A Year in Albany: Our freshman state senator assesses her first year in office, and looks toward 2024

When you elected me to be your State Senator, I promised to prioritize the needs of working families in my district and to always lead with the well-being of the people first and foremost in my mind. As I reflect on my first term in the State Legislature, I am proud to say I’ve upheld that promise. I am running for re-election this year, and I am excited to continue to do the good work you, the people of the 52nd Senate District, elected me to do.

I started my first campaign for state senate in January 2022 because I saw a need for representation that hard working people in our community just weren’t getting. Healthcare costs were through the roof, reproductive rights were under attack and families were struggling to regain stability post-pandemic. My mission was clear: I would run a people-powered campaign that would not be beholden to special interest groups. I would fight to bring equity to our state and I would take on the issues that matter, including housing, environmental justice and access to affordable healthcare and good paying jobs.

Much of my first term has focused on the very issues I ran on during the primary and general election. I voted for larger policy changes that impact all New Yorkers. As Chair of the Women’s Issues Committee, I prioritized legislation to improve health outcomes for mothers and infants. I am proud to report that eight bills that passed through my committee have been signed into law. I voted to advance a Constitutional Amendment to always protect a woman’s right to choose, for groundbreaking legislation to protect our access to clean water and air, for expanded school lunch in public schools and free universal pre-k. In addition to all these important pieces of legislation, I tackled a great deal of local issues. A total of 19 of my bills have been signed into law. 

Working with my colleague, Assemblywoman Anna Kelles, we were able to save the Ithaca Carshare by passing legislation that allows the nonprofit to acquire insurance for its fleet of rental cars. The law also benefits those who rely on other non-profit transportation, like Meals-On-Wheels. Ithaca Carshare will be able to resume services as soon as March 2024!

We also introduced legislation to require the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to conduct a full environmental impact study of the salt mine under Cayuga Lake upon its sale or  transfer of ownership, ensuring mine workers will be protected and preventing the permanent salination of the lake, which supplies 100,000 Tompkins residents with drinking water. If passed, the DEC will be required to conduct a full environmental impact study upon the sale of the mine, safeguarding our region’s $3 billion recreational wine and agritourism economy and the 60,000 people who work in those industries.

During my first year as your State Senator, I was also able to secure record funding for our district. This includes $200,000 for youth education programming, $70,000 of which went directly to organizations based in Tompkins County. Those funds will support various initiatives including school equipment, administrative support, educational programming and scholarships. In the City and Town of Ithaca, specifically, I secured $12,500 each for East Ithaca Preschool and the Village at Ithaca, $25,000 for the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) so that they can purchase a 12-passenger van, and $25,000 for the Coddington Road Community Center.

One of my proudest accomplishments this year was securing free lunch for students across Tompkins County. Starting December 1, 2023, all Ithaca City School District, Groton, Lansing, Newfield, and Trumansburg School District students have access to free breakfast and lunch for the 2023-2024 school year. I believe in the importance of committing to equitable opportunities for every learner. No child is able to realize their fullest academic potential on an empty stomach. For some students, the lunch they receive in school is the only consistent meal they have access to each day. Securing these funds for our students was a victory that cannot be overstated. 

That is just a sample of all the work we’ve done over the past 12 months. There is more to be done. Our region has been reeling from years of significant underinvestment, and correcting that will takes time. Looking ahead at the 2024 Legislative Session, my goal is to build upon 2023’s successes and work even harder to deliver for our community’s working families.

Our progress is always under threat by powers that benefit from the status quo. I promise I will not slow down my efforts to make our state and our community a truly better place for all of us. But as I said on the campaign, this work cannot be done on my own. I ran a people-powered campaign and I fully intend to continue running as the people’s candidate for State Senate District 52 in 2024. If you would like to join our fight for a brighter tomorrow for Tompkins County, please reach out to our campaign at www.leawebb.com.

Senator Lea Webb Chairs the NYS Senate’s Committee on Women’s Issues. She represents the 52nd Senate district, which includes Cortland County, Tompkins County, and part of Broome County.