Steve Hawley

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is announcing that this year’s annual Patriot Trip, taking place from September 16-19, will be the most affordable ever. Hawley will join veterans and their guests on his annual trip to Washington D.C., visiting various landmarks and historical sites.  

Thanks to the generous contributions of many organizations and individuals, the cost to veterans and their selected guest for this year’s trip will be lower than ever in the trip’s fourteen-year history. The cost to veterans and their guest will be far below the original $475 per person, and includes all food, accommodation and travel expenses required for the trip. Although costs are not yet finalized, Hawley is hoping a cost of $350 or less per person will be attainable.

“Following an outpouring of financial support from the community at large, individuals, businesses and veteran-advocacy groups, I am elated to announce the cost to veterans and their guests for this year’s Patriot Trip will be lower than ever, and I’m hopeful the final cost will be between $300 and $350. With confirmed stops this year at Gettysburg, the Naval Academy at Annapolis, the Veterans Memorials around the National Mall, the National Marine Museum, the Arlington National Cemetery with Wreath Laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and many other landmarks and museums, it’s going to be a trip to remember for all who attend.”

Any interested veterans or their family members are encouraged to reach out to Hawley’s district office at 585-589-5780 or HawleyS@nyassembly.gov to learn more about the trip and to make reservations.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is joining his Assembly Minority colleagues in a letter to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie demanding he call a special session to rescind New York State’s eviction moratorium. Otherwise, the state’s requirements will have persisted a month longer than federal protections, which are set to expire July 31st. 

The eviction moratorium has prevented small landlords from collecting revenue for over a year, even while facing financial obligations of their own.

“In terms of both public health and economic well-being, we are making a comeback from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Hawley said. “With vaccinations available to all who want them and an abundance of job openings throughout the state, I see no benefit in allowing the eviction moratorium to remain in effect any longer.

"While these protections were sensible during the worst days of the pandemic, the time has come to allow landlords to collect their revenue, both for their sake and also the sake of other tenants who otherwise might have their rents raised to compensate for rent not paid by others.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley will be joining Sen. George Borello (SD-57) and attorney James Ostrowski via Zoom in discussing different ideas for granting the Greater Western New York region more autonomy in its political affairs.

This virtual town hall meeting is entitled "Imagine an Independent Greater Western New York" and it starts at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 15.

Hawley will defend the merits of making the region its own state; Borello will discuss the benefits of making the area an autonomous zone within the state; and Ostrowski will detail the benefits of following a path of nullification of disagreeable laws by local sheriffs and elected officials. 

Those who wish to attend must register using this link.

WHO: Assemblyman Steve Hawley

           Sen. George Borello 

           James Ostrowski

WHAT: Virtual Town Hall discussing proposals to secure greater independence for Greater Western New York

WHEN: Thursday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Zoom

HOW: Preregistration required to get Zoom link, attendees may register using this link.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley today slammed the governor’s declaration of a “statewide disaster emergency” regarding gun violence in the state. Within the governor’s executive order, he unilaterally suspends numerous laws while allocating $138.7 million toward programs he believes will reduce gun violence.

“This emergency declaration is yet another instance of the governor going above our heads in the Legislature to haphazardly expend funds aimed to try and solve the wrong root problem,” Hawley said. “The reason for the rise in crime as of late is no mystery, and until the governor admits bail reform was a failed experiment with deadly consequences, I fear the terrible violence in our communities will persist.

"Our constitutional freedom to own guns isn’t the problem that’s causing this violence, it’s the dangerous revolving-door the governor has created in our penal system that’s giving dangerous individuals more opportunities than ever to harm the innocent, or victims of their previous crimes.”

​Hawley for months has called for the rollback of bail reform laws, which limits a judge’s ability to use their discretion to issue bail to those they know to be dangerous. He argues that this law has created a revolving door for dangerous criminals, who have often been released back into the public after being arrested following the implementation of bail reform. These criminals often reoffend and cause further violence in the communities they’re released into.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is announcing his annual Patriot Trip to Washington, D.C., taking place from Sept. 16 to 19, where veterans and their family members are hosted on a tour throughout the area to visit several historical sites and landmarks.

