AND STAYING AT THE CAPITOL NOW, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, REPUBLICANS ARE CURRENTLY IN THE MINORITY IN BOTH THE STATE SENATE AND THE ASSEMBLY, AND THAT MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT TO GET LEGISLATION THROUGH THAT THEY SUPPORT UNLESS IT'S A BIPARTISAN ISSUE, BUT IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, IN PARTICULAR, NEW YORK'S PARTY HAS FLIPPED THE SCRIPT, USING PUBLIC EVENTS AND HOT BUTTON ISSUES TO SWAY PUBLIC OPINION.

USUALLY FOCUSING ON CRIME AND THE STATE'S RISING COSTS OF LIVING.

ONE REPUBLICAN AT THE FOREFRONT OF THAT STRATEGY IS ASSEMBLY MINORITY LEADER WILL BARCLAY FROM CENTRAL NEW YORK.

WE SPOKE THIS WEEK ABOUT THIS YEAR'S LEGISLATIVE SESSION, 6 TOP ISSUES FACING NEW YORKERS, AND MORE.

[ THEME MUSIC ] ASSEMBLY REPUBLICAN LEADER WILL BARCLAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON.

OF COURSE, ANYTIME.

LET'S START WITH YOUR PRIORITIES.

YOU HAD A VERY BIG PRESENCE AT THE CAPITOL THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS TALKING ABOUT ISSUES LIKE AFFORDABILITY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM IN PARTICULAR.

WHAT DO YOU SEE FOR THIS YEAR?

IT'S A STRANGE YEAR.

IT'S THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE'RE KIND OF NOT OUT OF COVID BUT I THINK EVERYTHING IS BACK TO NORMAL AT THE CAPITOL FOR THE MOST PART.

WHERE'S YOUR CONFERENCE RIGHT NOW CERTAINLY CRIME, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, WE HAVE SEEN POLLING RECENTLY OUT THAT SAID 97% OF NEW YORKERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT CRIME.

WE SAW THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION, LEE ZELDIN ALMOST WON THE GOVERNORSHIP RIDING ON CRIME.

CERTAINLY CRIME, WE'D LIKE TO SEE BAIL BACK TO JUDGES' DISCRETION ON BAIL, RAISE THE AGE, BUT WE CERTAINLY CAN'T GO ANY FARTHER.

THE PROGRESSIVES WANT TO GO FARTHER.

THEY WANT TO DO ELDERLY PAROLE.

THEY WANT TO DO MORE WITH, I GUESS, MORE WITH BAIL.

I'M HAPPY THAT THE GOVERNOR, I'M HAPPY MAYOR ADAMS, THE D.A.

IN ALBANY COUNTY, ALL OF THEM ARE TALKING ABOUT 7 GETTING BACK AND LOOKING AT CRIMINAL JUSTICE.

IS IT FRUSTRATING SOMETIMES WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THESE ISSUES?

BECAUSE YOU ARE THE ASSEMBLY REPUBLICAN LEADER.

YOU'RE IN THE MINORITY.

SO IT WOULD BE A VERY RARE FORWARD BILL FOR YOUR CONFERENCE 0 COME TO THE FORE ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM.

BUT I WOULD ARGUE THAT YOUR CONFERENCE AND THE SENATE REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE ARE THE TWO MOST OUTSPOKEN CONFERENCES ON ROLLING BACK BAIL REFORM, MAKING CHANGES TO IT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

IS IT FRUSTRATING TO BE IN THAT POSITION TO NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT LEGISLATIVELY BUT TO DO IT PUBLICLY?

WELL, I HAVE A HIGH TOLERANCE FOR FRUSTRATION OBVIOUSLY WORKING IN ALBANY AS LONG AS I HAVE.

[LAUGHTER] WE DO FEEL LIKE WE'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

I WOULD REMIND YOU THAT'S PERSONALLY ON BAIL IT HAS BEEN REVISITED TWICE UNDER THE FORMER ADMINISTRATION AND WE DO FEEL LIKE WE HAVE THE BULLY PULPIT.

WE HAVE A VOICE OUT THERE AND CLEARLY, IT'S NOT JUST US.

I MEAN, IT IS NEW YORKERS.

