ISSUES

Reproductive Justice

Lea was elected in a post-Roe vs. Wade world, where reproductive rights and freedoms that had long been settled as a civil right, continue to come under attack. There are consistent efforts to rollback this important healthcare right, including legislative actions to criminalize doctors providing care to their patients and more. Lea ran with the resolve that if the radically conservative Supreme Court wouldn’t protect a woman’s right to choose, she would. We’ve made tremendous strides in New York to fully protect reproductive rights, but there’s still work to be done.

Lea on reproductive justice and women’s equality:

Voted in favor of the Equal Rights Amendment, which would codify abortion protections into the New York State Constitution
Passed legislation to place birth control control vending stations on college campuses
Codified the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Grant Program to ensure doctors have the resources and support they need
Established a doula community grant expansion program
Established nation-leading paid prenatal leave
Established paid breaks for breast milk expression

Reproductive Rights

Housing

Housing is fundamental. Whatever your life’s goals – for education, family life, career, basic economic stability – you can’t move forward without safe housing you can afford. That’s why it has always been a core issue for Lea. But increasingly, access to housing is becoming a crisis in our communities. All levels of government must collaborate - along with the private sector and nonprofits - to find and implement solutions.

Lea on Housing:

Passed the Deed Theft Prevention Act and Heirs Property Protection to protect homeowners from scams
Passed legislation to combat housing discrimination in New York
Provided support for tenants including Good Cause Eviction Protections, increased funding for rent assistance, and expanding access to legal services
Delivered $150 million for the NY Housing for the Future Homeownership and Rental Housing Program
Established an Accessory Dwelling Unit Tax Exemption
Fought for funding for programs that support homeowners including:
$40 million for the Homeowners Protection Program
More than $25 M for the Neighborhood Preservation Program and the Rural Preservation Program which develop affordable housing
$40 million for the Resilient and Ready Program
$40 million to support infilling of vacant properties in targeted cities in Upstate New York, including Binghamton

Environment

Over the past century, our environmental resources have been exploited, and the health and safety of communities of color and other vulnerable populations have been sacrificed in the name of economic growth. The damage done to our land, air, water, and our very health and well-being will be paid for by our children and grandchildren for decades to come.

Lea on the Environment:

Passed bipartisan legislation through both houses to ban CO2 fracking
Provided $500 million for the Clean Water Infrastructure Grant Program
Supported $400 million for the Environmental Protection Fund
$50 million for NYSERDA’s EmPower+ program to protect ratepayers and ensure they do not pay more than 6% of their income on their utility bills
Passed the Climate Superfund Act to ensure polluters pay for their damage to our planet
Supported investments in green technology jobs and workforce development

Education

As a lifelong Southern Tier resident and graduate of the public school system, Lea knows the importance of our public schools. From pre-school to higher education, our local public schools provide opportunities for every child, regardless of their background, to realize their fullest potential.

Lea on Education:

Saved Roosevelt Elementary from closure
Successfully fought the Governor’s proposed cuts to School Aid
Delivered $654 million in School Aid and over $431 million in Foundation Aid to our local schools
Secured record funding for education resources, including:
- $100 million for Universal Pre-K
- $180 million investment to keep school meals free for more students
- $103.2 million for after school programs
- $10 million for the Youth Sports Initiative
- $6 million increase in support for SUNY community colleges
- Historic funding for SUNY

Historic expansion to the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) including Lea’s bill to increase the minimum award from $500 to $1000
Continued support for Education Opportunity Programs to keep college affordable

Support for Working Families

Working families are struggling to make ends meet and our communities are becoming less and less affordable. Our small businesses, which are the backbone of our economy are being impacted as well.As your State Senator, Lea has prioritized implementing programs and allocating resources for programming and initiatives that support working families and small businesses like ours.

Lea on Supporting Working Families

Fought unfair utility rate hikes
$2 million for the MWBE program
$150,000 for workforce development initiatives with the Broome, Cortland, Tompkins County Chambers of Commerce
$6.3 billion for workforce development
$350 million for the Refundable Child Tax Credit to make childcare more affordable for families
$1.78 billion for the New York State Child Care Block Grant
Passed medical debt reforms to protect people from denial of care
Eliminated copays for insulin
Fought for a 2.84% Cost-of-Living Adjustment for human service and mental health workers
$300 million for Summer Food to address food insecurity among lower-income students
$23.3 million and $4.3 million for the Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program and Nourish New York, to support greater access to food and nutrition throughout the state
$180 million an ongoing investment in the historic school meals program so that kids don’t go hungry throughout the school day
$7.2 million for Child Advocacy Centers to protect the rights and needs of New York children

Environment

Healthcare

Jobs/Economy