OPTIMISTIC OUTLOOK
State Sen. Breslin discusses hopes for education funding relief and legislation in 2021
State Sen. Neil Breslin, D- Bethlehem, took some time to chat about his hopes and goals as the calendar turns to 2021. From helping provide relief to New Yorkers, to more education and healthcare funding, touched on a plethora of topics.
In November, Senate Democrats added to their majority for a veto-proof supermajority, which Breslin commented on.
“I think it’s nice to have the supermajority, but it’s also nice that you keep your ammunition powder dry and use it just as a negotiation tool. I hope it’s used that way. I hope it’s not used as a sledgehammer. I don’t think it will be,” Breslin explained on when and how to utilize their majority.
“I’ve said before, Andrea Stewart Cousins is the best leader I have had in my many years in the Senate, and I think that just the fact that we have the additional people is tactically a very good thing but it’s better to keep it in perspective to only use it in critical or crucial situations when we deem it necessary,” Breslin continued.
“There’s so many new people, not only this time in November, but the last time when I look at the
"I think it’s nice to have the supermajority, but it’s also nice that you keep your ammunition powder dry and use it just as a negotiation tool. I hope it’s used that way. I hope it’s not used as a sledgehammer. I don’t think it will be."
— State Sen. Neil Breslin, D-Bethlehem
roster of Senators, there’s close to three- quarters of the Senators who are new in the last two-plus years, that’s a lot of new Senators and there’s a lot of new Senators on the Republican side as well,” Breslin added on the new faces on both
sides of the aisle.
Breslin also noted some of the budget challenges, with the state facing a deficit even before the pandemic hit.
“I think this year will be different because during the past years, during October, November, you’re planning for the next year, and you’re coming up with policies,” Breslin said.
“Now, with the state
not having a great deal of money to use, although the [federal relief] bill really does have quite a bit in it for the state. It isn’t direct to the state, but it’s direct to things like childcare and education in general, transportation needs, it looks like it might be $4 billion for the MTA. So, in that bill, there’ll be lots of items that will be very positive for New York and will help us get out of the financial crunch that we’re in,” Breslin explained regarding some of the positives extracted from the federal relief package.
Additionally, Breslin detailed some priorities he’d like to see addressed in the coming new year.
“In terms of legislation in my area, starting with property- casualty insurance, first of all, most car owners have been getting refunds on their car insurance on an ongoing basis. The rates that they charge are approved by the department of financial services and when they’re approved and things change, the state has the power to have the insurance companies not enjoy the windfall but have the windfall enjoyed by the consumer,” Breslin noted on insurance rates.
“I strongly want to regulate pharmacy benefit managers ( PBM’s). PBM’s are very close to the three
major pharmacy companies and with the pharmacy benefit managers not being regulated it puts independent pharmacies at a tremendous disadvantage,” Breslin said. “Hopefully early in the year, we can pass this.
“It was passed once before and vetoed but I think circumstances have changed and independent pharmacies are in deep trouble, I actually think regular pharmacies have done pretty well.”
Breslin also commented on the need for fairness for all sides when it comes to renters and small landlords.
“There’s several bills dealing with tenant landlords,” Breslin said. “Now if you just give blanket help to a tenant, that certainly doesn’t help. Most landlords in this area are landlords that own two or three properties and they might have three or four rental units and if you tell them by law that their tenant doesn’t have to pay you, that puts them in the situation of going bankrupt.
“So whatever we do for the tenant, we have to have assistance programs that will take care of the landlord as well. There’s a couple of bills in the pipeline that hopefully will do that but it can’t be piecemeal.”
With a lot of schools, especially those in cities such as Albany, Cohoes, Lansingburgh, Troy, and Watervliet, already dealing with budget cuts, Breslin stressed the need for more education aid and equity in funding.
“We have to get more money into education, particularly in cities. [Assemblyman] John McDonald and I represent five cities. There’s more poverty in the cities. There’s been more of a closedown of schools in the cities and we have to make sure that the inner-cities don’t get impacted so much that it’s very difficult for their students to catch up,” Breslin remarked.
“We have to provide additional dollars for schools in cities to make sure there’s tutoring when needed, that there’s also childcare, we have to look at it and stabilize and make the schools equally good products,” Breslin added.
When it comes to finding other potential revenue enhancers, Breslin named a few different initiatives of legislation likely to pass in 2021.
“There’s a number of different things, making our tax system [more fair], the only progressive tax we have is the income tax. It isn’t quite as progressive as a lot of us would like and multi-millionaires and billionaires can pay a little bit more, so that’s one way to help,” Breslin said.
“There’s sports betting, which could generate on the upside of a billion dollars, probably more. There’s no reason [not to], we’re sup---
porting New Jersey [regionally] with sports betting. I think there’ll be a passage of marijuana during this session. Some people still object but I think that’s an area where a supermajority might help us. It will be not 13 who will object but there’ll be quite a few who will but I think it’ll pass in the Senate and I also think it will pass in the Assembly,” Breslin noted regarding other initiatives on the table.
“Then it’s searching for revenue enhancers because I don’t think we’re going to get out of this hole for several years. I would hope that we get some additional COVID monies through President-Elect [Joe Biden] but that will be difficult if we don’t win both [U.S. Senate] seats in Georgia,” Breslin added on the need for additional federal dollars beyond the package recently passed at the federal level.
Breslin concluded by offering his most optimistic outlook for 2021.
“My optimism is to be able to finally have better than 50% of our population vaccinated and we see the light at the end of the tunnel. And we see a time where we no longer will have to wear a mask. And our kids will be able to go to school and have a good time again and not be denied the ability to play sports, be in plays, to actually go to school, because no one likes on an ongoing basis to learn virtually,” Breslin added.