I THINK THE DEPOSITS, WE PICKED UP FIVE SEATS IN OUR CONFERENCE THIS YEAR.

MOSTLY IN NEW YORK CITY AND IN LONG ISLAND WHERE CRIME REALLY WAS A CENTRAL ISSUE.

I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD BE ABLE TO PASS LEGISLATION RIGHT 8 AWAY AND GET IT DONE BUT I DO THINK WE ARE HAVING AN EFFECT ON IT AND IT'S WORKING.

SO WE'LL SEE WHERE IT GOES, YOU KNOW, WITH THE WAY THAT THE LEGISLATURE IS SET UP WITH THE PROGRESSIVES, YOU KNOW, THESE ALWAYS VERY TOUGH HURDLES TO DO, BUT I DO FEEL OPTIMISTIC THAT WE CAN GET SOMETHING DONE WITH IT.

LET ME TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET BECAUSE BAIL REFORM IS KIND OF IN THERE.

SHE WANTS TO MAKE A CHANGE ON IT TO ELIMINATE SOMETHING CALLED THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE MEANS.

THE JUDGES HAVE TO FOLLOW THAT STANDARD IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WITH SOMEBODY WHEN THEY ARE ARRESTED AND BROUGHT INTO COURT.

THEY HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT PERSON BASED ON THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE MEANS.

RIGHT.

IT'S BEEN ARGUED THAT CONVINCES A JUDGE BASICALLY AND INFLUENCES A JUDGE TO GO MORE LENIENT THAN THEY WOULD HAVE WITHOUT THAT IN THE LAW.

GOVERNOR IS I TRYING TO MAKE THAT CHANGE IN THE BUDGET OF THE DO YOU THINK IT GOES FAR ENOUGH?

IT DOESN'T, BUT WE'RE HAPPY WITH THAT CHANGE.

AT LEAST THEY'RE ADDRESSING SOME OF THE PROBLEMS.

WE'D LIKE TO SEE DISCRETION, AS I SAID, FOR JUDGES PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO DANGEROUS MS. TO THE COMMUNITY.

OTHER STATES 9 THAT HAVE DONE BAIL REFORM, I THINK NEW JERSEY HAS THAT.

WHY WE CAN'T DO THAT-- YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER BACK IN THE ROCKEFELLER DRUG LAW DAYS, THEY WANTED TO GIVE JUDGES MORE DISCRETION ON SENTENCING.

NOW FOR SOME REASON WE DON'T TRUST THE JUDGES.

WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE THEM ANY DISCRETION WHEN IT COMES TO BAIL.

THERE NEEDS TO BE MIDDLE GROUND.

I ALWAYS SAID THAT WE'RE OPEN TO DOING SOME REFORM WITH BAIL, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WHAT, AGAIN, THE PROGRESSIVES AND THE LIBERALS HAVE DONE IN THE LEGISLATURE IS, YOU KNOW, TAKING IT WAY TOO FAR.

AS A RESULT, WE'RE SEEING THE CRIME RATES SPIKE.

I WANT TO MOVE ON TO AFFORDABILITY.

I FEEL LIKE AS MUCH AS CRIME IS A TOP ISSUE FOR NEW YORKERS, AFFORDABILITY IS SOMETHING THAT LIKE I WOULD SAY MOST NEW YORKERS DON'T EXPERIENCE THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN THE SENSE THAT MOST NEW YORKERS ARE NOT ARRESTED AND GO TO JAIL.

BUT EVERY NEW YORKER HAS AN ISSUE WITH AFFORDABILITY UNLESS THEY HAVE A LOT OF MONEY.

GOOD FOR THEM.

THAT'S NOT ME.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE STATE SHOULD DO HERE?

I MEAN, I TALK ABOUT THIS WITH PEOPLE ALL THE TIME.

IT'S SUCH A BIG ISSUE.

YOU COULD LOOK AT THINGS LIKE TAXES, TAX BREAKS.

YOU COULD LOOK AT INCENTIVES FOR PEOPLE TO MOVE IN.

WHERE DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD START IN THAT CONVERSATION?

10 WHEN YOU'RE IN A HOLE, THEY SAY STOP DIGGING.

THAT'S ONE THING WE OUGHT TO BE DOING.

