Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Schenectady-Saratoga) is teaming with Glenville Town Supervisor Chris Koetzle and representatives from the NYS Department of Financial Services to help homeowners already in foreclosure and those at risk of foreclosure by offering free assistance to enable them to stay in their homes.

The foreclosure prevention specialists will meet with homeowners inside the Department of Financial Service’s Mobile Command Center, a 36-foot long vehicle. Homeowners should bring with them any documents relevant to their individual situations, such as a record of mortgage payments or letters to them from lenders or mortgage servicers.

The Foreclosure Prevention Mobile Van will be parked at Glenville Town Hall, 18 Glenridge Road in Glenville on Friday, May 11^th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tedisco will join with local officials to kick-off the visit with a media availability at 11 a.m.

WHO: Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Schenectady-Saratoga)

Glenville Supervisor Chris Koetzle

NYS Dept. of Financial Services Foreclosure Prevention Specialists

WHAT:           Tedisco joins with Glenville Supervisor Chris Koetzle and the NYS Department of Financial Services to offer free home foreclosure prevention counseling help to homeowners.

WHEN:           Tomorrow, Friday, May 11, 2012 at 11 a.m.

WHERE:        The parking lot at Glenville Town Hall, 18 Glenridge Road in Glenville, NY.

by schools when a child is threatened by a bully

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Schenectady-Saratoga) today called for new legislation to require parental notification by a school when a school official witnesses bullying or a child reports that their safety is threatened by a bully.

T’yanna Lockridge, an 11-year-old girl from Schenectady was recently badly beaten by other girls in the presence of a school aide outside Yates Elementary School while she was on her way to the Boys and Girls Club.  Prior to this incident, Lockridge reported to school officials that she was being bullied and feared for her safety prior to the incident.

The school did not notify Lockridge’s parents of the child’s fears of being attacked because the school does not have a parental notification policy for when a student says they are being bullied, according to the Daily Gazette.  The alleged bullies posted video of the beating online.

“The bullying and violence that T’yanna experienced is something no child should have to experience and no school should withhold from parents vital safety information that their child fears being bullied. It’s time to blow the whistle on bullying,” said Tedisco, former Minority Leader and current Assistant Minority Whip.

Tedisco is drafting new legislation to require schools to make a good faith effort to notify a parent or guardian of a child who reports to school officials that they fear they are a target of bullies. The measure also would require any school official that witnesses bullying to report the incident to the child’s parents and to the parents of the alleged bullies.

Tedisco also is a co- sponsor of legislation (A.9125) that prohibits harassment, intimidation or bullying in schools.

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Building on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s efforts last month to enhance public safety by using executive authority to ban the sale of synthetic marijuana, Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Schenectady-Saratoga) today asked the Governor and New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Barbara Fiala to use their administrative powers to permanently terminate driver’s license privileges for serial drunk and dangerous drivers.

In February, Tedisco and Senator Hugh Farley (R,C,I-Niskayuna) introduced “3-Strikes and You’re Out” legislation (A.8934A/S.6496) to permanently terminate all driving privileges of an individual convicted of a combination of three or more of the following: a conviction for DWI/DUI; actions causing an accident where there is serious personal injury to another and the person who hit them is at fault; or vehicular manslaughter.

Currently, there is no provision in state law that permanently terminates driving privileges for those who are chronic drunk, drugged and/or dangerous drivers.

“The Governor was right to ban synthetic marijuana and now I’m asking the Administration to take the same public safety first approach by saying to incorrigible drunk and dangerous drivers: ‘three strikes and you’re out. You lose your driving license privileges forever,” said Tedisco, former Minority Leader and current Assistant Minority Whip.

“It’s been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  Is it any surprise that serial drunk and dangerous drivers continue to wreak havoc and carnage on our streets when the state enables them to keep getting their driver’s licenses again and again?  Addiction to drugs and alcohol is a difficult illness to overcome and those that suffer from it deserve help but our concern and compassion for them can’t override our obligation to keep chronic drunk and dangerous drivers off our highways and protect innocent, law-abiding citizens and their families,” said Tedisco.

Among other cases, Tedisco’s 3-strikes bill, known as “Charlotte’s Law,” was inspired by the family of Charlotte Gallo, a senior citizen from Schenectady, New York, who was killed by a vehicle failing to yield to a pedestrian near Proctor’s Theatre on January 2, 2010. Charlotte was leaving Proctors after a night of volunteering for the organization. The individual driving the vehicle had a long history of dangerous driving and had what a judge called an “appalling driving background.”

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placement on statewide animal abuser registry, encourage spaying and neutering

In response to the disturbing news reports of a family of cat hoarders in the town of Halfmoon and what seems to be an epidemic of animal hoarding cases, Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Schenectady-Saratoga) today outlined three steps New York can take to protect animals from abuse and reduce incidences of animal hoarding that have a negative effect on neighborhoods.

