My view State Sen. Bill Larkin 'Unchecked Democrat control of state government is not in the best interest of Hudson Valley families'

While national politics and the upcoming Congressional elections seem to get all the attention these days, Hudson Valley residents – particularly those in the 39th Senate District – would be wise to not lose sight of things going on closer to home. If State Senate Democrats pick up just one seat this fall, like the one I’m retiring from, Democrats will control the Senate, Assembly and Governor’s office.
As someone who has represented this area for nearly four decades, I can assure you that this scenario – unchecked Democrat control of state government – is not in the best interest of Hudson Valley families.
Let’s look back. In 2009 and 2010 New York City-based Democrats controlled all three parts of state government for the first time in a generation. Total Democrat control resulted in the elimination of STAR rebate checks, $14 billion in new taxes and fees and the school-crippling Gap Elimination Adjustment, which took billions of dollars away from our public schools.
They also enacted the now infamous MTA bailout, which included a job killing payroll tax on employers and an MTA surcharge on vehicle registrations. After just one election cycle, voters returned Republicans to control of the chamber.

That was then. So what about now? State Democrat priorities this year include taxpayer funded political campaigns, higher taxes, single-payer health care, recreational marijuana, late-term abortion, and free college tuition for illegal immigrants. Those may be New York City’s priorities, but they’re not the priorities of families in our area.

With anti-Trump hysteria casting an unshakable, mind-altering spell on Democrats at all levels, to the point where a 28-year-old socialist from New York City is now, according to Democrat National Committee Chairman Tom Perez, “the future” of their party, there is no telling what unchecked Democrats will do to energize their increasingly frenzied base.
Granting 35,000 convicted felons on parole the right to vote may be a good indicator of things to come.
One last point readers should note: Twenty-three of the Senate Democrat Conference’s thirty-one members represent districts that are entirely or partially within New York City’s five boroughs. Unlike the current Senate Republican Majority, this will be a New York City-dominated Senate looking out for New York City’s interests. Plain and simple. In a Democrat Senate majority, as it is currently with the Assembly, calls for property tax relief, a stronger economy, more jobs, and creating a more affordable New York will be calls in the wilderness.
Governing in Albany is a team sport. The team your new State Senator joins is just as important as your new State Senator, maybe more so. Remember that.
There is much at stake in local State Senate races this fall. With only a handful of close contests, voters in the 39th Senate District may ultimately decide which party controls the Senate and, therefore, the direction our state goes in. I urge voters to choose carefully.

State Sen. William J. Larkin Jr. of Corwall-on-Hudson is stepping down from public life at the end of the year after four decades of public service.