139th assembly district

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) joined his colleagues from the Senate and Assembly Minorities in calling on Gov. Hochul and the legislative Majority to amend the state’s bail reform law, seeking to restore judicial discretion that would empower judges to keep criminals they know to be dangerous off of our streets. Hawley has spoken out against the danger this law poses to communities since it was first passed in 2019, horrified by reports that have emerged throughout the state of violent acts being perpetrated by offenders released, sometimes repeatedly, due to bail reform.

“So long as innocent people continue to get hurt by those who should not be walking free in our neighborhoods, I will continue to demand the restoration of the discretion that was taken away from our judges in 2019,” said Hawley. “As we now work to pass our state’s budget, I feel we have a real opportunity to restore order and save lives. Gov. Hochul’s proposed changes to the law may be a good start, but when we’re talking about matters of literal life and death, we can’t afford to do any less than finally fix this law once and for all to protect our communities.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia), an Army veteran and member of the Assembly Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, joined other members of the New York state Assembly yesterday for a ceremony held in the chamber to honor cadets from the United States Military Academy at West Point. An annual tradition within the state Assembly, this was the first West Point Day to take place in two years following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The cadets of West Point embody the bright future of our nation, and every year we’re able to hold this ceremony I’m honored to have the opportunity to commend them for their dedication to our country and wish them well as future leaders within our military, our government and our communities,” said Hawley. “I was very happy to see West Point Day return to the chamber this year, and hope it will take place without further interruption in the future.”

Submitted photo: Hawley shakes the hand of Col. Kwenton Kuhlman, Director of the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic at West Point on Mar. 24, 2022.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) joined his Assembly Minority colleagues in calling for the passage of legislation (A.9095) that would amend the state Constitution to reserve the right to vote in state elections to American citizens. 

Their push to pass the legislation comes in response to the passage of a policy by the New York City Council that allows non-citizens to vote in the city’s elections. Concerned that similar efforts could be undertaken in the future by progressive, activist lawmakers to implement such a policy at the state level, Hawley and his colleagues aim to bolster election integrity by passing this bill.

“The places we live, how we provide for ourselves and our families, and the laws we live by are molded by the elections that determine our representatives in government,” said Hawley. “Allowing people who are here illegally to have a say in our laws places criminals before law-abiding citizens. More than that, it will make it even more difficult to ensure the integrity of our elections, jeopardizing the faith people have in state government itself.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is slamming proposed legislation (A.9563) that would establish an excise tax on ammunition purchased in the state, costing sportsmen an extra two to five cents per round. These funds would be deposited into a gun violence research fund, and while proponents of the legislation argue hunters and others who enjoy shooting sports should contribute to efforts that mitigate the harm caused by firearms, Hawley argues such a tax would be an unconstitutional, onerous burden that infringes upon the Second Amendment rights of New Yorkers.

“If tomorrow it was proposed that the faithful be made to pay to freely worship, or that anyone who wanted to espouse a controversial opinion be taxed in order to mitigate the consequences of them doing so, such bills would be dismissed with disgrace,” said Hawley. “When we take our oaths of office to protect and defend our U.S. Constitution as state lawmakers, we make a commitment to defend the document in its entirety, so it’s a shame the Second Amendment has become something members of the Majority feel can be consciously ignored in their policymaking. 

“While those in support of this bill argue that taxing ammunition by just a few cents a round does not place a substantive financial burden on sportsmen, the implementation of financial barriers of any kind to exercise constitutional rights sets a dangerous precedent that could enable the nickel-and-diming of our fundamental liberties in the future. This latest attempt to stifle criminality by inconveniencing the law-abiding may be the most dangerous we’ve seen in some time, and I’d encourage this bill’s sponsors to reflect deeply on the implications its enactment could have on the protection of their favored rights within our constitution.”