They include mandatory psychiatric evaluation of convicted animal abusers, creation of a statewide registry of animal abusers and encouraging more people to spay and neuter their pets.

Last week, three individuals in Halfmoon were arrested for charges relating to hoarding at least 130 cats in a trailer in extremely decrepit conditions. This week, another 44 dead cats were found behind a home in Johnsonville that has been linked to one of the Halfmoon animal hoarders.

“Pet owners have a responsibility to raise animals in a safe, sanitary and humane environment and only take in animals they can reasonably care for. Animal hoarding is a sickness and anyone who would engage in this disturbing behavior may have a mental illness and needs to be treated before they harm more animals or hurt people. Animal hoarding also impacts neighborhoods by causing dirty and unsanitary conditions where disease and infestations can spread,” said Tedisco, the driving force behind passage of Buster’s felony animal cruelty law in 1999.  “That’s why we are sponsoring the 2^nd annual New York State Animal Advocacy Day on June 13^th in Albany to raise awareness of the issue of animal cruelty and bring together New Yorkers to call for stronger laws to protect our companion animals.”

Tedisco is the sponsor of bi-partisan legislation to require that animal abusers be placed on a statewide registry of abusers (A.1506/S.3804), prohibit them from ever owning a companion animal again (A.1580/S.5084), and require them to undergo a psychiatric evaluation (A.1567/S.3805).

There are also several bills pending in the legislature that would incentivize people to spay and neuter their animals through tax credits (A.968-Kellner) and voluntary contributions (A.484-Lentol).

“We must never forget that animal cruelty is a bridge crime and those twisted individuals who would cause harm to an animal can and often do go on to hurt humans,” said Tedisco, who has two cats and two dogs.

For more information on the 2^nd Annual New York State Animal Advocacy Day, visit: www.facebook.com/nysanimaladvocacyday.

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Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Schenectady-Saratoga) today called this year’s state budget, which was passed today, two days before the April 1^st deadline – a better product and better process for New Yorkers.

“If the all-night session two weeks ago was a nightmare for good government watchdogs and taxpayers, then this year’s budget process is a dream come true for reformers. This is a victory of product and process for taxpayers delivered by their state government,” said Tedisco, former Assembly Minority Leader and current Assistant Minority Whip.

Tedisco noted this year’s budget was released and voted on in stark contrast to the all-night session on March 14^th and 15^th when the state legislature passed measures for redistricting, casino gambling, expanding the DNA database, pension reform, and teacher evaluations – all while most New Yorkers and members of the press were sleeping. Important legislation such as the state budget is routinely enacted late at night away from public viewing.

Tedisco and several of his colleagues are introducing the NYS Government Transparency Act, to stop the clock on all legislative proceedings between midnight and 8 a.m., except in the case of genuine emergencies.  The State Constitution requires bills to “age” three days so legislators and the public have an opportunity to review them. On March 14^th, and in many instances when a budget is voted on, governors will issue “messages of necessity” to circumvent the three-day rule and push through major legislation without giving lawmakers and all New Yorkers much time to read the bills. This is the first year in recent memory a budget was allowed to “age” without messages of necessity being issued.

“To defend that late night–sleep deprived legislative session, the excuse was that important policy agreements by New York’s Governor and Legislature can’t stand the scrutiny that openness and transparency provides. Clearly, the fact that 11 budget bills and fiscal agreements totaling $132.5 billion all survived the constitutional mandate of three full days of scrutiny without one message of necessity or late night session illustrates New York can provide good ends as well as good government process and means to the taxpayers of our state,” said Tedisco.

“The Governor and Legislature deserve credit for crafting a budget on time which spends less than the previous year’s plan, invests in education and contains no new taxes or fees, and for an open, transparent process. This enables lawmakers, the public and the media the appropriate time to read and digest the bills rather than rushing to pass legislation in the dead of the night,” said Tedisco.

“Let’s make sure this year’s state budget is the rule and not the exception,” said Tedisco.

Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Schenectady-Saratoga), Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin (R,C-Melrose) and Assemblyman Tony Jordan (R,C,I-Jackson) today announced they are drafting new legislation to stop the clock on legislative proceedings at midnight to ensure that bills are debated and voted on in full view of the public and media.

Tedisco, McLaughlin and Jordan’s “New York Government Transparency Act” would put a midnight deadline on all state legislative sessions including when a Governor issues a “messages of necessity” unless there is an extreme state of emergency. Any legislation passed after midnight and before 8 a.m. would be found invalid.

