Press Releases

Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) released the following statement after holding a press conference with state legislators, local elected officials, and concerned small business owners and residents to lay out their opposition to Governor Hochul’s radical takeover of local control and tax hike on small businesses.

“I stand here today with my colleagues in state and local government, as well as with small business owners and residents of Hawthorne to express our strong opposition to Governor Hochul’s proposed state takeover of local control and her tax hike for the MTA Region,” said Rep. Lawler. “New York State continues to lead the nation in outmigration and it has nothing to do with the weather. It’s because of proposals like these - a state mandate on housing with limited investment in infrastructure, a takeover of local control of zoning, and a tax increase on small businesses already struggling to get by.”

“Threatening to remove a municipality’s control of local zoning if they don’t meet housing goals while not providing the adequate resources necessary for said municipalities to improve their infrastructure to support the additional population is oxymoronic,” continued Rep. Lawler. “It’s a direct assault on towns like Mount Pleasant, Yorktown, Carmel, Clarkstown, and others all across the 17th District, and we won’t tolerate it.”

“Governor Hochul has to take these local concerns into consideration and reconsider her radical policy,” concluded Rep. Lawler. “Between her state takeover of local control and the ludicrous payroll tax hike which will squeeze, perhaps, billions of additional dollars out of the pockets of hard-working small business owners, it’s no wonder why folks are heading for the exits.”

New York’s 17th District, which includes all or parts of Rockland, Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties, is a suburban district located just north of New York City.