[Tricountydirectorsgroup] 2011 Legislative Session Recap

Tue Jun 28 16:26:20 CDT 2011

Sorry to crowd your inbox today but want to share this timely update related
to our State Legislature and information about the members of both houses,
bills introduced and those that passed.

Lorraine 

From: Jessica Klos [mailto:JKlos at earlycareandlearning.org] 
Sent: Tuesday, June 28, 2011 2:10 PM
To: Jessica Klos
Subject: 2011 Legislative Session Recap 

POLICY and ADVOCACY UPDATE

 <http://www.earlycareandlearning.org/> eclc logo w-o tag.bmp       

6/28/11

End of Session Summary

The 2011 legislative session has finally come to a close and summer has
arrived! Among many other thing, Governor Cuomo's first six months in office
brought cooperation with the legislature for an on-time budget that closed a
$10 billion budget deficit without new taxes.

While the 2011 legislative session was scheduled to end on Monday, June
20th, some controversial issues kept legislators negotiating in Albany a few
days longer.  The "Big Ugly" (a bill including a property tax cap, mandate
relief and rent control), SUNY 2020 (a new SUNY-CUNY tuition plan), and same
sex marriage legislation, as well as some of less high profile legislation
were all passed.  Additionally, the State Assembly passed the Health Care
Exchange bill, but the Senate failed to bring it to a vote.  It is rumored
that they will come back to Albany in a few weeks to bring up this issue.
Ethics Laws were also reformed.

Early Care  <http://www.earlycareandlearning.org> & Learning Council

Winning Beginning NY <http://www.winningbeginningny.org/> 

United States House of Representatives <http://www.house.gov> 

United States Senate <http://www.earlycareandlearning.org/> 

NYS Governor's Office <http://www.governor.ny.gov/> 

NYS Senate <http://www.nysenate.gov/> 

NYS Assembly <http://assembly.state.ny.us/> 

Early Care & Learning Council legislative session highlights:

Winning Beginning Wednesdays was Winning Beginning NY's new advocacy effort
that took place during March.   Every Wednesday, new organized or
reenergized teams from different regions of the state visited the State
Capitol to advocate for the issues on Winning Beginning NY's Legislative
Agenda. Children's advocates, child care professionals, parents, children
and community leaders from across New York State came to Albany to meet with
their legislative delegation to discuss the proposed budget cuts to early
education programs. Their efforts educated and informed legislators and
policymakers about early care and learning initiatives. 

Advocacy efforts led to a Rejection of the Executive proposed Primary
Prevention Incentive Program and full restoration of the Healthy Families
New York home visiting program at $23,288,200.

Child Care Resource and Referrals maintained funding minus the ARRA funds in
2010. 

The Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program will be funded at $384 million
in both FY 2011-12 and FY 2012-13.  This is the amount that was spent by
programs in 2010-2011.

While the Early Care & Learning Council supported many pieces of legislation
this session, here are some ones to note:

<http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=S05650&term=&Summary=Y&Tex
t=Y> S5650 Sponsored by Senator Flanagan, which would study, evaluate and
make recommendations concerning early childhood education in child care
settings passed the Senate, but was not introduced in the Assembly.

Early Care & Learning Council Public Policy Chair Susan Antos spearheaded
the introduction of the "Patchwork" Legislation in both houses. It was
sponsored by Assemblywoman Jaffee and Senator Savino, but did not get to the
floor of either house.

<http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A05843&Summary=Y&Memo=Y&Te
xt=Y> A5843/S4116: Relates to the treatment of the earned income of a child
under the age of 18 when determining the eligibility of a household for a
child care subsidy.

<http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?default_fld=&bn=A06545&Summary=Y&Memo=Y&Te
xt=Y> A6545/S4115:  Provides that parents and caretakers who are otherwise
eligible for a child care subsidy shall receive a subsidy when care is
necessary to enable them to sleep because they work a late shift and have a
child who is under the age of six and not in school for a full school day;
further provides that the authorization for a subsidy shall be sufficient to
allow the parent to obtain eight hours of sleep. 

***

The legislature may have left Albany, but our advocacy efforts will continue
over the next six months with in-district visits and making the CCR&R voice
heard as budget priorities for the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 are determined.

As always, thank you for your invaluable contribution to the work the CCR&R
network.  Please keep it up and I look forward to continuing to advocate for
and with you!

Sincerely,        

Jessica Klos

Policy Associate

(518) 690-4217 ex. 32

Early Care & Learning Council

230 Washington Ave Ext.    Albany, NY 12203

Phone: 518.690.4217   Fax: 518.690.2887

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