North Country Assemblyman Scott Gray (R-Watertown) released the latest episode of “The Gray Area” video series, touching on key areas that will affect the North Country, including prison closures, highway funding, health care and school funding.

“The governor’s budget proposal is a large amount of information to digest, which is why I want to discuss how her proposals will affect you and your communities. Firstly, the proposal to close five more state prisons is a decision I will continue to advocate against strongly. If you haven’t seen it yet, I detail how this will negatively affect our local communities in my letter to Gov. Hochul. Highway funding is also a big issue I will be keeping my eye on as it is a flagrantly underfunded area compared to other state expenditures. The same can be said for the health care arena—we’re dealing with significant staff shortages and increased costs, which are major concerns for hospitals, nursing homes and emergency medical services,” Gray said.

“The education sector is being hit especially hard this year as schools are grappling with an increase in costs and teacher shortages as well as a proposed change in the application of Foundation Aid. Foundation Aid is the major portion of the school aid package that is provided to school districts, and this year’s proposal would end the provision of “hold harmless,” reducing school aid for certain school districts statewide, including five districts in Jefferson County and five in St. Lawrence County. This is a property tax shift, shifting the responsibility of school districts to property taxpayers. Let’s keep in mind, last year’s budget included $1 billion to deal with the migrant crisis, with an added $2.4 billion proposed to be spent this year. Decreasing funding for school districts while simultaneously upping spending for the migrant crisis is a clear and egregious misalignment of priorities.

“Look out for next week’s episode of The Gray Area as we continue to update you on what you care about. We always appreciate the opportunity to serve you and to work with you. Don’t hesitate to call my office staff with questions, comments or concerns—see you soon,” Gray concluded.

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/mf7WuADPqPQ?si=d3UWADlwveTJOVZn