JULY 1 — 4 PM EDT –U.S. SENATE PASSES ITS VERSION OF BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL: NEXT RECONCILIATION.

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The Arc - For people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

An Update on the Fight to Protect Medicaid

What happened?

The Senate just passed the budget bill, and it’s bad. The bill includes:

  • Nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts. That’s about 20% of the federal Medicaid budget. It would cause nearly 17 million people to lose coverage.
  • Nearly $200 billion in cuts to SNAP. Less food assistance means more people will go hungry, including millions of kids.
  • A new private school voucher program that redirects public education funding to private schools. This will make it even harder for children with disabilities to access essential special education services.

What’s next?

The Senate and the House must agree on a final bill to send to the President for his signature.

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JULY 1 — ELEVEN MARIA REGINA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS EARN PRESTIGIOUS 2025 NATIONAL PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD

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THE MARIA REGINA 11  DEDICATE 1,410 SERVICE HOURS IN THE PAST YEAR

 

HARTSDALE, NY (JULY 1, 2025) Eleven Maria Regina High School students recently learned they had won this year’s The President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA), the prestigious national award that honors individuals and groups who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to volunteer service over the course of a year.

Collectively, the honored students of the renowned all-girls Catholic high school devoted 1,410 service hours during the past year, an average of 128 hours per student.  For their commendable dedication and performance, they received personalized PVSA certificates.

Principal Maria Carozza-McCaffrey (Class of ’99) congratulated the students on their singular achievement, noting: “This award is very meaningful because it recognizes the impact an individual student’s continuous and extended volunteer service has both on their community and the nation.” She added: “And giving back so generously with their time and talents is in keeping with Maria Regina’s mission of empowering our students to be compassionate leaders and enriched with the Spirit to live a life of Charity, Truth, and Service.”

The distinguished 2025 winners are:

Isabella Bendick, New Rochelle

Brianna Bock, Yonkers

 Kayla Cronin, Yonkers

Julia Dellacava, Bronx

 Leah Filippelli, Yonkers

Mia Hidalgo, Tarrytown

Elizabeth Hunt, Yonkers

Brenna Rovida, Yonkers

Anabella Starace, Scarsdale

 Daniela, Tornatore, Yonkers

Julia Vieni, New Rochelle

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JULY 1 —- GOV HOCHUL DEMANDS NY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE INVESTIGATE CON ED NOT GRANT RATE INCREASES UNTIL STATE IS ASSURED CON ED IS NOT PROFITEERING

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GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL CALLS ON DPS TO PROTECT CONSUMERS FROM PROPOSED NYSEG AND RG&E RATE HIKES

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that she is demanding the Department of Public Service scrutinize the proposed rate hikes the New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) and the Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation (RG&E) are seeking, protecting consumers from sky-high utility costs that are making New York State less affordable.

“At a time when New Yorkers are struggling to meet everyday costs, New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) and the Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation (RG&E) must find a way to avoid these unacceptably high rate hikes,” Governor Hochul said. “I am calling on the Department of Public Service to scrutinize these proposals to ensure these companies have the resources to keep our energy grid going but are not making additional profit off the backs of ratepayers.”

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JULY 1 COUNTY SUGGESTS “JOIN US AT PLAYLAND”

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JUNE 28 — GOVERNOR HOCHUL: $13.5 BILLION TO BE CUT FROM NY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IF RECONCILED BUDGET BILL PASSES

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GOVERNOR HOCHUL SLAMS WASHINGTON REPUBLICANS FOR THREATENING NEW YORKERS’ JOBS, SMALL BUSINESSES AND HEALTH CARE IN THE NORTH COUNTRY

Negative Impacts of Tariffs Put One in Four Jobs at Risk in North Country’s Tourism Industry, Disrupts Agriculture and Food Supply Chains

 Impacts of federal tariffs and dangerous rhetoric have already harmed 66 percent of regional businesses that rely on Canadian tourism — putting one in four of the industry’s jobs at risk.

Washington’s senseless trade war has also threatened the region’s vital agriculture industry, which generates more than 8,600 jobs for local residents and over $1 billion in Gross Regional Product.

Meanwhile, the federal budget cuts pushed by Republicans threaten to take away health care for 44,000 North Country residents and slash food assistance for nearly 90,000 people throughout the region – including tens of thousands of children. 

“Between insulting our Canadian neighbors and largest trade partners to proposing deep budget cuts that threaten hospitals, food programs and working families, the North Country is being hit from all sides. These actions are doing real harm — putting jobs, care and livelihoods at risk,” Governor Hochul said. “I have said from the beginning, ‘Your family is my fight’ and while Washington is implementing policies that are disastrous for the North Country, we are stepping up to protect our communities, support small businesses and farmers and ensure that the North Country is not forgotten.”