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27), NYS Senator Ed Rath (R,C,I - Amherst), and NYS Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) held a press conference this morning to call on Governor Hochul to reject the NYS Farm Laborers Wage Board’s decision to lower the overtime threshold from 60 hours a week to 40 hours.

“Farming is already a business suffering from labor shortages with incredibly tight margins, if the Governor were to accept this decision it would have disastrous impacts on the viability of agriculture in our state and the security of our rural economies,” Jacobs said. “Lowering the threshold would force producers and workers out of our state, and bankrupt generation family farms. I urge the Governor to reject this decision – made at the expense of our farmers – our region’s future prosperity depends on it.”

"The decision by the Farm Laborers Wage Board to lower overtime hours from 60 to 40 hours is fatal to our farms. As the largest industry in New York, agriculture is a vital part of our Upstate community. With this overtime change, many family farms will not survive. I have spoken with countless farmers and farm workers who have shared their concerns with this hour reduction. I remain deeply troubled by this decision and the impact it will have, not only in my district but across our State," Rath said.

“Our state’s agribusinesses and rural communities are staring down the edge of a cliff as they eagerly wait to see whether Gov. Hochul will stand up for them, or for the special interests who’ve been pushing this policy through the bureaucratic process,” Hawley said. “Farmers, lawmakers, farm laborers and experts alike have made clear the devastating consequences this decision will have on agriculture. In this moment, Gov. Hochul has the power to save agriculture in New York state, or put it down a path that will cause it to become something completely unrecognizable. Having represented a rural part of upstate New York in Congress, I sincerely hope she understands how dangerous this decision would be not just for farmers, but for rural communities throughout the state.”

Jacobs recently joined the New York Republican Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to Governor Hochul outlining the disastrous impacts of this recommendation from the wage board and urging her to reject it. You can read that letter here.

Press release:

“While colleges and universities are indeed places where uncomfortable conversations about controversial subjects should take place, I am deeply disappointed that members of the SUNY Brockport Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion have decided to invite Anthony Bottom, a convicted cop-killer, onto campus while framing his experiences as those of a ‘political prisoner,’ all while using taxpayer grant funding to do so. It is nothing less than a slap in the face for the family of the two officers he murdered, as well as those serving currently in law enforcement who face very real threats from individuals like him daily in their work.

“In speaking with administrators of SUNY Brockport, I have been reassured this decision was one that was spearheaded by a subcommittee consisting of several faculty members in conjunction with the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Unless Mr. Bottom plans on speaking about how remorseful he is for his actions, he has no place on a SUNY campus, especially not as a paid speaker. I very much so hope a closer review of grant applications will be forthcoming.”

UPDATE:

Press release from Chris Jacobs:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) was joined by Representatives Stefanik (NY-21), Malliotakis (NY-11), Garbarino (NY-02), Tenney (NY-22), Zeldin (NY-01), Reed (NY-23), and Katko (NY-24) in calling for SUNY Brockport to rescind its invitation to Jalil Muntaqim (a.k.a. Anthony Bottom) to deliver a speech entitled, "History of Black Resistance, U.S. Political Prisoners & Genocide: A Conversation with Jalil Muntaqim."

“As members of Congress representing thousands of brave police officers throughout New York State – we find it unsettling that a taxpayer funded College would believe it is acceptable to give a platform to an individual who was convicted of murdering two law enforcement officers, Joseph Piagentini and Waverly Jones, in cold blood, especially at a time when violent murders and ambushes of police have skyrocketed in this nation,” the Representatives wrote.

Jalil Muntaqim was convicted of the 1971 murders of NYPD Officers Joseph Piagentini and Waverly Jones. Muntaqim, along with others, ambushed the patrolmen after they were lured into public housing using a phony 911 call.

“We urge SUNY Brockport to withdraw its invitation to Jalil Muntaqim immediately and to apologize to the families of Joseph Piagentini and Waverly Jones as well as every law enforcement officer in our state,” the Representatives said.

