On Dec. 11, incoming Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins announced the chairs of committees and subcommittees for the 2019-20 New York State Senate legislative session. Among the 38 senators appointed was Senator Persaud; formerly a Ranking Member of the Social Services Committee, she will now become Chair of the said committee.

On Dec. 7, Governor Cuomo signed Bill 8821-2018, which would ensure access to feminine hygiene products for incarcerated women in correctional facilities across New York State, free of charge. Previously, female inmates would often run out of their allotted monthly supply and had no choice but to purchase more from the prison commissary. However, if such products were not affordable, they had no alternative but to go without or create their own makeshift versions. Both routes involved unsanitary conditions, which could lead to physical and mental health issues.

Senator Jim Tedisco (R,C,I,REF-Glenville) celebrated the expansion of C.G. Roxane in Johnstown and its partnership with the Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce. C.G. Roxane bottles Crystal Geyser water and for Wegmans, among others.  

"Our great small businesses, like C.G. Roxane in Johnstown are the beating heart of our local economy. C.G. Roxane is a true American success story and it's continued expansion means more investment here in Fulton County and in the 49th Senate District in jobs and our economy," said Senator Tedisco.

Senator Jim Tedisco (R,C,I,REF-Glenville) and Senator George Amedore (R,C,I,REF-Rotterdam) today are calling for state intervention to protect the pensions of more than 1,100 former employees of the now defunct St. Clare’s Hospital in Schenectady, which the state closed 10 years ago.

More than 1,100 former St. Clare’s Hospital employees and retirees were recently notified their pensions will either be significantly reduced or outright eliminated in 2019. In some cases, people who worked at the hospital for decades will receive no pension at all.

Senator Kemp Hannon, a member of the New York State Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction, announces release of a new and comprehensive report, which describes steps currently being taken to address the state’s opioid crisis and the ways New York can continue to lead. The report includes a series of 11 detailed recommendations to help build upon the progress being made to save lives and rebuild families.

Senator Kemp Hannon, Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Health, is calling on Governor Cuomo to sign into law the Living Donor Protection Act (S2496B), which unanimously passed both houses of the legislature back in June of this year.

Senator Jim Tedisco today announced that he has presented the New York State Senate Liberty Medal, the Senate’s highest award for service to the Honorable Barry Kramer, upon the occasion of his retirement as Schenectady County Supreme Court Justice.