Assemblymember Jen Lunsford is a member of the assembly committee on environmental conservation.
This year, there is a big push on clean water and the state assembly is pushing to make sure the Clean Water Infrastructure Act is fully funded at the $500 million level, if not more. The goal is for $100 million to go to address lead pipes. The federal EPA is launching an inventory of all lead pipes around the country with the goal to get ahead of that with funding so that it won't fall too hard on taxpayers and municipalities.
Another big topic is giving people the option to opt out of their own vehicle. That would mean a e-bike or e-scooter, but it is also about forward thinking when it comes to electric vehicles or home improvements. Another component of that is improving public transit. In the suburbs of Rochester, it's important to offer on-demand public transit service because otherwise people may be over a mile away from a bus stop. Part of that is looking forward in how we are funding public transit. Right now, we use long distance phone surcharges and oil taxes to fund upstate N.Y. transit. So it's important to find other sources of funding for them.
New York does offer tax credits and rebates for people looking to add solar energy to their homes. These programs can be really high impact to everyday homeowners and very accessible.
You can watch the full interview with Assemblymember Jen Lunsford in the video above. And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues impacting upstate New York, on In Focus with JoDee Kenney — every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.