Andy Goodell

ALBANY – There are several key issues that still need to be addressed by lawmakers in the state capital.

That from assemblyman Andy Goodell, who returned to Albany earlier this week to begin the second half of the legislative session. Among the items to be considered is an increase the state minimum wage, which is already at $8.75 an hour and will jump up to $9 an hour at the end of this year. According to Goodell, he’s against raising the minimum wage anymore because he says it would prohibit job growth…

“I think that will hopefully be blocked because we’ve had three increases of minimum wage in the last three years<” Goodell said. “And every time you increase the minimum wage, the number of entry level jobs – which are the jobs that the working poor need – gets reduced.”

Goodell said his main focus will be on welfare reform to make it easier for people to get off of welfare and into the workforce.

“That includes random drug testing so that when someone applies for a job they can pass the pre-employment drug test requirements,” Goodell said. “It involves increasing the earned income tax credit so people can actually make more money as they go to work – the Earned Income Tax is really helpful for the working poor.”

Goodell said he’ll also introduce a bill to help increase graduation rates while also ensuring that graduates are equipped with the skills needed to enter the workforce.

As for legislation that has an impact locally, Goodell said he will push for support to increase the local sales tax to 8 percent – which county officials have said is necessary to provide property tax relief.

“When you look at our economy, that probably makes sense because we have a lot of agricultural interests in manufacturing, both of which are really affected by the property taxes and we have a significant number of senior citizens and the property taxes are a real burden,” Goodell said. “On the other hand, we also have a large tourism industry. So when you increase the sales tax, our guests from out of the area are paying more of our tax burden.”

Goodell said he thinks it’s likely he will be able to get the county’s request for a sales tax increase up for a vote in the Assembly. As for the Senate, Senator Cathy Young says that as long as the county can show that a sales tax increase will result in lower property taxes, it’s likely the Senate will approve the increase as well. situation.

ALBANY – Assemblyman Andy Goodell (R – Chautauqua) today introduced a budget amendment to the state budget that would penalize welfare recipients who misuse Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. The amendment would have prohibited the use of EBT cards to purchase alcohol, tobacco, or lottery tickets, and prohibited the use of EBT cards at a liquor store, casino, or adult entertainment facility. Goodell issued the following statement:

“One of my top priorities as an assemblyman is to stop abuse of our state’s welfare system. This budget amendment would have ensured that public assistance money intended to help families in need does not get spent on vices that hurt families.

“Although the original legislation had bi-partisan support, the amendment was rejected largely by a party line vote. I remain committed to restoring integrity to our state’s welfare system. New York taxpayers deserve a welfare system that is free of abuse and helps lift families out of poverty and dependence on government.”

Andy Goodell on the floor of the State Assembly Monday, March 30, 2015.

Senator Catherine Young (R-Olean)

ALBANY – Senator Cathy Young (R-Olean) says more than 2,300 people from her senate district have contacted her, asking that state welfare benefits no longer be used for liquor, strippers, and gambling. Now, she says Albany is making progress towards implementing policies that provide support to those who truly need help while stopping welfare fraud and waste.

Senator Young’s says her push to stifle EBT misuse resulted in legislation she co-sponsored being included in the recently-passed final state budget.

The enacted reforms halt public assistance recipients from making EBT card payments or cash withdrawals at liquor stores, beer wholesalers, casinos, racetracks, and strip clubs, helping to prevent inappropriate purchases.

The new changes prohibit gaming facilities, liquor stores, beer wholesalers, and adult entertainment clubs from accepting EBT cards, and ATMs at these locations will be prevented from dispensing cash from EBT cards.

Andy Goodell

LAKEWOOD – Chautauqua County Assemblyman Andy Goodell says welfare reform remains at the top of his list of priorities for the remainder of this year.

Goodell, who joined Senator Cathy Young for the Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce’s annual legislative breakfast this past Friday, said he’s sponsoring several bills in the Assembly that could help to reduce local government costs if enacted.

“There are a series of bills that I have introduced on Welfare Reform, that are designed to make it easier for people to get off welfare by eliminating some of the inadvertent hurdles they have to cross and by streamlining the process that we can utilize for those who are not willing to help themselves,” Goodell explained to the audience. “That’s a huge driver in the county tax levy.”

Goodell said that in addition to changing the way the state provides social service benefits to residents, he’s also focusing on health insurance reform. “I’m pushing legislation, it’s bipartisan legislation as well as my own, to allow many more options to be offered in New York State, so you can tailor design your own health insurance to cover the needs of your own people or yourself, at a substantial savings in cost.”

And Goodell said his third priority is changing the unemployment and workers compensation program, removing some of the cost for business owners across the start. He said that combined, his priorities are focused on making New York a more business-friendly environment by reducing costs and fees for business owners.

The final vote on the measure was 53-4 vote and marked the third straight year the measure has passed in the Republican-led Senate, but it has gone nowhere in the Democrat-dominated State Assembly.

However, Gov. Andrew Cuomo this year is proposing a similar measure in his budget plan. Under that approach, the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance would impose the tougher regulations on EBTs administratively.

It remained unclear, though whether the Senate’s passage of the bill or Cuomo’s budget proposal would suffice to keep the federal money flowing, or whether the Assembly would have to pass a bill as well.

Legislature Chairman Jay Gould and legislator John Runkle of are sponsoring a motion that would ask the state legislature to consider passing a law that requires anyone who receives benefits from the state to be a New York State resident.

According to the lawmakers, currently there is no residency requirement in the State of New York for anyone in order to receive welfare benefits. They also claim that Chautauqua County has experienced an influx of out of state residents to receive welfare benefits, resulting in an increase of hundreds of thousands of dollars to County taxpayers.

The motion will be reviewed today in committee. If approved, it will go to the floor of the legislature during its monthly voting session next week.

The Human Services Committee will also meet today with County Health and Humane Services Director Christine Schuyler to get an update on the county’s Welfare-to-Work initiative.

Today’s meeting begins at 5:45 pm and will take place in Room 331 of the Gerace Office Building in Mayville.

Other legislative committees meeting today include the Public Safety Committee at 4:00pm and the  Planning & Economic Development Committee at 7:00 pm.

All county legislature committee meetings are open to the public.