Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins announced their picks yesterday for the chairs of the various committees and task forces for the 2023-24 legislative session. See attachments (Senate Chairs; Assembly Chairs) for details for both houses. Here’re some initial comments:
Mental Health: We are very pleased to see that Assemblymember Aileen Gunther and Senator Samra Brouk will continue to serve as both houses’ mental health committee chairs and look forward to working with them to see a final budget and legislation that advances the needs of New Yorkers with mental health challenges and the providers who support them across the state, most notably with an 8.5% COLA, a rejection of proposals that promote coercion and, instead, a focus on increasing access to an array of proven voluntary approaches to serve New Yorkers in mental health crisis.
Health: Assemblymember Amy Paulin is the new chair here, succeeding Dick Gottfried, who recently retired after 52 years of exemplary service; Gustavo Rivera will continue to lead in the area of health and Medicaid issues in that house. Senator Rivera has also been a strong back of criminal justice reform legislation and the COLA that NYAPRS strongly supports.
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse: Senator Phil Steck continues to serve here while Assemblymember Nathalia Fernandez is the new chair for that house.
Corrections: Senator Julia Salazar will continue to be a very strong supporter of criminal justice reform; we look forward to working closely with the Senator and her Assembly counterpart Erik M. Dilan in the coming year.
Ways and Means/Finance: Assemblymember Helene Weinstein and Senator Liz Krueger will continue to chair these pivotal committees that have the last word on each house’s budget proposals.
In keeping with our role on the state’s Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council and our focus there on housing, employment and overall disability policy, NYAPRS looks forward to working with the following chairs in the coming year:
Housing: Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal and Senator Brian Kavanagh
Labor: Assemblymember Latoya Joyner and Senator Jessica Ramos
People with Disabilities: Assemblymember Rebecca A. Seawright and Senator John Mannion.