Statement of Steve Otis on his Run for Re-election

Statement of Steve Otis on his run for re-election to the NYS Assembly, District 91. April 9, 2020.

“I am running for re-election on my record of solid performance and effectiveness as an Assemblyman delivering results in every aspect of the job.

• Strong results on issues and funding of importance to every community and school district I represent.
• Strong record of accomplishment on statewide issues, most notably creation of a new clean water grant program for municipalities, the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2015, which has awarded almost $1.2 billion in grants to local governments, reducing property taxes and making clean water projects a reality. Every Long Island Sound Shore community in Westchester has been awarded funding from the program I initiated. The program has been a great success, awarding $416 million statewide in 2019 alone.
• A new program I initiated was just included in the recently passed state budget, a Stormwater Grant program for at least $100 million, which was added to Governor Cuomo’s environmental bond act proposal. Both grant programs are vital in helping local governments fund required water infrastructure projects.
• An outstanding record in successful passage of legislation, in recent years passing a majority of my prime sponsored bills, a rarity among legislators. In 2019 both houses of the legislature passed 13 out of my 14 sponsored bills.

I have passed statewide bills protecting children, safeguarding animals and protecting consumers from deceptive marketing practices and violations of do-not-call registry rules. I also passed landmark criminal justice legislation to help solve missing persons cases.

In 2018 I sponsored Lulu and Leo’s Law, which established a legal duty for individuals to be accurate when presenting credentials or references to be hired as an at-home caregiver of a child. The law was named for Lulu and Leo Krim who were murdered in 2012 at the hands of their nanny who falsified her credentials and lack of previous experience caring for children.

In 2019 I passed important legislation to guarantee that commercial tenants, often small businesses, cannot have their leases unilaterally terminated without access to the courts.

My staff and I are completely dedicated to constituent service. We are currently providing full-time assistance addressing the countless issues facing individuals, nursing homes, local government, school districts and businesses affected by the Covid-19 crisis.

In addition to strong support within the Democratic Party, I have been endorsed by the Independence and Working Family Party lines.

By every measure I have been a hardworking, effective and accessible state legislator. I would be honored to continue that service and continue delivering results for the Sound Shore communities I represent.”