothing and footwear sold for less than $110 per item (or per pair for footwear) will be exempt from the New York State 4% sales tax starting April 1st.  Additionally, most fabric, thread, yarn, buttons, snaps, hooks, zippers and similar items that are used to make or repair exempt clothing will also be eligible for the exemption.  The exemption from state sales tax is in effect year-round.

* MTA Payroll Tax Repeal

Senator Owen H. Johnson joined Assemblyman Phil Boyle in welcoming Helen Bagnato, of North Babylon, to the State Capitol on February 29, 2012.  Ms. Bagnato, an NSF S STEM Scholar (National Science Foundation – Scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) at Suffolk County Community College, participated in the “SUNY Undergraduate Research Symposium:  A Showcase of Scholarly Posters at the Capitol.”

At the symposium, Ms. Bagnato presented her research on Atmospheric Stability Classification, a project she worked on as part of a Suffolk County Community College internship at Brookhaven National Laboratory.  Her research involved a measure of stability class or how quickly gaseous pollutants spread using mathematical analysis.  The purpose of the research was to provide information to be used to evaluate applications for emergency response.

Senator Owen H. Johnson welcomed talented musicians from several high schools across Suffolk County at the Empire State Plaza in Albany on March 6, 2012.   The students  performed with the Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association’s (SCMEA) All-County Instrumental and Vocal Ensembles.  The two groups performed as part of “Music in Our Schools Month” sponsored by the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA). 

Directors of the Jazz Choir were Rich Harris, Jr. and Jeff Hoffman.  Directors of the Instrumental Jazz Ensemble were Ron Fox and Frank Hansen.

Good Samaritan Hospital partnered with Senator Owen H. Johnson for a lifesaving blood drive collecting 221 pints of blood on February 27, 2012.  The blood drive took place at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip, from 6:00 AM until 9:00 PM, with two New York Blood Center mobile units were available in the hospital’s front and rear parking lots for the convenience of donors.  “I would like to thank each individual who took a few minutes out of their busy schedule to come to Good Samaritan Hospital to donate the gift of life,” Senator Johnson said.  “Each person who donated blood today could potentially help save up to three lives.  Thank you for supporting such an important cause.”