The new year brings many things with it: new opportunities, new challenges and, of course, a new legislative session. As we transition from FY 2025–26 to FY 2026–27, I want to reflect on the past year and share my priorities for the year ahead.
Throughout my time as your assemblyman, I have always been dedicated to improving the quality of life for hardworking New Yorkers. Alleviating the tax burden and other affordability issues weighing heavily on families, expanding educational opportunities for students statewide and supporting our courageous veterans remain top priorities of mine.
This past year, I was very proud to introduce my “Affordable NY Act” - a proposal aimed at providing meaningful tax relief for the middle-class and property taxpayers statewide. The key provisions of this proposal include doubling the School Tax Relief (STAR) Exemption and also permanently lowering income tax rates for middle- and lower-income earners.
Next year, I will continue to fight for proposals like this to help reduce taxes, put money back in the pockets of New Yorkers and make our state more affordable for every resident, family and business in New York state. Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers continue to leave our state in search of a more affordable place to call home. As a public servant focused on bringing common-sense spending back to Albany, I am prepared to speak up during this year’s budget negotiations to ensure the state government our constituents rely on spends money in the right places.
I also introduced Assembly Bill A.2279, which would enact the “Education Equity and Choice Act” requiring private schools to work with the New York State Education Department to secure funding and reimbursement for services and resources necessary to meet the special education needs of students. This proposal would ease the financial burden on public schools currently assisting with funding those services, allowing public schools to utilize their budgets exclusively for their students. I am committed to continuing to support our local school districts and strengthening educational opportunities statewide.
I am eager to return to Albany for another year of serving the good, hardworking people of our Assembly District 98. As your assemblyman, I promise to always act in your best interest and fight for the positive changes the people of Orange and Rockland counties deserve.
Assemblyman Karl Brabenec
98th District - NYS