Sen. Patricia Fahy

Fahy praised the bill as important legislation supporting veterans and community housing. She used her remarks to honor Sergeant Henry Johnson, a Black Medal of Honor recipient from Albany whose contributions were not recognized in his lifetime due to racial discrimination.

Sponsored the bill in memory of Assemblymember Smullen's son, AJ Smullen, age 14, who died after being hit by a car on February 22, 2024. Emphasized that traffic fatalities have risen 26 percent since 2019, with pedestrian deaths comprising one-fourth of all fatalities, and noted that one in three fatalities involve speeding. The memorial signs would raise awareness and remind drivers of the serious consequences of impaired or reckless driving.

Praised the bill for establishing a center to address dyslexia and dysgraphia, noting that for decades too many students with these conditions have slipped through the cracks and been misidentified. She cited estimates that one in five children struggle with reading and learning differences and emphasized the center will enable earlier identification and evidence-based intervention, with K-5 screening standards and annual accountability reporting.

Sponsor explained the bill renames the OASAS scholarship program after Father Peter Young, a groundbreaking priest who worked on addiction, incarceration, and homelessness issues for 60 years and was decades ahead of his time in criminal justice reform.

Fahy supported the bill as a years-long effort to enable mixed-use development on 7 acres of the Harriman Campus while creating a comprehensive master plan for the entire 200+ acre site. She argued it would address housing shortages, complement a $400 million downtown revitalization, and correct decades-old planning mistakes, noting the proposal had support from 75 elected officials, community leaders, labor, and neighborhood associations.

Despite personal faith concerns and worries about vulnerable populations, voted affirmatively because patients facing terminal illness with unbearable suffering deserve this option, citing medical testimony about pain that cannot be relieved.

Sponsor explained the bill addresses a critical shortage of dentists in underserved areas, particularly rural counties and urban areas with low Medicaid acceptance rates. She cited specific data showing Montgomery County has only 19 dentists for 50,000 people and noted Medicaid reimbursement rates are often 40 percent of insurance rates.

The bill removes unnecessary barriers for healthcare workers to report assaults by allowing on-site police report filing, addressing the high rate of unreported incidents in emergency rooms and supporting worker safety and retention.

The bill expands enforcement authority against zombie properties by extending the legal window for action after foreclosure judgment. This addresses a loophole that has allowed properties to languish for years without accountability, creating neighborhood blight and safety hazards, and will help municipalities like Albany address over 1,000 zombie properties while supporting the housing crisis.

Spoke in support of honoring Medal of Honor recipients, particularly Sergeant Henry Johnson of WWI's 369th Infantry Regiment, whose recognition took nearly a century. Expressed concern about potential efforts to erase or downplay his heroism and the importance of preserving accurate historical records.