Press release from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

“The Assembly Majority’s one-house budget is a historically-poor representation of where state funds should be allocated, and this year’s is no different. Not only does it deny health care heroes a bonus for their incredible work over the last two years and ignore the need for teacher support in our state, but it directs funds towards illegal immigrants for public defenders in deportation cases and so prison inmates get longer phone call times. It’s a bloated budget proposal spurred by a downstate mindset and totals at a whopping $226 billion, which is even larger than the governor’s own proposal, and it would leave behind a burden of debt repayment for our children’s entire young adult lives. The Majority is clearly out of touch with the needs of the greater New York state, and it’s why I voted against this proposal.”

Press Release from State Senator Ed Rath:

“Yesterday I voted “No” on the Senate One House Budget Resolution.  While there are some good aspects, such as critical aid for our aging infrastructure, the bad far outweighed the good.  The out-of-control spending from Albany needs to stop. New revenue streams for the State should have equated to cost savings for hard-working New Yorkers, unfortunately, that is not what is being done. As I have said time and time again, New York has an affordability crisis, and this budget is only going to make the issue worse.” 

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) joined his colleagues in the Assembly Minority today, as well as Americans Veterans (AMVETS) National Executive Director Joseph R. Chenelly, who the assemblyman had invited to speak, for a press conference proposing a much-needed pandemic relief package known as “Invest in Vets.” The proposal would invest $500 million within the New York State Budget to support services for veterans and veterans’ organizations, including $250 million in operational funding from the COVID-19 Public Health Response Fund and $250 million in capital funding for the State and Municipal Facilities (SAM) Program.

This package would support the Dwyer Peer Support Program for returning veterans, suicide prevention efforts, PTSD treatment and research, and many other endeavors in support of active duty and former military members. Notably, it would make funds available that could be used by veterans’ organizations like Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion to maintain their facilities. VFW Halls, American Legion Posts, and similar gathering places are incredibly valuable community resources for veterans, providing them a chance to connect with other former service members who can provide them insight into their experiences transitioning to civilian life as well as the resources available to veterans locally.

“If our state budget is going to be one of the largest in the nation, the support we offer our veterans should be among the most comprehensive in the country, but unfortunately that is not the case,” said Hawley. “Today I call on my partners across the aisle in the Legislature and Gov. Hochul to include this critical funding package within this year’s final budget to better support our veterans and help connect them to local resources in their communities.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) called on Gov. Hochul and the Legislature today to increase funding for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), Pave-NY, and the Extreme Winter Recovery Program. Hawley and other advocates supporting a funding increase argue that even though funding was increased for these programs last year, there is still much work to be done to ensure New York’s roads are safe for those who travel on them, and supply chains are able to keep moving as efficiently as possible.

“The well-being of our roads relates directly to the strength of our state’s economy and the safety of all who travel throughout it. This is especially important to consider when first responders are transporting patients and minutes matter,” said Hawley. “In these times, we must also bear in mind that by improving our roads, we will strengthen our supply chains–the slowing of which has weighed heavily on the wallets of our residents.

“Fixing potholes and making travel safe is something I believe lawmakers of all parties can come together to support. I’m hopeful we can get it done in this year’s budget.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) joined two Kindergarten classes from Elba Elementary School and a first grade class from Holley Elementary School to celebrate Read Across America Week by reading Dr Seuss' "I Am Not Going To Get Up Today!” virtually to students on Zoom. Hawley has made it a point to celebrate Read Across America Day annually with local students to emphasize the importance of reading and how books can both engross them in fictional worlds of fantasy and teach them more about their own world.

 

“Beyond its practical applications in day-to-day life, the early development of a love for reading puts children on a path to lead richer lives, armed with perspectives about our world and human experiences they wouldn’t otherwise develop in their day-to-day lives,” said Hawley. “More than that, reading is a productive and affordable pastime that provides us all a means of immersing ourselves in any setting imaginable, whether fantastical or historical, sparking feelings of joy and wonder like few other activities can.”

