Young Appointed to Finance Committee

ALBANY - Senator Catharine Young (R,C,I-Olean) has been appointed to the powerful Senate Finance Committee by Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos.

"It is a huge honor and responsibility, and it gives the people in my district an even greater voice about policy decisions made in Albany that affect their everyday lives," she said.

"This assignment especially is significant because of the state's fiscal crisis. We need to get to work immediately to make the structural reforms necessary to curb out-of-control state spending, substantially reduce the suffocating tax burden, and make our state a place where private sector jobs will be created," Senator Young said.

"There is going to be a lot of hard and difficult work ahead. Tough decisions will have to be made. By putting the right policies in place, we can and we must turn our state around so we have a brighter future," she said.

The Senate Finance Committee plays an integral role in reviewing the Governor's proposed budget and developing the Senate Republican Conference's priorities for state spending. The Finance Committee will examine appropriations and disbursements for each agency included in the budget. It also is responsible for reviewing bills or resolutions that provide for an appropriation.

In addition, the Finance Committee is charged with reviewing nominations sent by the Governor for appointments, and moving nominations to the full Senate.

Senator Young said her Conference will fight to shed sunlight on budget negotiations and work with Governor Cuomo to find solutions to the state's fiscal woes.

Calling an orderly and functional system paramount, Senator Young said the state budget process has been "a disgrace" over the past two years.

"We passed budget reform in 2007 that required an open, transparent process in which deadlines were met. We had on-time budgets for the following two years, and then those who seized control of state government ignored the law and forced through budgets that were crafted in secret. Their irresponsible taxes and spending abused the taxpayers and set our economy back even further," she said.

"Everyone in this state is impacted by the state budget, and the people have the right to know what their government is doing," Senator Young said.

Senate Finance and the Rules Committee assignments were the first appointments announced by Senator Skelos. Senator Young said he will release the remaining committee duties next week.

"I don't know yet about the rest of my committees, but I expect that I will be named to a chairmanship. Stay tuned," she said.