Hinchey receives committee assignments for 2021 session

Posted 1/13/21

On the first day of the 2021 state legislative session, Senator Michelle Hinchey (SD-46) announced her Senate committee assignments, which include areas of longtime advocacy and local priority. The …

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Hinchey receives committee assignments for 2021 session

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On the first day of the 2021 state legislative session, Senator Michelle Hinchey (SD-46) announced her Senate committee assignments, which include areas of longtime advocacy and local priority.
The freshman senator has been appointed Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee and will serve on the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business, Energy and Telecommunications, Environmental Conservation, and Local Government committees. Senator Hinchey took her Oath of Office in late December in a small ceremony held in Albany. A virtual district-wide ceremony is scheduled for January 23, 2021.
“Joining the State Senate as one of only a handful of members representing communities in Upstate New York is an incredible honor. Our most important resource is our people, and I look forward to being a strong voice for residents of the 46th District and to fighting for the region that raised me,” said Hinchey. “As we look to improve the resilience of our communities in the New Year, we need to recognize agriculture—our oldest and most enduring sector—as a strong pillar for New York’s economic recovery and essential to the preservation of our natural resources. We are so fortunate in New York State to produce a range of high-quality, locally grown foods alongside a flourishing farm-based craft beverage industry; I see enormous opportunity to expand markets for these homegrown goods to the benefit of our farm businesses and to our upstate economy. As Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I am committed to doing all that I can to keep New York a vibrant agricultural state and ensure that our farmers and producers always have a seat at the table.”
In a Democratic Majority Conference primarily composed of urban and suburban districts, Senator Hinchey will serve as a voice for the upstate communities in her five-county district, which includes the Town of Lloyd in Ulster County.
“These committee assignments represent areas of significant importance to everyone across the 46th Senate District. I look forward to working with my colleagues to deliver the quality-of-life-changing improvements our upstate communities need and deserve. By protecting our environment, fighting the opioid epidemic, expanding broadband access and building back our Main Streets, we will create the conditions so that every individual has the opportunity to thrive,” said Hinchey. “With the right policies and investments, we can arm our region with the tools to spur innovation, create good-paying local jobs, and overcome the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown our way.”

Looking ahead to the 2021 session, Hinchey’s priorities include sustaining our small business sector and advancing Main Street revitalization efforts; investing in local infrastructure projects to help fortify our roads, bridges, and water systems; expanding affordable and reliable access to broadband service; elevating state efforts to ensure strong worker protections and draw deeper connections between our unions, public high schools and BOCES institutions; positioning Upstate New York as a hub for renewable energy invention and encouraging growth industries that will create local jobs; expanding access to mental health services and substance use treatment and prevention; and making sure our first responders have the resources they need to keep our communities healthy and safe.