Press release:

Throughout the pandemic, Assemblyman Steve Hawley has called for control of public health policy decisions, such as mask mandates, to be left to local governments and local health officials. He has called for the mandate to end in various letters, public events, and media publications.

“The governor’s announcement is a welcome one, though one that’s taken far too long to be made as most states already announced the end of their mask mandates,” said Hawley. “Saying that, I feel the power to implement impactful mandates should not rest with our governor, but with local officials who know their communities better than Gov. Hochul or any state-level bureaucrat. Local decisions are informed decisions, so I will always stand for the right of localities to address the needs of their people as they see fit.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) has announced he will be seeking re-election to the New York State Assembly to continue representing the people of the 139th Assembly District. Having represented the region since 2006, Hawley seeks to continue to leverage the skills and relationships he’s developed over the years to ensure the voices and concerns of his constituents are heard in Albany.

“Although I will be losing the friends I’ve made over the last decade in the Town of Riga & Village of Churchville in Monroe County, I am happy to be reunited with the Town of Shelby in Orleans County and look forward to making new friends in the Town of Newstead & Village of Akron in Erie County. With that said, I am grateful to have the opportunity to continue representing the entirety of Genesee County.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is expressing relief following an announcement by the state Department of Health that it will not be enforcing a booster mandate for health care workers as they had planned to do starting Feb. 21.

Health Commissioner Mary T. Bassett said in a statement regarding the announcement that “the reality is that not enough health care workers will be boosted by next week's requirement in order to avoid substantial staffing issues in our already overstressed health care system,” echoing a sentiment expressed by Hawley and other members of the Assembly Minority in a letter they wrote last week to her and the governor asking them not to implement the booster mandate.

“The decision to hold back on implementing a booster mandate for health care workers is one that will save lives and finally offers some respect to the heroes in our hospitals and other health centers who’ve worked tirelessly on the front lines of this pandemic for years,” said Hawley. “Mandates of this nature have only served to stifle the ability of our health professionals to care for patients when we need them most. I am hopeful this may be a sign the administration is beginning to learn from the poor decisions they made earlier in the pandemic, which cost us many lives.”

Press release:

From the time she presented her budget proposals, Gov. Hochul has faced stern criticism regarding her initiative to mandate one accessory-dwelling unit (ADU) per residential lot. It was a policy that superseded local authority and unfairly put additional burdens on the residents who integrated into a community.  Thankfully the governor rescinded her initiative, and our suburban and rural communities are now protected.  I’m grateful that Gov. Hochul listened to the constituents of suburban and rural communities and glad for those citizens who will no longer have to worry about the character of their neighborhood radically changing.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) joined his Assembly Minority colleagues yesterday in urging lawmakers to vote on legislation (A.8101) to prohibit state agencies from mandating the masking of healthy, asymptomatic children in schools and other similar public settings. This amendment was voted down overwhelmingly by members of the Assembly Majority.

Hawley has for months called for the state mask mandate to be terminated in all public settings, including schools. He believes that the authority to implement mask mandates and similar public health policies should rest with local governments and health departments, who have a better understanding of the needs and circumstances of their communities than state-level bureaucrats.

“Last night’s vote made it clearer than ever which members of the Assembly truly stand behind parents,” said Hawley. “I am deeply disappointed that members of the Majority last night were more concerned with preserving the power of the governor than listening to our parents and the most recent data on COVID-19, which shows new infections are steeply declining. Even though this proposal did not pass, it will at least make it obvious to voters which of us in this chamber are willing to stand up to the endless mandates of Gov. Hochul.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today delivered nearly 100 valentines handcrafted by students from Jackson Primary School to residents of the New York State Veterans Home in Batavia. Hawley, having served as a member of the military himself, as well as on the Assembly Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, has for many years facilitated the delivery of these valentines. The occasion provides local students an opportunity to express their gratitude to veterans of the area for what they’ve done to protect America and its freedoms.

