Jones ready for new legislative session

PLATTSBURGH | There is a lot to be worked on when state assemblyman Billy Jones (D) returns to Albany this January. "This year, we are just trying to live through COVID and catch up on the stuff we did not get to do last year," he said. "In our office, we need to work on the continuation if issues we did not get to last year. We were able to get the governor to sign the road salt bill recently, so we were able to get that done before the end of the last session." To open the session, Jones said the budget and funding will be the top priority for all. "At the beginning of the session it is all going to be about money, how we deal with certain cute, how we raise a little more revenue, and how we convince our federal partners for a little more relief funding," he said. "We have a huge budget gap right now and there are going to be some tough choices made if the feds do not come through with anything." One area of concern for Jones with the budget will be education, where deep cuts are expected. "We can't sustain cuts of 20 to 30 percent in our schools, and there are a lot of organizations that could sustain cuts like that," Jones said. "I think schools have done an excellent job this school year. The students are adapting. Our teachers and our administrations are doing an excellent job at abiding by these guidelines and making sure the children do the right thing to protect their classmates and the faculty. They are just happy to be back in school, and I think a lot of the teachers and administrators are as well." Solving connectivity issues Jones said one of the key issues that have come up throughout the state with education has been connectivity through the internet and cell phones. He said he has been on calls where both rural and urban areas have said there have been problems with connectivity, which is nothing new in the North Country. "I have been talking about this for 10 years now, we need better connectivity whether through better broadband and hardwire, also with our cell phone coverage, which can be tricky in the North Country," Jones said. "It's nice to hear other parts of the state are bringing this up when it comes to education, which leads into other areas. Our economies and our businesses need better connectivity, and so do our families. This is something everyone needs." It's an issue that Jones said he often gets calls on. "Weekly, 35-40 percent of our phone calls and emails deal with connectivity and cell phone coverage," he said. "In a lot of places in rural America and in the North Country, we do not have the infrastructure yet. We need to make sure any infrastructure bill we do or any stimulus package includes money for rural broadband so we can get the infrastructure in the ground. We need another big investment and public/private partnerships." Balancing act Along with the budget, the response to COVID-19 will be another major part of the first half of the session. "I think the big issue obviously is public safety first and the health and safety of our residents and that comes down to how we roll out the vaccination and making sure the North Country has their chance to get their fair share of the vaccine," he said. "We need to do the right thing and make sure we continue to keep our businesses open so we can fuel this economy, but people have to abide by the guidelines and do the right thing." Jones said members of the legislature have started to adapt to the new normal of Zoom and distance meetings, but he still prefers to be in Albany as much as possible. "Personally, I like to be in the action and with my colleagues. There is nothing like that in-person interaction. I do go down to Albany when they open the capital up for sessions, as often as they let me because that is what I am paid to do and I like to be boots on the ground."

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Jones ready for new legislative session

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