WE HAVE FOR THE LAST DECADE AND A HALF BEEN ON THIS TAX-AND-SPEND TRAIN, I GUESS SO WE HAVE TO CHANGE THAT TRAJECTORY.

THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET, WE HAD, WHAT, $220 BILLION AND NOW SHE'S PROPOSING A $228 BILLION BUDGET.

WHEN YOU COMPARE US TO OTHER STATES LIKE FLORIDA, TEXAS, AND EVEN CALIFORNIA, WHICH I THINK IS $280 BILLION AND THEY HAVE TWICE THE AMOUNT OF POPULATION, THIS CERTAINLY IS NOT A TRAJECTORY THAT WE CAN STAY ON AND PEOPLE ARE LEAVING.

THEY'RE MOVING.

WE LOST 400,000 PEOPLE DURING COVID AND OVER THE LAST DECADE, WE LOST OVER A MILLION PEOPLE.

THEY'RE NOT LEAVING BECAUSE WE'RE SPENDING NOT ENOUGH IN NEW YORK STATE.

I THINK IF WE-- WE DON'T HAVE TO CUT.

IF WE SLOW THE GROWTH OF SPENDING, IT WOULD GO A LONG WAYS.

THEN WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE POLICIES, AS YOU HAVE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, THE CLCPA, THE CLIMATE LEADERSHIP CLIMATE PROTECTION ACT, WHICH IS GOING TO PUT MORE AND MORE ONEROUS TO TRY TO GET CLIMATE CONTROL, I GUESS, AND IT WILL PUT ONEROUS COSTS ON ALL NEW YORKERS.

THOSE THINGS WE NEED TO DELAY OR VISIT AND MAKE SURE THAT THE COST OF LIVING DOESN'T CONTINUE TO CLIMB IN NEW YORK STATE.

RIGHT.

YOU'RE REFERRING 11 TO NOT JUSTICE, BUT IT'S KNOWN PUBLICLY AS THE DEBATE OVER GAS STOVES, BUT IT AFFECTS SO MUCH MORE THAN YOUR GAS STOVE, BUT WHAT THE STATE IS BASICALLY SAYING IS IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING GAS STOVE KEEP IT AND WHEN IT BREAKS, WE WANT YOU TO CONVERT TO AN ELECTRIC.

OR IF YOU ARE BUILDING A WHOLE HOUSE-- AGAIN, NOT ME.

I DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY, BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO NOT USE A GAS STOVE.

BASED ON THE CLIMATE-- THE SCOPING PLAN FROM THE CLIMATE ACTION COUNCIL AND THE GOVERNOR'S RECOMMENDING IT.

IT'S KIND OF A LONG PROCESS THERE.

DO YOU SEE A MIDDLE GROUND THERE?

DO YOU THINK IT'S THAT WE NEED TO DO THIS ON A SLOWER TRAJECTORY?

DO YOU THINK WE SHOULDN'T DO IT AT ALL.

?

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

WE'RE ALL FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY.

I DON'T KNOW WHO'S AGAINST THAT.

YEAH.

RIGHT NOW, WHEN THE WIND DOESN'T BLOW OR THE SUN DOESN'T SHINE, WE HAVE NO WAY TO STORE ELECTRICITY.

IT SEEMS THAT WE'RE PUTTING THE CART IN FRONT OF THE HORSE ON THIS.

WE DEFINITELY NEED TO SLOW IT DOWN.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO ALL OF A SUDDEN SWITCH OVER TO COMPLETE RENEWABLE ENERGY.

YEAH.

I THINK THE DEADLINES ARE UNREALISTIC.

ALSO WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY COST BENEFIT IS WHAT I WAS 12 GETTING AT BEFORE.

THIS IS GOING TO BE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO IMPLEMENT.

NEW YORK'S ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR SOMETHING LIKE .5 OF GLOBAL EMISSIONS.

EVEN IF WE SPEND BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN IMPLEMENTING ALL THESE POLICIES THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE GO COMPLETELY GREEN, YOU KNOW, GREEN ENERGY AND COMPLETELY ELECTRIFIED, IT'S NOT REALLY GOING TO HAVE THAT BIG OF AN IMPACT ON GLOBAL EMISSIONS.

