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Albany, N.Y., May 12--The State Senate and Assembly, with a message of necessity from Governor Kathy Hochul, today approved an eleventh "budget extender" measure to keep state government running while negotiations over a final 2026-2027 budget remain deadlocked at the Capitol. With the final budget now six weeks late, budget extenders have authorized more than $23 billion in state spending, an amount that State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C-Big Flats) noted “is in excess of the ent

Senator O'Mara offers his weekly perspective on many of the key challenges and issues facing the Legislature, as well as on legislative actions, local initiatives, state programs and policies, and more. Stop back every Monday for Senator O'Mara's latest column... This week, "Taxpayers have had it with tax-and-spend government" It’s fitting that a new statewide poll came out early last week that found nearly 70% of New Yorkers believing affordability in this state is moving i

Albany, N.Y., May 6—At a ceremony in the Legislative Office Building in Albany on Tuesday night, State Senator Tom O’Mara (R-C, Big Flats) and his Senate colleagues honored Heather Perkins, Chief Operations Officer at The Arc Allegany-Steuben, as a New York State Senate 2026 “Woman of Distinction.” A resident of Andover (Allegany County), Perkins began her career with Allegany Arc in 2003 as a Medicaid Service Coordinator and advanced through various positions, including Be

Albany, N.Y., May 5--State Senator Tom O'Mara (R-C, Big Flats), Ranking Member on the Senate Finance Committee, and other members of the Senate Minority Conference met with the members of the Albany press corps following Monday's legislative session. "I don't think we have any moderation going on in these budget discussions," O'Mara told reporters, remaining critical of a budget adoption process keeping New Yorkers in the dark over the details of what's being negotiated by Go

Albany, N.Y., May 4--The State Senate and Assembly, with a message of necessity from Governor Kathy Hochul, today approved a ninth "budget extender" measure to keep state government running while negotiations over a final 2026-2027 budget remain stalled at the Capitol. Today’s extender legislation authorizes funding to keep state operations running through Wednesday, May 6. The state budget is now over a month late. A new fiscal plan was supposed to be in place by the start o

Senator O'Mara offers his weekly perspective on many of the key challenges and issues facing the Legislature, as well as on legislative actions, local initiatives, state programs and policies, and more. Stop back every Monday for Senator O'Mara's latest column... This week, "The PROTECT Act equals stronger law and order" New York State continues to hold a tight grip on far too many titles that no other state would want to go anywhere near, especially worst-in-the-nation tax

Senator O'Mara offers his weekly perspective on many of the key challenges and issues facing the Legislature. Senator O'Mara offers his weekly perspective on many of the key challenges and issues facing the Legislature, as well as on legislative actions, local initiatives, state programs and policies, and more. Stop back every Monday for Senator O'Mara's latest column... This week, "Are budget talks focused on affordability?"

Albany, N.Y., April 27-State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C,I-Big Flats) is urging New Yorkers to make their voices heard during a public comment period ending on Friday, May 1 on a petition before the state Public Service Commission (PSC) “to evaluate whether to temporarily suspend or modify the obligations under the Renewable Energy Program established as part of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act,” commonly known as the CLCPA. Over the past several years, O’Mara

Thank you to the voters of New York State’s 58th Senate District for your support! Voters are telling us that it’s time to govern in a...