2019 was one of the most productive years… – says New York Governor
By Mutiu Olawuyi
The New York Governor, Andrew M. Cuomo has declared, in his New Year message, that his government recorded one of the most productive and historical achievements in 2019.
“As this year draws to a close, we have a chance to reflect on the progress we’ve made and the challenges that still lie ahead,” Governor Cuomo. “Without a doubt, 2019 was one of the most productive years during my time as governor.”Apart from passing new voting reforms, which include early voting, vote by mail and same-day voter registration, the Governor added that with the Red Flag Law enactment and the extension of the statute of limitation for second and third degree rape, gun and domestic violence in the state has drastically reduced.
“We passed the strongest voting reforms in a generation — including early voting, vote by mail, and same-day voter registration. We extended long-sought labor protections to one hundred thousand farm workers. We enacted the Red Flag Law to help keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. We extended the statute of limitations for second and third degree rape so that more survivors can seek justice,” he said.
He further claimed that, within the year 2019, his government has managed to totally eliminated gender inequality in school and at workplace, regardless of socio-economic class.
“We tackled the gender pay gap by mandating equal wages for equal work. We passed the Child Victims Act. We enacted GENDA, making it clear that discrimination based on gender identity or gender expression is illegal in our state. We passed the Dream Act, so that all New Yorkers can have access to higher education,” he added.
As an advocate of climate change, the New York government has legislated laws that could help in eliminating environmental degradation, especially pollution.
The Governor stated, “We banned single-use plastic bags to reduce pollution. We kept building world-class infrastructure, opening the Kosciuszko Bridge — the first major new bridge in NYC since the 1960s. And we took bold action to fight the climate crisis by enacting the most ambitious climate legislation in the nation, putting New York on the path to economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050.”
Mr. Cuomo also claimed the best of all his achievement in 2019 as the Governor of New York centered on economic relief for the masses, especially the middle class.
“Best of all, we’ve achieved all this while keeping government growth at 2% and lowering middle-class taxes,” he said. “These accomplishments … will make a lasting impact on the lives of millions of New Yorkers.”
The governor concluded that his government would not relent in making life easy for New Yorkers as his 2020 agenda will focus more on health and socio-economic welfare of the residents.
“But we’re not going to rest on our laurels. There’s more work ahead, and we’re not slowing down. Next week, in my State of the State Address, I will lay out my agenda for 2020. My priorities for next year include taking action to lower prescription drug prices, closing the rape intoxication loophole, legalizing gestational surrogacy, tackling the horrifying increase in hate-motivated violence, and more,” he said. “In 2020 we will continue our promise to make progress happen for all New Yorkers.”
