On the 25th anniversary of September 11th, I was honored to take part in remembrance ceremonies with the City of Geneva and the Chili Fire Department. We gathered to remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost, to honor our first responders, and to stand together as a community that will never forget.

During August, I held three news conferences to address issues I've been fighting for: keeping our communities safe, supporting our first responders, and restoring essential funding for families when they need it most.

Our community volunteer first responders are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They don't receive a paycheck, but they give us their promise to show up when they're needed most.

That's how our volunteer first responders operate, and that's why I brought firefighters and EMTs together on August 25 at the Chili Fire Department. Our message was to call on Governor Hochul to sign S.6233-A into law.

For 20 years, New York's thank you to these volunteers has held fast at a $200 tax credit. This bill finally changes that, raising the credit to $800 for single filers and $1,600 for joint filers. This bill allows eligible volunteers to receive both the state income tax credit and locally authorized property tax exemption. It's a small token of gratitude for everything they so courageously give.

The hard part on this bill is already done. It has passed both the Senate and the Assembly. All that's left is the Governor's signature. 

These heroes have never let us down. Signing this tax credit into law is the right thing to do for the Governor to do.

On August 19, I called together local law enforcement and child advocates to sound the alarm about our most vulnerable children being failed, and that had to change.

New York's Children's Advocacy Centers were facing a $6.9 million cut, a staggering 31% reduction. Six centers stood to lose everything, including the Child Advocacy Center of the Finger Lakes, which faced a loss of more than $700,000, or two-thirds of its entire budget.

CACs are the safe places where terrified children are brought after the unthinkable has happened. They are where abuse is investigated and where families find justice. The state administers these funds, which means the state has the power to fix this broken process.

I refused to be silent while these children, already failed in the worst way imaginable, were failed all over again.

The good news: just days after our news conference, Governor Hochul reinstated the funding. It's a real victory for these centers and the children they serve, but the fight to protect this critical funding for the long term is far from over.

Young artists packed the Greater Canandaigua Civic Center for Paints & Rec's Grand 2026 "Mural" Unveiling. It was an honor to present Paints & Rec with a New York State Senate Empire Award, recognizing the creativity, community pride, and heart behind every single brushstroke.

Head Junior Counselor Riley Herrera accepted the award on behalf of the program's 36 Junior Camp Counselors and 315 young artists, each of whom also received a New York State Senate citation of their own.

Congratulations to Program Director Courtney Austin and all the Paints & Rec artists for turning blank walls and empty spaces into not just one mural, but multiple works of art the whole community will enjoy.  

These young people didn't just brighten our walls, they showed us what community pride looks like.

A World-Class Culinary Facility Comes to Canandaigua

Ontario County has broken ground on an exciting new addition to our region: a $24 million culinary arts facility on Lakeshore Drive in Canandaigua, overlooking Canandaigua Lake directly across from Kershaw Park.

The state-of-the-art center will bring three organizations under one roof: the Finger Lakes Community College Culinary Arts Program, New York Kitchen, and an auxiliary office for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Ontario County. Inside, the nearly 19,300-square-foot facility will feature multiple hands-on and teaching kitchens, a public Tasting Room showcasing New York State food and beverage products, an outdoor patio, and event and gathering spaces.

Designed to grow student enrollment and welcome the public alike, the facility promises to inspire students, chefs, and visitors to explore locally sourced products in a beautiful lakeside setting. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2027.

A $650 Million Investment in Our Farmers and Our Future

Recently, I helped cut the ribbon on Fairlife's new flagship dairy facility in Webster, a $650 million investment, just across the Wayne County line, that will support close to 400 good-paying jobs and take in millions of pounds of milk every day.

Many of those jobs will go to our neighbors, and much of that milk will come from our own farmers, including the dairy families across our district who will supply this plant. Projects like this are how we keep our farms strong for the next generation.

It's also a reminder of why I've been fighting so hard to modernize our electric grid. Our dairy farms can't grow to meet demand like this on aging infrastructure, and a facility of this scale only raises the stakes for the state to deliver the electric upgrades our farmers and rural communities have been waiting on.

BY THE NUMBERS:
What New Yorkers Are Really
Paying for Energy

I have been fighting to bring down utility costs for families across our district. Here's what the latest data shows, and why this fight matters.

New York Electricity is Among the Highest in the Nation
• 29.93¢ per kWh — New York's average residential electricity price in May 
  2026, the 3rd-highest in the country
• 62.3% above the national average
• Up 12.1% from a year earlier — and still climbing (up 1.6% from April alone)

New York Natural Gas Is Above Average, Too
• $22.74 per thousand cubic feet — New York's average residential rate,
   compared to the $19.83 U.S. average
• 14.7% above the national average
• Up 7.52% from April (though down slightly — 2.28% — from a year ago)

The Bottom Line
New York households paid above-average prices for both electricity and natural gas in May 2026, but the gap was far wider on the electric side, where families pay a 62.3% premium over the rest of the country. That's the difference this fight is about.

Source: Energy Data Bulletin, August 2026, Empire Center for Public Policy, an independent, non-partisan think tank based in Albany, NY.

Rural New Yorkers die by suicide at disproportionately high rates. Too often, the help individuals in crisis need is out of reach.

That's why I wrote this bipartisan bill to create a Rural Suicide Prevention Council. Once enacted, this council will work together to identify the barriers standing between people and care and develop real solutions to break them down.

The bill passed unanimously in both chambers, and I'm now calling on Governor Hochul to sign it into law without delay.

I recently sat down with Capital Tonight anchor Susan Arbetter to discuss this issue and why it's important for the Governor to act now.

Throughout our communities, veterans have answered the call to serve in times of war and peace, helping protect the freedoms we cherish. As we mark our nation's 250th anniversary, it's especially meaningful to honor the men and women whose service and sacrifice have defended those freedoms.

I invite you to help us recognize a veteran from the 54th Senate District at my annual Veterans Recognition Ceremony on October 23 at the Fort Hill Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua.

Anyone may nominate a veteran who lives within the 54th Senate District, which includes Ontario, Livingston and Wayne counties, along with the Monroe County communities of Chili, Churchville, Honeoye Falls, Mendon, Riga, Rush, Scottsville and Wheatland.

To nominate someone, please complete the form, accessible using the link below, by Friday, September 18.

Because the information will be used in a commemorative booklet, we ask that the "Nominee Information" section be completed by the veteran whenever possible. Posthumous nominations are also welcome. In those cases, please complete the form as best you can with the information available.

Every woman deserves the chance to get the care she needs close to home. That's why I'm hosting a series of Mobile Mammography events this late summer and fall in communities across our district.

Upcoming dates and locations include:

• Thursday, Sept. 24 · 9:30 AM–3:30 PM
  Lyons Health Center, 12 Leach Rd, Lyons 
• Monday, Oct. 5 · 11:00 AM–6:00 PM
  Mendon Community Center, 167 N Main St, Honeoye Falls 
• Monday, Oct. 12 · 9:30 AM–3:30 PM
  Ryndock Realty (Ontario), Big Lots Plaza, 1250 NY-104, Ontario
• Saturday, Oct. 17 · 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
  Gananda Family Practice, 1200 Fairway, Macedon
• Wednesday, Oct. 21 · 10:00 AM–3:00 PM
  Red Creek Free Library, 6817 Main St, Red Creek

Screenings are available to women 40 and older who have not been screened in the past year. Space is limited, so appointments are recommended.

To schedule, call (585) 922-PINK or visit rochesterregional.org.