SO I THINK DEFINITELY IF WE COULD DELAY IT AND I THINK THERE'S A NATURAL PROGRESSION GOING TOWARD RENEWABLES AND I THINK THAT'S FINE.

WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE THAT.

YEAH.

WE CAN'T DO IT OVERNIGHT.

YEAH.

I SEE THIS ISSUE FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF LIKE MORE OF AN UPSTATE PERSPECTIVE TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.

BECAUSE WHEN I TALKED TO PEOPLE ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THEY LIVE IN MORE REMOTE AREA OF THE STATE, SO I'M TALKING ABOUT PLACES LIKE THE NORTH COUNTRY.

WHERE I LIVE.

EXACTLY.

WHERE YOU LIVE AND MORE OF THE CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE, THEIR CONCERN IS THAT THE ELECTRIC GRID MAY NOT BE RELIABLE ENOUGH.

SO IF THEY LOSE THEIR GAS STOVE AND THEIR POWER GOES OUT, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO HEAT THEIR HOME OR COOK 13 THEIR FOOD?

IT'S A BIG ISSUE LIKE THAT AND THERE'S SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT.

IT NEEDS A DOSE OF REALITY IN IT, OBVIOUSLY, AND AGAIN, WE'RE ALL FOR CLEAN CLIMATE.

YOU KNOW, I'M AN OUTDOORSMAN.

I LOVE THE ENVIRONMENT.

I'M ALL FOR HELPING THAT.

BUT WE NEED REALITY BACK INTO THE SITUATION.

ON AFFORDABILITY, IT'S TOUGH TO THINK ABOUT IT IN A WAY THAT-- THAT REGULAR NEW YORKERS, IT COULD HAVE THIS DIRECT IMPACT ON THIS THEM QUICKLY.

I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE GET LOST IN THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUE.

BECAUSE IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE TO LIVE HERE.

WE KNOW THAT.

EVERYBODY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT.

THE DEMOCRATS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.

REPUBLICANS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.

EVERYBODY DOES.

I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT COULD CHANGE HERE.

IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE BEEN ON THIS TRAJECTORY FOR A LONG TIME.

DO YOU THINK IT'S LOWER TAXES?

DO YOU THINK IT'S OTHER INCENTIVES FOR PEOPLE TO STAY?

AGAIN, WE GOT TO STOP DIGGING WHEN WE'RE IN THIS HOLE.

WE CAN DO A FEW THINGS.

FOR INSTANCE, THE GAS TAX.

WE HAVE A MORATORIUM ON THE GAS TAX FOR LAST YEAR.

THAT'S PUT BACK ON AGAIN.

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT ROLLED BACK.

WE HAVE A BILL OUT THERE TO TAKE SALES TAX OFF FOOD THAT YOU GET IN THE GROCERY STORE THAT YOU TAKE HOME TO EAT.

14 SO THERE'S LITTLE THINGS THAT COULD PROVIDE IMMEDIATE RELIEF TO NEW YORKERS.

BUT ULTIMATELY, WE HAVE TO JUST STOP THIS TAX-AND-SPEND TRAJECTORY.

IT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO MAKE DRASTIC CUTS.

I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT SCHOOL AID FORMULA.

IF WE CAN UPDATE THAT SCHOOL AID FORMULA WHERE WE DRIVE THAT MONEY TO LOW WEALTH DISTRICTS INSTEAD OF HIGH WEALTH DISTRICTS, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO INCREASE, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL AID FUNDING BY 10% EVERY YEAR.

THERE'S THINGS THAT WE COULD DO MORE EFFICIENT IN HEALTH CARE.

THE OTHER THING IS THE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WHERE IT LOOKS LIKE $11 BILLION WORTH OF FRAUD.

WE CAN DO THINGS TO BE MORE EFFICIENT IN GOVERNMENT THAT I DON'T THINK WILL BE SOME DRACONIAN CUTS THAT WILL AFFECT EVERYBODY.

I THINK WE NEED TO GET OFF THIS.

EVERY YEAR WE INCREASE SPENDING BY 5 TO 10%.

THAT'S JUST NOT SUSTAINABLE.

YEAH.

I MEAN, IT'S-- THE BUDGET IS AN INTERESTING THING BECAUSE THERE'S AN ARGUMENT BETWEEN, DO WE RAISE SPENDING, OR DO WE SPEND FLAT AND TRY TO MAKE IT WORK?

