If there’s anyone who knows the way around the state Capitol, it’s Dean Murray, a Senator who’s also served separate terms in the Assembly. The East Patchogue resident has been the area’s voice in Albany since 2010 and stands at the forefront of every critical issue that affects Long Island.
The bill enabling the Suffolk Legislature to hold a public vote on sewer funding is being carried by Murray. He fought against the governor’s plan to reduce school aid and said “No” to state attempts to usurp local zoning powers to build multi-family housing. He’s a loud voice against illegal immigration and congestion pricing and has his hands in everything from renovating the Shirley Train Station to installing no-turning signs to make Patchogue-Medford students safer.
When Suffolk District Attorney Raymond Tierney called for changes in the law to allow him to investigate Child Protective Services in the wake of the Thomas Valva tragedy, Murray sponsored the bill. Also at the top of his agenda is repealing the cashless bail system ushered in by the Democrats that has led to criminals wreaking havoc on communities across the state. He’s put forth legislation that would repeal New York’s status as a sanctuary state. “We must ensure that there are consequences for those who break the law,” Murray said of his tough-on-crime stance.
“Right now, criminals think they can get away with anything, and it's making life dangerous for all New Yorkers and for law enforcement,” Murray continued. “We will continue our pressure campaign to force the governor and her Democrat colleagues to change their criminal justice policies and stop the crime wave,” Murray said of GOP officials, law enforcement, and victim's rights groups that frequently rally in the Capitol to draw attention to the problem.
The Senator was adamant about creating a “locked box” for the eighth of a cent sales tax money if approved by voters for sewer construction and private cesspool upgrades. “It's very specific as for its use, and it will go 100% for clean water,” Murray said, noting that environmental funds were diverted to other uses by previous administrations. While he supports the 50-50 money split between sewers and cesspools, he prefers a greater emphasis on sewers because of the economic benefits they bring.
Murray railed against the MTA congestion pricing scheme saying it will hurt Long Islanders who have to drive into Manhattan for their jobs. “We have to make Long Island more affordable. We have to make New York more affordable. And spending the way the Democrats want to spend right now is not accomplishing that,” he stressed. Gov. Hochul proposed a record $233 billion spending plan, with the legislative leaders from her party looking to tack on an additional $13 billion. “That’s more than the budgets of Florida and Texas combined,” Murray noted, pointing out that they both have larger populations than the Empire State. “It’s no wonder New York leads the nation in outmigration; people are fleeing the crime and high taxes.”
Gov. Hochul’s plan earmarks $2.4 billion for migrant services, a number that doesn’t include millions more in services from other parts of the budget, and the funds local municipalities are forced to expend on education, medical, emergency response, and other services afforded to the migrants, Murray explained. “It’s a lot of money to be spending on folks who are not even supposed to be here,” the legislator said, adding that the money allocated for migrants is greater than the entire budgets of New Hampshire and Vermont.
Another way to crack down on government spending, according to the Senator, would be to rein in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which has an annual budget of $19.3 billion and a $54.8 billion capital spending plan. “The MTA is government waste personified; it’s a black hole of taxpayer dollars,” Murray charged. “This past year, they set a record in overtime spending at $1.42 billion,” according to Murray, who advocates for the electrification of the three Long Island Rail Road lines managed by the MTA in Suffolk.
The Senator said he is also working to fix the Tier Six pension category for state workers. “The new tier has unfortunately not done what those who wanted it originally thought it would do,” Murray explained. “They pitched this as a big cost savings that would save the pension system. But it backfired and turned into a recruitment and retention nightmare.” According to Murray, requiring employees to cover more of their health costs makes it difficult to compete with the private sector for qualified workers and puts state operations at a disadvantage.
As a member of the political minority in a state dominated by urban Democrats, Murray and his conference, along with the Assembly Republicans, have their work cut out for them in the far-left Capitol. They are at the ramparts of an ideological clash between urban and suburban interests that not only play out in policy but also where state resources are spent. It’s a constant battle for education aid, road repair, and transportation projects, and, with voter approval of the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act in 2022, directing that money to an ever-crowded island.