ALBANY — Assemblywoman Jane Corwin continues to push the Assembly leadership to move forward on the issue of heroin and opioid epidemic plaguing communities across New York State.
The Clarence Republican joined Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb. R-Canandaigua, at a press conference today at a press conference urging the Assembly Majority to vote on legislation that would do so.
“I’ve heard from too many parents and grandparents about what heroin has done to their families, too many educators and police officers who have told us how heroin is destroying our communities. Too many Western New Yorkers are turning to heroin to feed an addiction to prescription pain killers,” Corwin said. “Heroin is cheap and available in our schools and neighborhoods. Our children have easy access to this drug and other opioids, and the Assembly Majority must take action to address this before the end of session.”
Corwin and he fellow Republicans have been pushing the “HELP Plan,” which they call a “multifaceted legislative package to tackle heroin and opioid addiction based on recommendations obtained through a statewide tour of public hearings” hosted in 2015 by the GOP.
Corwin said, “We know this is a problem, that’s why we hosted task force public hearings all across the state last year. That got the attention of the state Senate and the governor, who both have taken it upon themselves to create their own task forces. Time is running out and lives are literally in the balance. The Assembly Majority must realize that heroin and opioid addiction are serious problems facing our state and deserve attention before the end of this year’s session.”
The State Senate passed a series of heroin- and opioid-related bills on May 17.