This year’s tour will feature stops at war memorials throughout the D.C. area including Arlington National Cemetery. The first day includes a stop at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. Previous tours have included stops at the White House, the Capitol Building, Mt. Vernon, the Annapolis Naval Academy and various museums.

Participation in the trip is open to all military veterans and their family members and will cost $475 per person (includes all food, accommodation, travel, and other expenses). Those interested in participating in this year’s trip are encouraged to reach out to Assemblyman Hawley’s district office at (585) 589-5780.

“The Patriot Trip has been an important way of giving back to our veterans for years now, so after having to cancel last year’s trip, I’m elated to be able to resume the trips this year,” said Hawley. “This year will be our 14th trip, so I encourage all interested veterans to reach out to my office and join us on a trip to remember!”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is announcing the start of a new annual award to recognize women of distinction within the local community in a ceremony to be held in the fall. 

Constituents can nominate women of great achievement or those who have made an impact in the lives of others within their community using the form linked here. Those selected to be honored this fall will be notified regarding their nomination and the award ceremony to follow.

“There is no shortage of talented and accomplished women here in the 139th Assembly District, and after our communities were forced to come together like never before in this last year, I felt it appropriate to celebrate the life and achievements of women in our community who have made a real impact in the world, whether in business or here in our community,” Hawley said.

“I look forward to honoring individuals truly deserving of thanks and recognition, so I eagerly await nominations!”

With Assemblyman Steve Hawley already weighing in on her push to get New York State lawmakers to change the current bail rules and regulations, City Council Member Rose Mary Christian is hopeful that other municipalities will act as well.

Hawley penned a letter dated June 24 in response to hearing Christian’s concerns about what he writes, “the disastrous and dangerous 2019 Bail Reform” (that puts strict limits on the use of cash bail and pretrial detention).

The assemblyman’s letter points to a plan introduced by the Minority Conference to help combat the recent rise in violent crime across the state, and outlines seven areas of proposed legislation to counteract the 2019 Bail Reform act. The letter was entered into Monday night’s City Council meeting proceedings with City Clerk Heidi Parker reading the 14-paragraph statement aloud.

At Council’s meeting on June 14, Christian requested that the city draft a letter requesting a change in the bail reform laws – and her colleagues agreed – and sending it to state representatives in Albany.

Last night, the board reviewed a letter written by City Manager Rachael Tabelski, accepting a revision of the third paragraph to read:

“We commend the Legislature’s efforts to roll back some of the original reforms that were passed last year, such as allowing judges to set bail for more criminal charges that had eliminated bail. We respectfully request that the Legislature consider adding more crimes in which judges have discretion to set bail, including crimes against police officers, firemen and sexual assaults and burglary. We also support restoring bail for any crime involving the use of a gun.”

Christian was pleased with the changes, noting that the letter “has got some teeth in it now.”

“By us passing this – and not just by one person, not by just me but this whole board – is very important and it will show some credence to the fact that we really mean business and maybe other councils, maybe other towns, will follow and we might be able to change this law now,” she said.

It also was suggested to send the letter to Genesee Association of Municipalities in anticipation of it being sent to all Genesee County towns and villages.

Previously: City manager drafts letter from Council asking New York State lawmakers to 'revisit' bail reform laws

A statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley on Gov. Cuomo's decision to end COVID-19 State of Emergency in NYS June 24:

“While this should’ve happened months ago when my colleagues and I in the Assembly Minority called on those in the Majority to restore checks and balances to state government, I am happy that a return to constitutional state government is imminent.

"The needless restrictions the governor mandated within our businesses, schools, places of worship and communities caused a great deal of struggle and suffering, so it is heartening to know the days of living at the mercy of the governor’s whims are coming to an end.”

Press release from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

2021 LEGISLATIVE RECAP: SENSELESS SPENDING AND AN ABSENCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY

This last year, industry and society at large have shifted drastically as the challenges we’ve faced have forced us to be more innovative and resilient than ever before. However, even as private businesses and families alike found new ways to thrive while braving a pandemic, it was another year of business as usual for the Governor and his allies in the legislative Majority.

They worked to raise taxes, chip away further at our constitutional rights and construct the most expensive budget in our state’s history, a monstrous proposal that spends more than Texas and Florida do within a year COMBINED, while doing little for those who need help most. 

