It's great to be back in Albany for the 2026 legislative session. I'm looking forward to a productive year focused on policies to lower costs while maintaining our commitments to the services that residents in the 48th Senate District rely on. 

The themes I’ll be focusing on this year are reducing the costs of housing, energy, and health care.

The Housing Acceleration Fund I proposed last year is already helping developers secure low-cost financing. Now, I want to do the same for zero-emission energy projects to expand our energy grid. More options for consumers to access energy will lower monthly utility bills. 

I also want to move New York State into the 21st century by updating land-use policies, streamlining regulations that prioritize building housing in walkable, affordable neighborhoods.

Health insurance premiums for many New Yorkers are skyrocketing after the GOP let Affordable Care Act subsidies lapse. We need to step up in our state, especially for the rural communities that will be hit hard by hospital and clinic closures. I’ll be working on promoting rural paramedicine and Telehealth to bring health care to those who need it. 

On the environmental front, we’ll keep working to protect the Finger Lakes from harmful algal blooms and other pollutants that threaten our drinking water and discourage tourism.

I'll also continue my effort to reduce waste so we don’t have to keep expanding our landfills.

Senator Rachel May