Politics & Government

Martins Gets New Senate Assignments

Lawmaker works to change water rate dispute process between municipalities; moves to toughen laws against unlicensed drivers.

The following article was posted by Geoffrey Walter. It was written by Rich Jacques.

Senator Jack Martins, R-Mineola, has been newly-appointed to several Senate committee posts, including those of education, construction and community development, housing and transportation.

On education, Martins will be responsible for reviewing legislation affecting  primary and secondary education policy in New York State as well as analyzing programs, services and operations to educate children, In addition, Martins will have oversight of the state’s $21 billion education budget.

As a transportation committee member, the lawmaker will help oversee MTA functions and public transportation systems across New York State.

In his work on the Senate housing, construction and community development committees, Martins will address issues of building standards, redevelopment, eminent domain, farm worker housing, homeless programs, natural disaster  housing assistance, land  use planning, and public  housing, among others. 

Martins currently serves as chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government.

Other committee  assignments for Martins include: banks, civil service and pensions, corporations, authorities and commissions, insurance, and labor and social services.

In other Senate news :

  • The Senate Transportation Committee on Wedensday moved legislation (S.4786-A) sponsored by Sen. Martins that will significantly increase the penalties for anyone caught driving without a legal driver’s license. The legislation establishes that an individual who is caught operating a motor vehicle without a legal driver’s license can be found guilty of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree, a misdemeanor crime.  The bill is expected to come before the full Senate for a vote shortly.
  • The Senate Local Government Committee moved legislation (S.5018) out of committee that is sponsored by Sen. Martins which will require municipalities to use arbitration when disputes over water rates occur between those municipalities. The bill states that arbitration must be included in the contracts between two or more municipalities that share a common water supply when they cannot come to an agreement on the water rates one municipality is charging the other.


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