Giving recovering small businesses less than half of what’s being given to undocumented immigrants in direct assistance is unconscionable, and there’s nothing progressive about letting small, family-owned businesses die for the sake of helping people who broke our laws to be here.

These small businesses are built up over decades through generations, and are places where people find their first jobs or even their lifelong careers. They are what make the towns, villages and cities where we live the unique and special places we know them to be, and it has been incredibly saddening to see so many of them continue to struggle when there’s so much more we could have done to support them, their employees and the communities they serve.

What has been even worse than the Majority’s failure to provide adequate assistance to our small business owners, has been their unwillingness to stand up to the governor’s active attempts to encumber their success.

Even as he remained embroiled in scandal and under investigation at multiple levels of government, they refused to meaningfully curtail his emergency authority or rescind any of the restrictions he placed on small businesses, even as available scientific data demonstrated that they were unnecessary.

Despite all of the questions surrounding his conduct, and especially his handling of nursing homes during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor held a grip on power as firm as ever as we left Albany after session. Even as the Assembly itself has conducted an investigation throughout the last several months into his multiple potential wrongdoings, we still have nothing to show for it.

While this year was largely disappointing, legislatively speaking, there was at least one bright spot within it that I feel we should all be proud of. After fighting to make it happen for years and having my proposals to do so shot down in committee, I was proud to see a bill passed (A.7865) that will provide free tuition to members of Gold Star families.

While I wish we were able to pass this bill even earlier to begin helping Gold Star families as soon as possible, President Reagan said it best, “There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.”

So I am simply relieved to see this idea become law one way or another. It is indeed heartening that on at least one issue we were able to come together and do the right thing, so I am hopeful that next year we can build upon that success bearing in mind who we really need to be helping here in New York State.

A statement from Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

"This legislative session we passed the most bloated budget in our history, eviscerated Second Amendment rights, raised taxes and failed to gain any new information about the highly questionable actions of our governor.

"The Majority gave over double what they did to small businesses to illegal immigrants, and stood silent as those small businesses were forced to close their doors because of the governor’s nonsensical restrictions, which they did not work to rescind.

"A focus on passing progressive, activist legislation has left the kitchen-table concerns of working families unaddressed, while pleasing only a small vocal minority of radicals that drown out the voices of everyday people. I only hope soon the Majority will realize the consequences of ignoring those voices."

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is outraged following the passage of a series of bills that would restrict the Second Amendment rights of New Yorkers, all of which he voted against.

They would drive gun sellers and manufacturers out of the state through burdensome regulation. One of the bills passed would make firearms manufacturers and dealers liable for harm caused by their weapon even if that harm is not reasonably foreseeable, if deemed a “public nuisance” (A.6762B).

“These bills won’t make anyone safer, and are nothing but shallow attempts to regulate sellers of firearms out of the state and make it impossible to sell handguns here in New York,” Hawley said.

“These measures are unconscionable violations of the constitutional rights of New Yorkers, and are just another step toward making it impractical, if not illegal, to buy and sell firearms in New York State.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley announces the passage of Assembly Bill A.6021, which designates State Route 77 between Pembroke Town Park and the intersection of Indian Falls Road in the Town of Pembroke as the “SP4 C. Jay Hall Memorial Highway.”  

Specialist Four Clarence "C. Jay" Hall served as a rifleman in the Army in Binh Duong, Vietnam. On Oct. 7, 1969, Specialist Hall exposed himself to hostile fire so his comrades were able to obtain cover with a complete disregard for his personal safety. During this action, he was mortally wounded.

Specialist Hall earned the NYS Conspicuous Service Cross, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with One Bronze Star, Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, Combat Infantryman Badge and the Silver Star, which is the nation's third highest award for valor.

“The actions of Specialist Four Clarence ‘C. Jay’ Hall should be remembered and honored for all of time, so I am proud to have passed this law forever enshrining his legacy within our Western New York community,” Hawley said. “The selfless service of our nation’s heroes must never be forgotten.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is being joined by his colleagues in the Assembly and Senate Minority Conferences in demanding the termination of the state disaster emergency declared by Executive Order 202 before the end of the 2020-2021 legislative session, which is scheduled to finish this Thursday.

