August 2018
The following are highlights of the August Meeting:

Ban on Single Use Plastic Bags – A resolution urging the New York State Legislature to ban single-use plastic bags was submitted by the Rensselaer County Minority Legislature. Unfortunately the resolution never made it to the floor for a vote because it was rejected in committee, by the Republican Majority. The United States of America uses nearly 100 billion bags a year and New York State alone uses 23 billion.

“The high consumption of plastic bags within New York is having a tremendous cost on our environment as well as our health. Plastic bags never breakdown, they only break into smaller pieces that contain toxic chemicals,” said Minority Leader Peter Grimm
“We are putting future generations at risk with our current production and consumption of plastic bags,” said Deputy Minority Leader Cindy Doran. “A statewide ban on single-use plastic bags will greatly decrease our usage of plastic that ultimately would have positive effects on the environment and public health,” continued Deputy Minority Leader Doran.
Youth – The Rensselaer County Legislature accepted State monies that provide funding for the recreation and education of the children of Rensselaer County, encompassing a variety of programs, such as summer camps, youth programs and youth delinquency prevention programs.
Mental Health – The Legislature approved a contract requested by the Lansingburgh Central School District in conjunction with the Department of Mental Health to establish a pilot program providing clinical services at the Turnpike Elementary School.

NEXT MEETING – Tuesday, September 11, 2018, in the Rensselaer County Chambers located on the 3rd floor of the Ned Pattison Government Center, 1600 7th Avenue, Troy.
Residents are welcome to contact our office at 270-2890.
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xample – Minority District Reports