Looking Back at My Time in Albany While Pledging the Same Goals in Putnam
Opinion Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the author/producer’s interpretation of facts and data.
By Kevin M. Byrne
When I first ran for the state Assembly, I vowed to bring a new generation of leadership to Albany. I pledged that my team and I would work relentlessly to address the affordability crisis, protect our families and stand up for our active military, veterans and first responders.
As I look back on my time in Albany, I believe we met these goals and delivered results for the people of northern Westchester and Putnam counties. Of course, there were challenges. Our state legislature is dominated by a New York City majority that loves big government policies and even bigger taxes to fund them. However, despite this constant opposition, we were able to take a stand for our hardworking families and advocate for smart policies that valued our freedoms.
I co-sponsored over 70 bipartisan pieces of legislation that became law. That’s in addition to more than 25 individual bills I personally introduced that passed the Assembly with 21 of them becoming law. I served on the Ways & Means Committee where I fought successfully to enact $4 billion-plus in middle-class tax cuts and temporarily suspend the state gasoline and diesel tax.
In addition, my office successfully advocated for millions of dollars to invest in infrastructure projects in our area, ensuring safe bridges and roads for people to travel on. We also successfully brought back over $500,000 in grant funding to local governments and libraries providing vital needs while allowing municipalities to rely less on property taxes. We expanded cancer benefits for volunteer firefighters and strengthened the Clean Indoor Air Act. Through it all, I kept my commitment to advance a smaller and more limited government, voting “No” on every single proposed state tax increase.
When the COVID-19 crisis hit, my office rose to the challenge. As the ranking minority member of the Assembly Health Committee, I initiated the first hearings into the state’s pandemic response in nursing homes, ultimately holding former governor Andrew Cuomo accountable for his disastrous mishandling of COVID-19 in elder care facilities. I supported a resolution to impeach him before watching him resign in disgrace. We worked to ensure the state handled its responsibilities during the emergency while also advocating for the rights of people to make a living, practice their faith and ensure their kids had access to in-person learning.
Our state continues to face many challenges and more work remains to be done, but I am proud of the work we accomplished and the history we helped make. I wish our succeeding Assemblyman Matt Slater the very best as he represents us in Albany. I know he will give his all and I remain committed to helping him transition into this new role.
The challenges we face are serious and to defeat them, we must face them together. One of the reasons my office was able to accomplish as much as we did was because we prioritized working with people of all backgrounds and political affiliations. We focused on the work, not on petty partisan politics. That’s the only way to get things done in Albany, and I encourage my colleagues in the state legislature to continue to find common ground.
Representing our community has been an immense privilege. Over the years, I’ve knocked on thousands of doors and met thousands of people. I’ve gained a tremendous amount of insight and knowledge from this experience, and for that you have my sincere thanks.
Of course, this is not goodbye. In January, I will begin my new role as Putnam County Executive. I’ll be close to home, working in the building across from Lake Gleneida. As I prepare for this new role, my pledge to the people I represent remains the same. I promise to protect families, control the tax burden and stand up for our military, veterans and first responders, as they have stood up for us. I look forward to working for you all in this new role.
With deepest gratitude for the opportunity you have given, I wish you all a safe and healthy holiday season.
Just one more thing as I close – now and always – it is the Tappan Zee Bridge!
Kevin M. Byrne has represented the 94th Assembly District since 2017 and will be sworn in on Sunday as Putnam County Executive.
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