As of June 2, New York State’s seven-day average coronavirus positivity rate was the lowest in the nation at 0.64 percent, and hospitalizations dropped to under 1,000 for the first time since October 2020. Within Hawley’s district numbers are similarly low, with a seven-day positivity rate of 1 percent in the Finger Lakes Region.

“In the wake of the decision by our state Department of Health and the CDC to largely let life get back to normal, we should follow the data and restore state government back to normal with all of the checks guaranteed by our constitution,” Hawley said.

“Declarations of emergency should be decisions based on public health, not political expediency, and if the governor and the Majority also believe this, they should immediately terminate this state of emergency. If this legislative session ends with this declaration still in place, it will only be to secure the governor’s power, not for anybody’s well-being.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is joining his colleagues in the Assembly Minority in calling for the passage of a legislative package known as the “Restore Order” initiative, which would restore elements of judicial discretion eliminated by the “bail reform” law passed in 2019 by the Assembly Majority (A.5265).

The package would also increase the penalties for particularly hateful and violent crimes, such as shooting into a crowd (A.4259), among other measures. 

These bills were drafted in response to a widespread spike in violent crime that has persisted for months throughout the state, which Hawley and others attribute to limitations placed on the ability of local judges to exercise their judicial discretion by previously passed “bail reform” laws.

“We elect our judges for a reason, and it’s because they know us and they know the communities we live in,” Hawley said. “Bail reform has restricted judges from making decisions they know are most sensible for both the defendants before them and the collective well-being of the people and families that live in the surrounding area.

"The consequences of this law have been fatal for far too many New Yorkers who have senselessly lost their lives to increased acts of violence in our towns and cities. The bloodshed in our streets has gone on far too long, and it’s time we recognize bail reform as the dangerous failed experiment it really is.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley, a member of the Assembly Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, is sounding off about a directive from Governor Andrew Cuomo through the Office of Government Services.

It would split half-staff flag dedications on Memorial Day weekend between essential workers who passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic and fallen veterans, as flags would be lowered to half-staff Sunday for essential workers, and Monday for veterans. 

A veteran himself, Hawley feels that while those who passed during the COVID-19 should be honored and remembered, it is incredibly disrespectful to service members who have passed and their families to diminish their remembrance in this way. 

“Honoring one group of people should never come at the cost of diminishing the honor of another, especially when we’re talking about people that fought and died so that we can live free and peaceful lives,” Hawley said.

“This directive, by the governor, was issued in incredibly poor taste, and is an insult to all of the New Yorkers who made the ultimate sacrifice for the liberty of our countrymen and people throughout the globe.

"To say this slighting of our nation’s fallen heroes is a disgrace would be an understatement, and I implore the governor to see that this directive is reversed immediately.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is joining his colleagues in the Assembly Minority calling for the passage of a bill (A.7107) that would prohibit statewide elected officials from profiting on published works while serving in their position.

This legislative push follows news that Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be earning more than $5 million on a book deal for a memoir he wrote during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when over 15,000 seniors passed away in nursing homes under his administration’s watch.

“To think that the governor and his staff would be concerned with writing a self-promotional memoir while working at the same time to hide information about the tragedy happening in our nursing homes is incredibly disconcerting,” Hawley said.

“It’s also an example of why we need laws like this to ensure our public officials are putting their service to the public before their own personal gain.”

Press release:

Today, Senator Ed Rath called on the Department of Budget (DOB) to release critical funding grants for emergency services. Senator Rath was joined by Assemblyman Steve Hawley, Genesee County Legislature Chair Rochelle Stein, Undersheriff Brad Mazur, Genesee County Director of Emergency Communications Steven Sharpe, members of the Genesee County Legislature and members of the 911 Advisory Board.

“The delay in the release of this funding for our communities is extremely damaging," Senator Rath said. "As ranking member on the Senate Local Government’s Committee, I know the extreme duress many of our counties are under as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the State to be delaying the release of this funding, with no end in sight, is completely unacceptable.

"We need to be working with our counties and local governments, not adding unnecessary burdens. Unfortunately, this seems to be all too typical for our State. I am calling on the Department of Budget to release these grants (2020-21) and inform our counties when they will be able to apply for the current fiscal year’s grants (2021-22)."