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT KIND OF THING, DO YOU THINK-- I KNOW YOU THINK WE SPEND TOO MUCH MONEY ON THE BUDGET OBVIOUSLY.

DO YOU THINK IF WE KEPT FUNDING FLAT, THAT'S JUST A SITUATION OF LOOK AT THE BUDGET TO SEE WHERE WE FIND THOSE EFFICIENCIES AND WE CAN KEEP SPENDING FLAT, OR 15 DO YOU THINK THAT THERE ARE AREAS WHERE WE COULD CUT, I GUESS?

WELL, THERE ARE CERTAINLY AREAS THAT WE COULD CUT.

WE COULD ALSO BE MORE EFFICIENT.

YEAH.

AGAIN, I SAY SLOW THE GROWTH OF SPENDING.

NOT ACTUALLY MAKE CUTS.

AGAIN, WE CAN'T-- WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS COMING SOON.

THIS YEAR, I THINK WE'LL BE ALL RIGHT FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT.

REVENUE SEEMS TO BE GOOD.

BUT WE HAD A LOT OF FEDERAL AID IN THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT'S GOING AWAY.

.

IF THE STOCK MARKET GOES DOWN, THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR 30% OF OUR REVENUES IN THE STATE COMES WALL STREET.

SO I THINK NEXT YEAR, WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE CUTS OR SLOW THE GROWTH OF SPENDING.

RIGHT.

I MEAN, THE GOVERNOR HAS ESPECIALLY SINCE THE ELECTION, TRIED TO MAKE THE CASE THAT SHE IS THE GOVERNOR FOR ALL NEW YORKERS, DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS.

EVERYONE IN BETWEEN.

SHE ALSO WHEN SHE FIRST BECAME GOVERNOR IN 2021, KIND OF INDICATED THAT SHE WANTED MORE COLLABORATION WITH THE MINORITY CONFERENCES IN THE LEGISLATURE BECAUSE SHE'S AN UPSTATER.

I THINK SHE'S MORE FAMILIAR WITH THAT KIND OF VIEWPOINT THAT YOU AND SENATOR ROB ORTT SHARE.

16 SHE'S BEEN EXPOSED TO IT MORE AS AN UPSTATER FROM BUFFALO.

DO YOU SEE THAT?

WELL, THAT CERTAINLY WAS MY HOPE WHEN SHE FIRST GOT ELECTED AND THE CONVERSATIONS I HAD WHEN SHE CAME FROM LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND BECAME THE GOVERNOR.

I TALKED ABOUT IT AND SUGGESTED TO HER WE'RE NOT GOING TO AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT AS FELLOW UPSTATERS, MAYBE WE CAN WORK ON SOME ISSUES THAT WE COULD SHARE.

THAT SEEMED TO GO A LITTLE BY THE WAYSIDE, FRANKLY, DAN, DURING THE ELECTION WHICH IS NOT SURPRISING, BUT WE HAVE HAD OUTREACH WITH HER THIS YEAR AND I'M OPTIMISTIC.

I THINK WE HAVE A MEETING COMING UP WITH HER SO I'M OPTIMISTIC TO EXPRESS CONCERNS THAT CERTAINLY UPSTATERS BUT FRANKLY ALL NEW YORKERS ARE FEELING AND I GET BACK TO PUBLIC PROTECTION.

I WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH THE GOVERNOR.

I'D LOVE TO WORK WITH MAYOR ADAMS, ANYONE TO, YOU KNOW TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT WHETHER IT'S BAIL REFORM, RAISE THE AGE, ET CETERA.

I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT WE CAN FIND SOME COMMON GROUNDS THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER ON.

IT'S INTERESTING.

I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD YOU HAVE SEEN THAT TYPE OF OUTREACH UNDER ANDREW CUOMO.

I COULD BE TOTALLY WRONG.

DID YOU?

NO.

NO.

YEAH.

THAT IS A DIFFERENCE.

I COMPLIMENT 17 HER ON THAT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HER GOING FORWARD.

WE WILL SEE WHERE IT LANDS.

ASSEMBLY LEADER WILL BARCLAY, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU.

[ THEME MUSIC ]