Assemblywoman Jenne: Extension of millionaire's tax critical to efforts to make college affordable, add more afterschool programs

Assemblywoman Addie A.E. Jenne (D-Theresa) says Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's proposals to expand after school programs in the state and increase child care tax credits for working families could benefit thousands of North Country families.

Gov. Cuomo, in his state of the state addresses, called for an expansion of the middle-class child care tax credit aimed at making child care more affordable. The plan would see tax benefits for families earning between $60,000 and $150,000 more than double.

"This is an important program that could benefit young families struggling with the necessities, paying off student debt and providing quality child care for their children. We know families at the lower end of the middle class often struggle with child care costs, and this initiative offers a helping hand," Assemblywoman Jenne, formerly known as Assemblywoman Russell, said.

She said she was also pleased to see Gov. Cuomo's call to fund additional seats in after school programs in communities like Watertown that are in areas that are already receiving funding under the Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative.

"It's an opportunity to build on the success of the first round of funding for the poverty initiative I have secured for the City of the Watertown. It's a program that we need to build out and roll out in other communities, not just cities, that also have high poverty rates," she said.

"We know these initiatives work, and after school programs have shown they can help close the achievement gap. Studies have shown students in after school programs get better grades, stay in school rather than dropping out and are less likely to be involved in juvenile crime," according to Assemblywoman Jenne.

She said funding for community schools is also critically important in rural areas, where there is a demonstrated need for wrap around programs, including health and mental health services, that are linked to academic success, but are often difficult to access for the most of our working poor families.

Assemblywoman Jenne said she will also be scrutinizing the governor's 2017-18 budget proposal when it is released this week to get more information about his plan to offer free tuition to SUNY schools for students from families with incomes under $125,000.

"This is one of a number of proposals the governor has unveiled over the past two weeks that have great potential but deserves greater scrutiny. I clearly support the effort to make college more affordable for students from low-income and middle-class families, whether it be scholarships or increasing funding for the tuition assistance program to help students meet the cost of college," she said.

But Assemblywoman Jenne said it will be critical the governor not fund the program with dollars already allocated to SUNY schools.

"Our North Country SUNY schools face fiscal challenges tied in part to the reduction in the number of local students enrolled at the state colleges in the region. Part of that is due to drops in the number of high school graduates in the region, We need to make sure funding to make college affordable for state students isn't carved out of dollars already being funneled to our SUNY schools. Funding for the governor's initiative must come from a new funding stream," she stressed.

Assemblywoman Jenne acknowledged the programs proposed by the governor would add new costs to the state budget in a year when state lawmakers will be dealing with fiscal challenges as they hammer out a 2017-18 spending plan.

"These are all valuable programs, and it will be imperative not to let the millionaire's tax expire this spring. The funds generated by the millionaire's tax, first imposed in 2009, will provide the dollars necessary to help make life better for millions of New Yorkers at a time when we are seeing the growing gap of income disparity in our state and nation," she said.