Assemblyman Hawley said: "Our heroes of healthcare have been working dutifully throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure emergency services were not overwhelmed or interrupted during the highly contested time. To see that our 9-1-1 services are now under threat of being underfunded is unacceptable, and the State needs to take immediate action to ensure that our emergency telecommunications are not stifled."

"County governments must work alongside the State to ensure the funding needs are met for these important emergency services," said Genesee County Legislator Gregg Torrey, Human Services chair. “I want to thank Senator Rath and Assemblyman Hawley for fighting to secure our fair share of critical 9-1-1 funding which is needed to support our County Public Safety operations."

Genesee County Legislator Gary Maha, Public Service chair, said: "We have been fighting this battle for years through the New York State Sheriffs’ Association, the New York State 911 Coordinators Association and the New York State Association of Counties. It is time the Governor stops using these funds for other purposes than 9-1-1 services."

"The delay in releasing already collected 9-1-1 surcharge revenue money could cost Genesee County over $500k in the 2021 budget," said L. Matthew Landers, Genesee County manager, budget officer. "While we have long been advocating that a greater share of the collected surcharge go to the intended recipients, namely emergency communications operations such as the Genesee County Dispatch Center, this recent delay in funding is unexplainable and undermines emergency communications operations across the State."

Emergency Communications Director Sharpe, of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, and NYS 911 Coordinators Legislative Committee chair, said: “Over the past year, our first responder community needed to address the pandemic while continuing to provide emergency services to the public.

"Our friends at the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Office of Interoperable and Emergency Communications (DHSES/OIEC) have been excellent partners by assisting local communities setting up communications for testing sites, emergency clinics, and now mass vaccination sites. DHSES/OIEC also hosted teleconferences for local and county partners to discuss best practices during the pandemic.

"Unfortunately, the State of New York has not honored their commitments regarding grant funding. Counties provide a majority of public safety answering point (9-1-1 center) services throughout the State and also administer a majority of public safety communications systems. During this pandemic, the State has inexplicably halted and delayed grant funding despite the funding stream for those grants increasing during the pandemic. 

"We are asking our partners at the State to honor their words, obey the laws of the State of New York, execute the law in a timely manner, and release the grant funding that is now above a year overdue."

The State has yet to release the 2020-21 grant funding or the application information for 2021-22.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is putting pressure on Gov. Cuomo to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) example and lift all mask mandates for those who have completed their COVID-19 vaccinations.

A proponent against the one-size-fits-all solution to New York’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Hawley sees no reason why the entire state should continue to follow the draconian enforcement of capacity restrictions and mask wearing if the federal government is ready to move on. 

“Western New York is ready to move on from the pandemic, and we’re grateful for the recognition of personal responsibility the CDC is returning to the people,” Hawley said.

“It’s been a long time coming, as the governor’s continued restrictions are seemingly less and less about science and safety and more about continued state control over every aspect of our lives. The people of New York are reliable, smart and trustworthy, and the governor must absolutely follow the example of the CDC.”

Hawley said he staunchly believes in leaving the responsibility and decision making to the localities.

“I’ve said from the start that part of the mismanagement of the fight against COVID is the fact that the state oversaw it all without partnering with local governments. These local institutions know the needs and capabilities of their areas better than the state, and they’ll be able to legislate accordingly moving forward.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley and Assemblyman David DiPietro will be hosting a free electronic waste recycling event with Sunnking on Saturday, May 15, at the parking lot of 5130 E. Main St. (Department of Social Services parking lot) next to National Grid, in the Town of Batavia. Time is 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Any e-waste including cell phones, computers, monitors, printers, and more will be accepted for recycling at this event, though preregistration online is required by FRIDAY MAY 14 AT 4 P.M.

Those interested in attending this event can preregister using this link: https://www.sunnking.com/events/batavia-05-15-21.

“Electronic waste is some of the hardest and most expensive to dispose of,” Hawley said. “This event will provide residents from throughout the area with a convenient and economical way to dispose of their electronic waste, giving people the opportunity to do some spring cleaning, while also preventing their old gadgets from becoming pollutants.”

Cars should enter off Ag Park Drive West.