• Social Justice and Equal Rights including Global LGBTQ Equity issues, ongoing funding for CANDLE and Center for Safety and Change to enhance their LGBTQ programing; NY State DREAM Act, Advocacy to support DACA, TPS and sensible immigration reform, and other forms of Environmental Justice issues.

• Responding to local needs including securing a Cease and Desist Zone for Village of Chestnut Ridge, proposing an Equalization Rate Tax Legislation for Orangetown, Homestead Non-Homestead Tax Legislation, and School Tax Collection Bill. I have met with the Mayors and Town Supervisors, numerous local groups and individuals to better understand and respond to the needs of my district. My full-time Rockland Office has helped hundreds of people and solved problems in every community in our Assembly district.

Capital/Infrastructure Funding: Provide funding to numerous municipalities to improve facilities and enhance services to residents including town of Orangetown, Village of South Nyack, Village of Nyack, Village of Piermont, Village of Airmont, Pearl River Library, Village of Spring Valley, Village of Suffern, Village Montebello, and Village of New Square

Member Item/Legislative Initiatives for program: Provide funding to numerous organization to initiate and or expand programs for local children and families including CANDLE, West Street Childcare, One to One Learning, Nyack School District, Martin Luther King Center, Rockland YMCA, MADE Transitional Services, Childcare Resources of Rockland, Suffern DARE and Clifford Theatre

• Safe and Violence Free Workplace, Homes and Schools including co-sponsoring numerous anti-domestic violence legislation; I co-Sponsored legislation to centralize Domestic Violence Courts in Rockland County, to require every school to have a social worker; held hearing to evaluate access to Mental Health programs and Services including responding to the opioid crisis, and to shortage of Mental Health programs and services for children and youth. I have sponsored Microstamping gun legislation and have co-sponsored numerous other gun safety legislations.

• Small Business Development, Workforce Development, Career Preparation and BOCES programs including ongoing attendance at the Hudson Valley Regional Economic Development Council meetings; ongoing dialogue with local business groups and leaders; and pending Film-Tax Credit legislation to increase tourism and employment opportunity in the hospitality and restaurant industry. I am currently working with Rockland Community College to pilot Program to increase enrollment in the Education field for working individuals. In addition, I have numerous pending BOCES legislation, and advocating for a variety of Workforce …

• Ensuring that every child has access to a quality and affordable Early Childhood Education including increase funding for childcare, advocating for Universal Pre-K for all 4-year-old and supporting enhanced salary, funding, and training for childcare providers.

Ellen has been a leader for “Equal pay for equal work”, combatting sexual harassment and domestic violence, and advocate for full access to reproductive healthcare

On the state level we are getting our fiscal house in order and lowering taxes for the middle-class and small businesses:

Ellen voted for the lowest rates for the middle-class in New York State since 1954.
Credit-rating agency Standard and Poor’s upgraded New York’s bond rating to an A+.
Ellen has fought to abolish the MTA payroll tax and succeeded in getting in repealed for 80% of our small businesses ses and for both public and private elementary and secondary schools.
Ellen remains committed to fighting for additional progressive …

Ellen Jaffee knows that a thriving business community and sustainable communities can go hand-in-hand. She has brought funding into downtown areas to make the villages and hamlets in the district more business-friendly. As a member of the Assembly’s Economic Development Committee, Ellen has supported statewide incentives that will keep and attract businesses in our communities. She has opposed cutting programs that have given businesses the incentives they need to compete.

As a former special education teacher, Ellen Jaffee has fought for the highest quality education for Rockland’s public school students. She believes that all children must have a strong foundation, beginning with Pre-K that builds through K-12, and culminates in college or vocational training. Ellen points out that economists across-the-board agree that financial strength and recovery require a quality educational system that prepares its students to succeed in a global economy. She supports early intervention because it can give children a head start. …

Ellen’s record on environmental issues speaks for itself including scoring 100 on this year’s Environmental Scorecard

Climate Change and Sustainable Energy

As a legislator Ellen feels it is incumbent upon her to take every possible step to slow down this coming crisis by supporting laws and policies that require energy from sustainable, non carbon-emitting sources. She agrees with the state’s goal of having 80 percent of our energy from renewable sources by 2050, but hopes these goals can be accomplished sooner, as there …

Since taking office in 2007, Ellen Jaffee has introduced and cosponsored laws that make our communities safer. Following is a partial list of these laws and what they do:

Assemblymember has a record supporting infrastructure. During her time in office Ellen Jaffee has moved stalled state road projects forward with New York State Department of Transportation (DOT). Route 9W was repaved at her request; and she successfully lobbied for faster delivery dates for improvements to Routes 303 and 45. She has called for a drainage study to address the flooding of hundreds of homes along 9W and is among those who have asked for a traffic study along the Nyack to Palisades …