Didi Barrett

Many people in Dutchess County rely on local and family owned taxi, limo and livery companies to get to and from New York City but these companies were constrained in their ability to best serve their customers because of regulatory obstacles created by the TLC. For several years now, our office has been working with local businesses on this bill and we are delighted that Governor Cuomo has signed it into law. This new law is a win-win-win for Dutchess County because it cuts red tape, expands services to the area’s largest market, and most importantly supports local small businesses.”

The Hudson River is the lifeline of this region; it connects us economically, culturally, and historically. I commend New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos for calling on the EPA to re-examine the cleanup of PCBs in the upper portion of the river. I have long been an outspoken advocate for safeguarding and preserving the vitality of the mighty Hudson which means addressing the unacceptable levels of contaminated soil.

I want to thank Governor Cuomo and his team for his announcement today to bring much needed high-speed Internet to Columbia County as a part of his New NY Broadband Program. Ensuring access to fast and reliable broadband in our rural county has been a priority of mine since I was first elected. 

Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D – Columbia, Dutchess) announced the passage of legislation she sponsored that will grant women better access to breast cancer screenings in New York State (A.10679). Specifically, the measure will prohibit deductibles, co-payments, and coinsurance for screening and diagnostic imaging; extend hours at mammography facilities; and expand the amount of public employees who are eligible for annual paid leave for breast cancer screenings.

Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D – Columbia, Dutchess) announced she has authored and passed three pieces of legislation to designate creeks in Columbia County as inland waterways (A.9508-A, A.9509, and A.10165). These bills designate the Roeliff Jansen Kill, Bash Bish Brook, and the Claverack, Taghkanic, and Agawamuck Creeks as inland waterways making the municipalities they flow through eligible for state and federal funding. These bills have passed the Senate as well and await the governor’s signature.

Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D – Columbia, Dutchess) announced that the Assembly passed legislation she is a sponsor of that will require the state to fully reimburse counties for the costs associated with indigent legal services (A.6202-C). This measure will relieve counties of a significant unfunded mandate.

Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-Columbia, Dutchess) announced the passage of three pieces of legislation she authored that focus on efforts to curb the spread of Lyme disease. Specifically, the bills provide students and teachers with appropriate instructional materials, raise awareness of simple prevention methods and create guidelines to help residents keep ticks away from their home (A.8105-A, A.8106-A, and A.8110-A).

Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D – Columbia, Dutchess) hosted a community meeting on broadband access this morning at Columbia-Greene Community College. Her office invited staff members from the NY Broadband Program Office to provide county stakeholders with a presentation and a question & answer session regarding the state’s plan.

Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-Columbia, Dutchess) announced she has sent a letter to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio in support of an initiative spearheaded by fourteen City Council Members seeking to secure a long term food source for all city residents by investing in Hudson Valley farms and farmland. The proposal urges New York City to put $5 million in the city budget to protect regional farms that deliver food to underserved neighborhoods throughout NYC.

The New York State budget that we have laid out and passed is one that substantively addresses many of the policies Ive pushed for since I took office. It includes a tremendous investment in education with over $24 billion in aid – a more than 6% increase over last year. We listened to the frustrations of students, parents, teachers, and administrators, who felt the brunt of years of unpredictable funding and under-funding, and eliminated the GEA once and for all while also substantially increasing foundation aid.