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Column: Assemblyman Phil Palmesano "Electric school bus mandate should be a non-starter"
We need to pump the brakes on the electric school bus mandate now. If we do not reform this now by letting individual districts opt out of the current mandate until we have more information, the benefit of experience and more efficient and less expensive technology, we are putting our schools, students and their families at serious risk and we will be breaking the backs of local property taxpayers across this state at the worst possible time. If that wasn't bad enough, our local schools are being treated as guinea pigs for this social experiment, all part of a radical climate/energy agenda being pushed by the governor and Democrats in Albany. How so, you may be asking. Well, the state is hypocritically asking our school districts to begin purchasing electric school buses in 2027 and converting their entire fleets by 2035, a whole five years before the state of New York has to convert its fleet in 2040. In addition, the state of New York can stop, delay or pause if it is not feasible to move forward. Our school districts do not have the same luxury. That is why I have introduced legislation that would delay the implementation of the electric school bus mandate until 2045 or until the state converts its entire fleet first. Let New York do it first. Gov. Hochul and Democrats' costly and unreliable electric school bus mandate is hypocritical, makes no sense and is completely out of touch with the concerns and challenges facing our local communities. Our duty in government is to look out for the people and communities we represent. How is it fair that schools must convert their entire fleets a full five years before the state of New York and be forced to spend tens of billions of dollars to convert to this costly and still unproven technology? The answer is simply that it isn't. What is fair? If school districts want to purchase electric school buses, they have the option to purchase electric school buses. What is fair? How about giving local school districts the option to opt out of this costly mandate? What is fair? How about requiring the state of New York to show this can be done and force them to lead and for the state to be required to convert its entire fleet before school districts are required to purchase one school bus and convert their fleets? What is fair? Before moving forward with this unproven and costly technology, require the state to conduct a cost, feasibility and safety analysis. What is fair? To require all-electric school buses to be made from parts made in the USA, instead of using parts made from minerals, like cobalt, that have been extracted using child labor in the Democratic Republic of Congo. What is fair? Pump, no, slam the brakes on the electric school bus mandate. Assemblyman Palmesano represents the 132nd District, which includes Schuyler County, Yates County and Parts of Chemung County, Seneca County and Steuben County. Photo in text: Asssemblyman Phil Palmesano
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Charles Haeffner P.O. Box 365 Odessa, New York 14869
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