Barrett has been good champion of region

State Assemblywoman Didi Barrett has been a champion of the region, listening intently to those she serves and taking reasoned approaches to policy issues. She deserves re-election.

Barrett, D-Hudson, is seeking voter approval for the fourth time in a little more than four years. That rare occurrence has come about because she was first elected in a special election in March 2012, then re-elected later that year and again in 2014. During this time, she has fought for important causes, including helping get passage of a law allowing doctors to prescribe long-term antibiotics to fight chronic Lyme disease and backing the state’s efforts to do more to curb heroin and the opioid epidemic.She also came to Dutchess County’s rescue, securing money in the state budget that enabled the county to repeal a controversial energy tax.

Barrett is being challenged by Republican Theresa (Terry) Sullivan, who has been a Copake Town Board member since 2015. Sullivan could use more time on the local level to develop expertise as an elected official and also to familiarize herself more with the workings of state government.

Sullivan supports tax cuts across the board, opposes a pay raise for lawmakers but believes their outside income shouldn’t be limited either. Barrett believes lawmakers’ outside income should be capped and has supported such initiatives.

Regarding the pay-raise issue, Barrett noted that a state-appointed commission is considering that matter, and she is comfortable letting the commission make the decision. She added, however, if the raise were “higher than I’m comfortable with, I will vote against it.” She would not specify what percentage that might be, however.

Sullivan called the state’s decision to raise the minimum wage “a big mistake.” But the agreement, which Barrett supported, involved a reasonable compromise with important regional considerations. In New York City, the wage will rise to $11 at the end of this year and will hit $15 at the end of 2018, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo had sought. But in much of the state — including the mid-Hudson Valley — the wage will go to $9.70 at year’s end. It will increase 70 cents each year after until reaching $12.50 at the end of 2020. After that, the state Division of Budget would determine how quickly to move the wage to $15 on an indexed schedule.

Barrett also has had a long and profound understanding of the importance of farming, environmental protection, tourism and sound land-use policies in the region. For example, while she continues to support more state funding to preserve historic structures, she also understands the importance of public-private partnerships. To that end, she has backed efforts to attract private and not-for-profit partners at appropriate and underutilized places, such as Mills Mansion and Mills Norrie State Park off Route 9 in Staatsburg.

Barrett has been a growing voice in what almost assuredly will remain the Democratic-controlled Assembly. Frankly, the area needs more political clout in Albany, and Barrett has been building that methodically and successfully.

Watch video online
To see the Poughkeepsie Journal editorial board meeting with these two candidates, visit www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/opinion. To find out more about the candidates, go to http://www.didibarrett.com/ and https://www.facebook.com/DrTerry4NY/.
The 106th district covers the towns of Poughkeepsie, Hyde Park, Pleasant Valley, Clinton, Stanford, Milan, Pine Plains, Northeast and Amenia in Dutchess County. It also covers southern Columbia County.