On Wednesday, March 14^th going into the overnight hours of Thursday, March 15^th, the state legislature passed measures for redistricting, casino gambling, expanding the DNA database, pension reform, and teacher evaluations – all while most New Yorkers and members of the Fourth Estate – the press — were sleeping. Important legislation such as the state budget is routinely enacted late at night away from public viewing.

“Voters and taxpayers should sleep comfortably with sweet dreams in the dead of the night and not have to worry about having nightmares about the actions of their legislators and governor,” said Tedisco, former Assembly Minority Leader and current Assistant Minority Whip. “Good legislation should be voted on at 3 p.m. when most New Yorkers are awake not 3 a.m. when the only other thing on television are infomercials and Twilight Zone marathons.”

“Voting on pieces of legislation in the middle of the night, with barely any time to read what’s been thrown on our desk, all while lawmakers are sleep deprived, is not the openness and transparency Governor Cuomo promised us,” said McLaughlin. “For the sake of the people, lawmakers should be allowed time to thoroughly read, thoughtfully consider and fully debate important legislation on the floor, in the light of day. Enough is enough with the political expediency Albany has grown accustomed to. I’m proud to join Assemblymen Tedisco and Jordan in sponsoring this legislation that will force lawmakers to conduct the business of the people during normal hours and better hold them accountable as a result.”

“On a night when some of the most significant legislation affecting our State was debated and discussed, only the most ardent follower of the legislative process would have known. That is because we began debating much of this legislation after midnight going until 7:30 am.  It’s ironic that during ‘sunshine week’ this legislation is necessary,” said Jordan.

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Statement from Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Schenectady-Saratoga),

Former Assembly Minority Leader and Current Assistant Minority Whip

“I applaud the Governor’s announcement today that the state will launch an online store to sell unneeded state vehicles, furniture and other assets as I called for in November when I introduced my Used Resources Accountability Act (A.8996).”

“Too often, state agencies will go on taxpayer-funded spending sprees purchasing new furniture, electronics and other resources when what they have is still usable or could be resold on E-bay, Craigslist and some other auction sites.”

“Under my legislation, state agencies will need to get answers to two questions before the state Comptroller gives the sign-off to discard potentially still valuable taxpayer-funded resources: Are the resources still viable for use and if not can taxpayers see a return on their investment through the re-sale of those products? And if the answer to those questions is “no” then certainly, it would be of greater public benefit to see if these resources would benefit cash-strapped non-profit organizations rather than be thrown out with the garbage.”

“What I’ve called for and what the Governor has announced today underscores the philosophy of what my mother used to say at the dinner table and should be a lesson for our state government: ‘waste not, want not.”

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Statement from Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Schenectady-Saratoga),

Former Assembly Minority Leader and Current Assistant Minority Whip

“Today’s report by the Comptroller’s Office on state sales tax collections underscores what I predicted in September: that as a result of Tropical Storms Irene and Lee, the state is reaping a windfall in sales tax revenue from all the thousands of New Yorkers who are trying to rebuild their lives.”

“This is money that was not anticipated and would never have been part of the state coffers; therefore, the state should not profit off the backs of the victims of these disasters. That’s why Senator Farley and I are advancing bi-partisan legislation (A.8643-A/S5893-A) that would eliminate state sales tax on essentials for victims of Tropical Storms Irene and Lee.”

“It’s good news for our state’s economy that revenues appear to be on the upswing, but I don’t want to see state government profiting off of the misery of thousands of New Yorkers who sustained terrible losses. Let’s continue to help these struggling families and small businesses get back on their feet.”

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Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Schenectady-Saratoga) and Senator Hugh Farley (R,C,I-Niskayuna)  today joined with advocates and families who lost loved ones to drunk and dangerous drivers to call for new legislation to help make our roads safer by permanently terminating the driver’s license privileges for serial drunk and dangerous drivers.

On Wednesday, Anthony Gallo, who had 10 suspensions on his driver’s license, was indicted for aggravated vehicular homicide among other charges for being under the influence of drugs and running a red light when he struck and killed 19-year-old Casssandra Boone in November 2011 as she walked across the street at the intersection of Erie Boulevard and State Street in Schenectady.

Tedisco and Farley’s measure, (A.8934A/S.6496), would permanently terminate all driving privileges of an individual convicted of a combination of three or more of the following: a conviction for DWI/DUI; actions causing an accident where there is personal injury to another in the course of that accident where the person is at fault; or vehicular manslaughter.

Currently, there is no provision in state law that permanently terminates driving privileges for those who are chronic drunk and/or dangerous drivers.

“Unlike the right to be safe on New York’s roads, driving is not a right, it’s a privilege. Families have a right to know they and their loved ones will be protected from serial drunk and dangerous drivers who become human weapons when they get behind the wheel of a vehicle,” said Tedisco, former Minority Leader and current Assistant Minority Whip. “The message of this bill for drunk and dangerous drivers is ‘three strikes and you’re out. You lose your driving privileges in New York State forever.’”

