On The Issues

AFTER 29 YEARS OF GRASSROOTS INVOLVEMENT IN THE TOWN OF COLONIE, HAVING SERVED IN THE ALBANY COUNTY LEGISLATURE FROM 2000 TO 2012, AND NOW in HIS Fifth TERM IN THE STATE ASSEMBLY, PHIL STECK HAS GAINED AN UNDERSTANDING OF ISSUES THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND OUR STATE.

“You can always count on me to lead with progressive, Upstate values. I’ve taken that approach and delivered real results for Capital District families. I can’t wait to get more done for you.” – Phil Steck

In politics today, a lot of candidates and elected officials are happy to talk the talk when it comes to standing up to special interest groups in defense of our families. In the State Assembly, we’ve seen that Phil Steck has no problem practicing what he preaches. Phil is known as a courageous straight-shooter and hard worker both for his constituents and on the issues. Much like Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms, Phil has Six Freedoms that he fights to protect.

Phil Steck’s Six Freedoms

Freedom from Economic Injustice

• Voted to protect the 2% property tax cap
• Accelerated the middle-class tax cuts to keep more money in families’ pockets
• Supported historic increases in education funding and voted for a plan to fully fund foundation aid to schools
• Advocating for a Stock Transfer Tax on wealthy Wall Street speculators to fund infrastructure improvements, university education, and green energy
• Backed by the Working Families Party for his career-long defense of working people
• Educational opportunity for every child made possible by record-high funding for Colonie, Guilderland, Niskayuna and Schenectady schools
• Voted against the unfair, unwise State funding of the $10 Billion Green Chips corporate tax give-away that subsidizes corporations owned by oil sheiks

Freedom from Addiction

• As Chair of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse committee, passed legislation helping first responders deal with mental health and addiction crises by making New York Matters a state-wide program
• Passed legislation certifying recovery residences that provide adequate support for those in recovery
• Fighting for more effective counseling and recovery services by drafting legislation requiring mental health professional positions be embedded in all 12 of NYS's Addiction Treatment Centers with reasonable salaries, benefits, and pensions

Freedom from Corruption and Waste

• Sponsored a law prohibiting disgraced politicians from using unspent campaign contributions for personal and political use after being forced from office
• Voted against unfair, unwise corporate tax giveaways to billionaire owners of the Buffalo Bills stadium and semiconductor manufacturers
• Opposed spending $2.1 Billion in financial support for undocumented workers
• One of the first to call for Andrew Cuomo’s resignation, further proving his independence from his own political party

Freedom from Criminal Violence

• Passed commonsense gun measures to keep guns out of the wrong hands
• Voted against the initial bail reform, then led the fight to add burglary and gun offenses to the list of crimes for which bail may be set
• Supported keeping concealed firearms away from schools, playgrounds and community gathering spaces
• Voted for laws that both protect New Yorkers from gun violence and respect the freedom of gun owners

Freedom of a Woman’s Right to Choose

• Fighting back against the Supreme Court’s overturning Roe v Wade
• Supported a state constitutional amendment guaranteeing a woman’s right to choose

Freedom from Global Warming

• Drafted a bill to reinstate the Stock Transfer Tax would dedicate $2 billion dollars every year to green energy. You read that right – billion.
• Supporting the Climate and Community Investment Act
  • This Act implements a concept that economists have argued in favor of for 50 years
  • Prices of products must reflect their cost to the environment or the taxpayers will be paying for the cost of cleaning up environmental damage
  • Taxing carbon assures that products that pollute the environment either will not be produced or will be produced in a way that does not damage the environment
• Backing the Green Buildings Act and similar legislation, which applies to new construction
  • Contrary to propaganda, this does not force retrofitting
• Drives a fully electric Chevy Bolt and generates his electricity from wind