Because of the rampant dysfunction in Albany, it sometimes feels like our state is on the brink of disaster. Issues like burdensome taxes, a high cost of living, unrealistic energy policy and criminals having more rights than citizens are just some examples of why this feeling can occur. However, I am not giving up the fight to save New York, and neither are my Republican Conference colleagues in the Assembly. We have put out our agenda that addresses how we plan to return New York to Empire State status with common-sense legislation.

The first issue to tackle is affordability; if people can’t afford to live comfortably, they will leave. Most of the issues I deal with stem from population loss. Under one-party rule, the cost of living has ballooned, all while Albany continues to spend your hard-earned money on progressive pet projects. To combat this, we are proposing multiple solutions to lower the cost of household expenses (A.7417), expand access to affordable health care (A.9254), cut wasteful government spending (A.7530) and eliminate taxes on tips, overtime and private pensions up to $100,000 (A.5856, A.8965, A.2017). Of course, no plan on affordability would be complete without talking about the cost of energy. That is why we are committed to lowering energy bills (A.7429), fighting for nuclear power in New York and repealing the costly green energy mandates that Albany has forced on families and businesses (A.2005, A.5168).

Next, we have a plan to make New York a safer place to live and raise a family. As a former police chief, this is an issue that is in my thoughts daily. What we must do is repeal bail reform, which has allowed violent criminals to roam our streets. We must allow a judge to “judge” people brought before them. We must also repeal the HALT Act. This law essentially handcuffs correctional officers (COs) by banning tools they previously were able to use to handle especially violent inmates who put not only the COs at risk but other inmates as well. Finally, for far too long, we have seen police vilified not only by some radical fringe groups but also by elected officials. This is unacceptable. New York needs to be a place that honors the hard work and sacrifice of our law enforcement officers.

We also must make New York more friendly to small businesses. Currently, red tape and bureaucracy are making it close to impossible to operate in the state. We must cut all unnecessary regulations at state agencies, expand apprenticeship programs and recruit and retain a quality workforce.

That was just a snippet of our plan to help improve New York and make it the great place I know it can be. If you have any questions about our plan, you can contact my office or visit www.nyassembly.gov to look up any of the bill numbers mentioned in the text above.

Assemblyman Angelino represents the 121st Assembly District, which includes parts of Broome County, Delaware County, Madison County, Chenango County and Otsego County. You can follow Assemblyman Angelino on Facebook.