By Legislator Olena Nicks
As a coequal branch of Nassau County government, the Legislature is designed to provide critical oversight of the County Executive’s administration, and a transparent forum for debate, discussion, and consideration of legislative proposals for addressing the pressing issues our constituents face in their daily lives.
During the last seven months, my Democratic colleagues and I have introduced numerous proposals that seek to make life more affordable, combat the ongoing opioid addiction crisis, improve the safety of our roads, and correct outdated policies that make us a regional outlier.
The Republican Majority’s refusal to even hold a public hearing on any of these legislative ideas is not only a disservice to residents on policy grounds, but it also undermines the Legislature’s established role as a deliberative body and stifles transparency within the government funded by their tax dollars.
As a firefighter in my hometown of Uniondale, initiatives that protect and enhance public health will always be deeply important to me. That is why I was especially alarmed by County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s attempt to move $13.7 million in interest and investment income out of the opioid settlement account – funds which are only to be used for programs that seek to prevent and treat addiction in our communities – and into the county’s general fund, where it could be used for any purpose.
These funds are meant to save lives, not balance the County’s budget, and this attempted raid of the opioid fund exposed a critical gap in our laws. Soon after we discovered the issue, I filed legislation that would prevent those monies from being transferred out of the opioid fund for non-recovery purposes. Although the Republican majority refused to consider the item or hold a public hearing on my proposal, the Democratic caucus ultimately used its leverage under the County Charter to prevent the transfer of those funds.
This is but the most recent example of what has become a well-established practice by the Republican majority of dismissing Democratic-sponsored proposals and ignoring them until they expire at the end of the term. Other recent examples of legislative proposals from my office that have been set aside into this form of legislative purgatory include:
- Modernizing Nassau County’s outdated, convoluted laws governing E-bikes and scooters to maintain public safety while protecting users from unfair fines and confiscation
- Legislation to enshrine Juneteenth as an official holiday for County employees, bringing us in line with every major municipality in our region
- Establishing a 3-1-1 line for non-emergency service requests, which would reduce strain on our emergency call center and make government more accessible and transparent, and
- Requiring the County to create an app for reporting and tracking potholes and other unsafe road conditions in real time.
In a similar fashion, Republican leadership is refusing to consider Legislator Cynthia Nuñez’s proposal to enact a gas tax holiday to ease the burden of soaring costs amidst the war in Iran, and Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Debra Mulé’s legislations which would slash outrageous, unlawful fees homeowners are charged to file documents at the County Clerk’s office and greatly reduce permit fees for an array of business owners.
I suspect that the Majority’s refusal to consider these items has less to do with their merits and more to do with political games. By prioritizing the latter, the Majority is depriving the public of formal opportunities to weigh in either for or against what is being proposed.
Moreover, considering how strictly the one-hour rule of public comment at full Legislature meetings is enforced, it all but eliminates the opportunity for Nassau residents to directly address their elected officials on critically important issues.
At a time when public servants should be taking every possible step to strengthen the pillars of participatory democracy, the Nassau County Legislature is sending a clear message that public feedback is an unwanted hindrance.
That is wrong, and it must change. Let our constituents say their piece and then let us vote on the issues that impact the daily lives of the people we are elected to serve.
Olena Nicks, of Uniondale, represents the communities of Nassau County’s Fifth Legislative District.