Detrimental Impacts of Trump’s First Five Months ON NEW YORK

Tariffs and Tourism

Federal tariffs and trade policies as well as negative rhetoric have had an immense impact on the North Country’s economy. Of all New York State counties, the tourism industry is most important to the North Country in terms of employment, generating nearly 20,000 jobs in 2023. Agribusiness provides over 8,600 jobs to the North Country, contributing approximately $1.1 billion to New York State’s Gross Regional Product.

  • Consumer confidence fell in June due to the rising economic uncertainty from the Trump administration’s tariffs. Personal income has dropped by 0.4 percent month-over-month for the first time in nearly four years. 
  • Cross border crossings from Canada have plummeted since Trump implemented his tariff policies. The most recent data shows that there were 400,000 fewer Canadian visitors in May compared to the same period in 2024.
  • Bridge crossings over the Ogdensburg Bridge and the Champlain crossing in May were down 30 percent during that same time period from last year
    • April statistics show that border crossings declined nearly 22 percent over the previous year.

  • In a recent North Country Chamber of Commerce survey, 66 percent of tourism businesses report a drop in Canadian customers and one in four businesses in the region may cut staff as a result. 
  • Large department stores and supermarkets are seeing declines of approximately 20 to 25 percent.
  • Reservations are down at hotels, campgrounds, local marinas, golf courses and other businesses that rely on visitors from Canada.

Federal Cuts to Health Care

  • The Governor also warned that the proposed federal budget cuts would strip $13.5 billion from New York’s health care system.
    • Over 50 percent of Essential Plan funding, exceeding $7.5 billion, would be eliminated, threatening the program’s future.

    • These provisions will cause an almost $6 billion impact on New York’s Medicaid program, including $2.5 billion in lost federal revenue and $500 million in new state administrative costs. They eliminate crucial funding mechanisms and impose new penalties on states like New York that have expanded health care access.

  • These cuts, combined with cumbersome new administrative hurdles, would cause almost 1.5 million New Yorkers to lose their health coverage and become uninsured, including 44,000 people in the North Country.
    • The bill targets Medicaid by imposing stricter work reporting requirements and onerous verification processes, increasing administrative burden and making coverage access more challenging.

  • These cuts would threaten the survival of rural hospitals and would lead to longer wait times, reduced services and premium hikes for thousands in the region. 
  • These impacts will strain New York’s health care system and trigger far-reaching economic effects. The state anticipates a loss of over $3 billion for hospitals due to increases in uncompensated care and decreased reimbursement alone, with many billions more of impacts likely.
  • The New York State Department of Health analyzed funding cuts passed by the House of Representatives in the Republican budget reconciliation bill. View the congressional district-by-district breakdown of anticipated funding losses here and the detailed analysis here.

Cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 

  • The Republicans also targeted SNAP benefits, threatening the 3 million New Yorkers who rely on them to feed their families. In this district alone, 89,317 people depend on SNAP benefits, with one-third being children.
  • The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), overseen by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) and administered by local departments of social services, helps 1.7 million households and 2.9 million recipients, mostly children, older adults or disabled, afford healthy food. Despite modest benefits averaging $7 per day, SNAP is a vital lifeline for many households. In fact, 14 percent of New York’s population relies on SNAP, making it New York’s most effective tool in combating hunger and food insecurity, core priorities of Governor Hochul’s administration.
  • SNAP also supports local economies. USDA research shows that investments in SNAP generate $1.54 in economic activity for every dollar spent by recipients, including at grocery stores, farmers markets, and small businesses. In New York alone, $7.4 billion in SNAP benefits annually generate $11.5 billion in economic activity across the State.

Governor Hochul has prioritized increasing access to food for all New Yorkers, supporting several groundbreaking programs that focus on improving access to locally grown foods including through FY26 Enacted Budget, including the 30 Percent NYS Initiative for school meals, the Farm-to School program, the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs, the Urban Farms and Community Gardens Grants Programs, and the Nourish NY program, which helps New York’s network of emergency food providers purchase food from New York farmers to give to families in need.

This year’s Budget also provides $340 million for school meals, a $160 million (89 percent) year-to-year increase, and requires all school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools that participate in the national school lunch and breakfast program to provide free breakfast and lunch meals to all students regardless of their families’ income, thereby reducing costs for families and ensuring that no student goes hungry at school.

Additionally, the Budget included the third round of funding as part of the Regional School Food Infrastructure Grant Program, which provides $50 million over five years to support regional cooking facilities that will facilitate the use of fresh New York State farm products in meal preparation for K-12 school children. 

