Election 2014

Irwin seeks to unseat entrenched Hannon

Posted

Control of the New York State Senate is up for grabs this year, and the results in one or two races could make a difference. Kemp Hannon, the long-time senator in the 6th District, which spans from Garden City to Farmingdale, says Republican control is key to protecting Long Island’s interests.

His challenger this year is Democrat Ethan Irwin, of Levittown, who says it is time for a change in the district. Irwin, who ran for a seat on the Nassau County Legislature in 2011, is an attorney, community activist, volunteer emergency medical technician and served in the Marines.

“New York needs fresh ideas,” he said. “We need a new vision for the 21st century.” Irwin added that the state Senate is in need of people who can look 20 years down the road, a perspective he said he would bring to the table.

Irwin said he would fight to use New York’s $2 billion surplus, in addition to the billions expected to come in from bank settlements, to provide more financial aid to schools and reduce property taxes on homeowners. Limiting increases through the tax cap, he said, isn’t enough. He is concerned that young people are leaving Long Island because they cannot afford it, and many seniors are also being forced out by high taxes.

Hannon, of Garden City, has served in the Senate since 1989 and prior to that was an assemblyman. He is chairman of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Health. It is in this area when Hannon cites some of his greatest accomplishments.

“I’ve probably had the most productive term I’ve ever had,” he said, referring to a series of health bills passed in the past two years, including protecting consumers against surprise medical bills and tougher controls on prescription medications.

In response to the pain killer epidemic, Hannon fought for the passage of a bill that creates an Internet database to track prescriptions for every patient. The heroin epidemic led him to push for greater access to a drug overdose antidote. He has also worked to set up a Lyme disease task force.

Irwin said that Hannon focuses on health care and little else. Hannon responded that health care is about half of the state’s budget, but he is also is concerned about other issues including jobs, the economy and education.

Page 1 / 3