“This event is always one of my favorite ones to coordinate throughout the year because of how heartwarming it is to read the appreciation our students have for those who’ve served in our military,” said Hawley. “The patriotic messages written by the children have brought a smile to my face and the faces of hundreds of veterans every time we’ve delivered them. I’m always heartened to see the respect and gratitude young people have held toward our veterans each and every year.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) has been joined by other members of the Assembly Minority in drafting a letter to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie alerting him to their concerns regarding funding for libraries within the proposed executive budget. While the proposed budget does increase funding for library operating grants, Hawley and his colleagues were alarmed to see that the governor’s plan slashed capital funding for library construction projects by $20 million, a 59% cut from last year’s state budget. 

In their letter, Minority members argue that since the executive budget proposes a 7.2% increase in school funds, library capital funding should be restored given the role libraries play in educating the public.

“Libraries are critical resources to people of all ages and backgrounds throughout New York state, providing our residents an equitable means of accessing information and technology vital to their success and happiness,” said Hawley. “A great equalizer for those willing to make the most of the opportunities they provide, we would be holding back the potential of our best and brightest New Yorkers by allowing library funding to be decimated as has been proposed by our governor. As someone who considers themselves a true believer in the American dream, I cannot overstate what a loss this cut would be for people with big ideas and limited personal resources.”

Press release:

“The end of the mask mandate for businesses is a welcome development, but given what the data is telling us about the rapid decline in COVID-19 infections and what is being done in neighboring states that have otherwise maintained egregious and heavy-handed policies throughout the pandemic, it isn’t close to the announcement we would hope to hear. At this point it should be no question that the time for state-level mandates of any kind has come to an end and control of pandemic management should return to local governments and school districts.

“For rural communities like mine, mask mandates for healthy children in schools have done far more harm than good. Should educators and local administrators deem that such mandates aren’t needed, they should have the ability to make the best decision possible for the well-being of their students.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today used National Pizza Day as an opportunity to show his appreciation for the work local police departments within his district have done to protect their communities by sending pizzas from local shops to numerous departments.

“Our officers put their lives on the line daily to protect us and our neighbors, and it must be said their work has only grown more challenging in the last several years,” said Hawley. “When I learned that National Pizza Day was coming up, I knew that it was a chance to give back, so it was my honor to provide some nourishment to our hard-working officers. While it is unfortunate I was not able to deliver the pizzas to the departments myself, having a legislative session to attend to today, I hope our law enforcement professionals are able to find some time to enjoy a slice.”

Hawley sent pizzas to the following departments today:

• Albion Police Department
• Holley Police Department
• Medina Police Department
• Orleans County Sheriff’s Department
• NYS Police Troop A-Albion Barracks
• Brockport Police Department
• City of Batavia Police Department
• LeRoy Police Department
• Village of Corfu Police Department
• Genesee County Sheriff’s Office
• NYS Police Troop A- Batavia Barracks

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) has joined fellow members of the Assembly Minority in drafting a letter to Gov. Hochul, Department of Health Commissioner Mary T. Bassett, and Department of Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa opposing a proposed change to New York state’s regulations that would empower the Department of Health and Department of Education to unilaterally implement mask mandates and other COVID-related edicts. Hawley argues this policy would essentially return emergency powers to Gov. Hochul in perpetuity, depriving the Legislature of its authority to design and implement such orders and the ability of local health departments to cater their pandemic response toward the unique circumstances faced by their communities. 

“New Yorkers have been overwhelmingly calling for a return to normalcy and the implementation of this dystopian policy would be the farthest thing from that, forever granting Gov. Hochul the power to plunge our lives back into a state of chaos at her whim,” said Hawley “This proposal is an attempt by Hochul’s administration to feign concern for public health in order to claw power away from the people, their local governments and their elected representatives, and cannot be allowed to stand.”