“There have been far too many incidents in the Capital Region, and throughout the State, of fatal accidents involving persons who have had their driver’s license suspended and revoked multiple times,” said Senator Farley.  “We need to break this cycle and better protect the public from these repeat offenders.  This legislation makes it clear that a driver will face permanent consequences for their actions.”

Among other cases, the bill, known as “Charlotte’s Law,” was inspired by the family of Charlotte Gallo, a senior citizen from Schenectady, New York, who was killed by a truck failing to yield to a pedestrian near Proctor’s Theatre on January 2, 2010. Charlotte was leaving Proctors after a night of volunteering for the organization. The individual driving the truck had a long history of being a persistent dangerous driver.

Under New York law, a third DWI/DWAI conviction is a Class D felony with a maximum fine of $10,000 and up to 7 years in prison with a 1-year minimum driver’s license revocation.  Charlotte’s Law, which would be the toughest of its kind in the nation, would keep the current prison term and fine but forever take away driver’s license privileges for serial drunk and dangerous drivers who have three strikes on their record.

“The only hope I had for justice I have received since my former mother in law,  Charlotte Gallo, was killed on January 2, 2010, by a motorist who had over 10 previous traffic violations was when Assemblyman Tedisco and Senator Farley signed on to sponsor Charlotte’s Law. This legislation will prevent other repeat offenders from ever driving again. Up until now, a one-year license revocation has been the only action taken to prevent these serial offenders from driving.  Now, with Charlotte’s Law, their privilege to drive will be permanently terminated in New York State and our highways will be safer. The passage of this law will give closure to our family and to all the families who have lost a loved one to someone who has numerous violations on their driver’s license and continues to drive,” Dr. Linda Rozell-Shannon, who served as a policy analyst for over 20 years for the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, and is the former daughter in law to Charlotte Gallo.

“This bill is the right approach to getting chronic drunk and dangerous drivers permanently off our streets. Why should we allow drunk drivers when they are recidivists the privilege of keeping their driver’s licenses? Not only should they do the time for the crimes but when they get out they should never be allowed to get behind the wheel of a car again. Never, ever,” said Doris Aiken, President of R.I.D. (Remove Intoxicated Drivers).

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Tedisco Joins Local Parent of Son Who Died on September 11^th

to Call for Passage of New 9/11 Commemorative License Plate

Assemblyman seeks to honor the heroes of the terrorist attacks of September 11^th

before the gridiron heroes of the Super Bowl

In light of the recent announcement that the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will be issuing new license plates to celebrate the Super Bowl victory by the New York Giants, Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Schenectady-Saratoga) today called for swift passage of legislation to create a license plate to commemorate the victims and heroes of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

The bill (A.2134/S.1939), sponsored by Tedisco, creates a September 11^th distinctive commemorative license plate with proceeds from the sale of the plates to go towards the World Trade Center Memorial Scholarship Program. Assemblyman William Scarborough (D-Queens) is the bill’s prime majority sponsor in the Assembly and Senator Kenneth P. LaValle (R-Suffolk County) is the prime majority sponsor in the Senate. The measure was first introduced in 2005.

“If the DMV can find a way to issue a Super Bowl license plate, then without question, it’s beyond time for them to provide New Yorkers with a special commemorative plate to honor the real American heroes of 9/11,” said Tedisco, former Assembly Minority Leader and current Assistant Minority Whip. “I’m happy that the Giants won the Super Bowl as much as the next New Yorker, but who are the real heroes our state should first be celebrating with distinctive plates, the athletes on the gridiron or the first responders and the people who lost their lives on September 11^th?”

“The Giants win of the Super Bowl is potentially a temporary one year reign. The tragedy of 9/11 with respect to our fallen heroes and those who survived is eternal. Are we more interested in yesterday’s game than that ill-fated day we should never forget…or have we forgotten?” said Steven Cafiero, of Glenville, whose son Steven Cafiero, Jr., worked for the Aon corporation on the 92^nd Floor of the South Tower at the World Trade Center and died on September 11, 2001.

New York State placed a moratorium on new license plates in 2002 after a “Choose Life” plate was requested by the Children First Foundation. The DMV would not allow such a plate suggesting it implies government would be taking a position on a divisive issue. Recently, a federal judge ordered the move illegal by the DMV but an appeal has been filed by the New York State Attorney General’s Office.

“Athletes can be role models but the real heroes are those individuals who lost their lives and put their lives on the line to run into burning buildings to save others and those are the folks that deserve to be memorialized on a license plate first and foremost,” said Tedisco, a former high school and college athlete and coach.

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