Montesano pushes for progress in 2015
(Long Island, NY) Excitement and anticipation filled the Assembly Chamber yesterday, as Assemblyman Michael Montesano (R,I,C-Glen Head) joined his colleagues, guests and staff for the opening day of the 2015 Legislative Session.
The afternoon began with an opening prayer, followed by the introduction of the new members of Assembly and the election of the Assembly Speaker. The day was adjourned with a moment of silence in memory of the late Gov. Mario Cuomo.
“It’s great to be back,” said Montesano. “I look forward to addressing the concerns of our constituents and hope to make significant progress for our state in the upcoming year. As a member of the Assembly Ethics Committee and the Legislative Ethics Commission, my fight to clean up corruption in Albany will, once again, remain at the forefront of my priorities. We must continue to push for ethics reform to remove representatives who abuse the public trust and ultimately put an end to the corruption that has gone on for far too long.”
Montesano also expressed the crucial need to enforce existing laws that aim to eliminate corruption. He and many of his colleagues in the Minority Conference found the Majority’s unwavering support for the speaker’s re-election to be alarming, given recent accusations against the downstate leader.
“In addition to ethics reform, I will continue to advocate for the reform that our state’s education system so desperately needs,” continued Montesano. “This year, I look forward to working with my legislative colleagues and the governor to address the current election process of the Board of Regents. Additionally, I am hopeful that the Board of Regents uses the resignation of Commissioner King as an opportunity to revitalize the agenda for New York’s public schools. It’s no secret that the current path of education in New York is failing our teachers and students. We need to return local control to our school districts and provide our children with the world-class education they deserve.”