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JUNE 28–CLEAN ENERGY ADVOCATES WARN SENATORS OF EFFECTS OF RECONCILIATION BILL REVEALED LAST NIGHT

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WASHINGTON D.C. — Following is a statement from Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) on the reconciliation bill text unveiled last night by the U.S. Senate:

“This reconciliation bill proposal isn’t just misguided — it’s a direct attack on American energy, American workers, and American consumers. It guts the very industries that are lowering electricity bills, revitalizing U.S. manufacturing, and building more new power capacity than every other energy technology combined.

“Make no mistake: if this bill passes, Americans will pay the price — literally. Power bills will rise. Factory jobs will vanish. Families will be forced to spend more just to keep the lights on and their homes cool. All while we become more dependent on foreign energy and more vulnerable to blackouts.

“Any Senator who votes for this bill is voting for higher energy prices, a weaker economy, and a less secure America. And they’ll have to answer for it when families open their utility bills, when workers lose their paychecks, and when voters head to the polls.

“We urge lawmakers to think very carefully about the future they’re voting for because this bill doesn’t reform our energy system, it sabotages it.”

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JUNE 28–

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JUNE 288 — WHITE PLAINS WEEK THE JUNE 27 HEATWAVE REPORT ON WWW.WPCOMMUNITYMEDIA.ORG and MONDAY AT 7 ON FIOS 45 OPTIMUM CH 76

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SEE IT NOW AT THIS LINK:

https://wpcommunitymedia.org/videos/346361

 

THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES

WHITE PLAINS HAS RECORD SALES TAX RECEIPTS THROUGH 11 MONTHS

JUNE COVID NEW CASES DOWN 70% FROM LAST JUNE. REPEAT OF JULY SURGE UNLIKELY

PLAYLAND SCHEDULES AND ATTRACTIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEK

THE BIG HEAT 5  SWELTERING DAYS

POOLS OPEN EARLY TO PROVIDE REELIEF (SAXON WOODS POOL)

RAPE DEFENSE BILL PROHIBITING RAPE DEFENSE STRATEGY OF CONSENTUAL DRINKING CREATING INTOXIFICATION AND  VICTIM INABILTY TO SAY “NO” TO ALLEGED SEXUAL ABUSER NOT BROUCHT TO ASSEMBLY FLOOR

DAN INGRAM COMES BACK TO ROLL YOUR BOD

JOHN BAILEY AND THE NEWS

EVERY WEEK ON WHITE PLAINS WEEK

FOR 24 YEARS

 

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JUNE 27—CON ED PUBLIC MEETINGS ON RATE INCREASES COMINGUP

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Dear Friends,

For those of you who get your electricity from Con Edison and want to participate in the Con Ed rate cases, please consider joining my colleagues and me next Wednesday, July 2nd @ 6 pm for a webinar featuring the Public Utility Law Project (PULP).

Particularly if you are planning to attend one of the upcoming public statement hearings on July 8th or 9th (info below), I urge you to join us. Click here to register.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at (914) 244-4450 or burdickc@nyassembly.gov.
With thanks,
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JUNE 27—ASSEMBLY PASSES SUPERVISED VISITATION ACT AFFECTING CUSTODY VISITS

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New York State Assembly Passes Supervised Visitation Act

The Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York (“WBASNY”), extends its gratitude to Speaker Carl Heastie and Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi for their leadership and dedication to the passage of A.65-A/S.3938-A, the “Supervised Visitation Act.”

This important piece of legislation will establish a statewide supervised visitation initiative to support safe and structured parenting time when a court determines supervised visitation is in the child’s best interest, in matters such as custody, visitation and family offense proceedings.

It is important to note that currently there is no uniform, statewide system of supervised visitation that is supported by public funds and regulated to ensure safety and effectiveness outside of the child welfare context.

At the Assembly’s December 2024 hearing, WBASNY’s 2024-2025 President, Marea L. Wachsman, Esq., delivered testimony highlighting the need for adequate funding and a framework to address the critical shortage of supervised visitation programs. Many New York counties lack a supervised visitation program. In those with access, most programs are significantly oversubscribed or are unaffordable and unsustainable for most families.

Supervised visitation is a vital tool that protects children, assists the court, and facilitates safe and appropriate access between a non-custodial parent and child in families impacted by mental health issues, substance abuse, family violence, and other issues.

The absence of adequate supervised visitation delays access, further straining relationships and efforts to rebuild connections. WBASNY thanks the Assembly for moving this issue forward. Enacting this legislation would mark a crucial step toward creating a statewide framework for ensuring the safety and well-being of families.

 

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