It’s hard to believe we’ve hit October. It’s already been quite a year!
We passed over 80 bills through the senate, making significant progress on new legislative priorities. Forty of those passed both houses of the legislature, and have or will make it to the governor’s desk for her signature. These include bills aimed at protecting children in our family court system, demanding better transparency from elected officials and regulatory processes, expanding mental health access, as well as local municipal bills that help our communities run smoothly and efficiently.
We delivered major wins for Orange County in this year’s budget: a new 20-percent discount for our residents with EZ-Pass starting in November; a renewed term for the state-appointed monitor at the Orange County IDA who continues to protect taxpayer interests; a major increase in state aid to our local schools; and meaningful headway on road repairs, including Route 17M in Chester and Monroe, Route 17A/94 in Warwick, Route 208 in Washingtonville, and Routes 209 and 284 in western Orange County.
Since the start of the year, our casework team has assisted over 900 calls from constituents, addressing challenges ranging from erroneous utility bills, unemployment insurance delays, and licensing issues. Our operations team executed 16 events this year, including four annual senior picnics and our annual Resource Fair and BBQ, all at the end of this busy summer.
Orange County is diverse, generous, and filled with hard working people who are willing to go the extra mile for their neighbors. Each community has its own strengths and challenges, and showing up in every corner of our senate district gives me an opportunity to speak directly to individuals within each community, to hear their concerns, ask questions, and focus on their priorities. 2026 has kept us on our toes, and we’re not done yet. It’s an honor to represent this district. One that I never take for granted.
James Skoufis
NYS Senator, 42nd District