By Scott Brinton
When asked why he deserves a fifth term, Fuschillo points to his proven ability to pass hard-fought bills into law, and says he has bucked his own party at times to do so. In his most recent term, Fuschillo has worked on identity-theft and drunk-driving legislation. The senator says that a measure he sponsored, the Information Security Breach and Notification Act, requires businesses and government agencies that collect personal information to inform people immediately when their computer systems are hacked and information is stolen.
Fuschillo also passed legislation that allows people to place credit freezes on their accounts in the event that an identity thief is defrauding them.
The senator authored the bill that redefined the definition of driving while intoxicated, lowering the prosecutable blood alcohol content level from .10 to .08 percent. He has also worked on legislation that would require mandatory jail time for repeat DWI offenders, and those with BACs of .18 or higher. As a condition of their probation, the guilty would be required to pass Breathalyzer tests using ignition interlock systems each time they drove their cars.
Of the identity theft and DWI legislation, Small said, "These are non-controversial issues. ... The general consensus is that this is a good thing."
Both candidates spoke of the need for more affordable housing on Long Island. Fuschillo said the Senate recently appropriated $25 million to help first-time home buyers secure down payments on their houses. The program requires an employer match. For every dollar the employer gives, the state offers three. The minimum an employer must give is $3,000. With that amount, the state would kick in $9,000, for a total of $12,000. Hofstra University, Fuschillo said, recently pledged $100,000 for its employees.
³It sounds good,² Small said of the program, ³but when you scratch the surface of this program, it's not what it's cracked up to be.² He noted that people must convince their employers to kick in at least $3,000, which many would be unwilling or unable to do. Smith also said the program applies only to houses that fall in the bottom half of the housing market -- that is, whose values are below the median home price in a particular county. "The intention is good, but the restrictions are too onerous," Small said. He wants to see the employer contribution lowered, and he would make the money available for any home, no matter its price.
On education, Small said he would like to see reduced class sizes. ³Children do better when there¹s a smaller student-to-teacher ratio,² he said. Small also wants to see the State University of New York and the City University of New York ³beef up² their teacher training programs so that more state residents would be encouraged to enter the education field.
Fuschillo said that he has voted for record levels of state aid for the schools. He also noted that the state now offers parents a $330-per-child education tax credit on their state income taxes.
The senator said the state government is looking at ways to streamline its operations and ferret out waste, fraud and abuse, which could make much more money available for schools. As an example, Fuschillo said, the Legislature created the position of Medicaid inspector general, whose job it will be to detect fraud in the system and recover funds whenever possible. Medicaid abuse, Fuschillo noted, totals $2 billion to $6 billion annually.
Fuschillo worked to enact a statewide ban on the potentially dangerous dietary supplement Ephedra. Early in his tenure, he authored the state¹s Do Not Call Registry law, which prohibits telemarketers from calling homeowners who have registered their names and phone numbers with the state. And the senator authored the state law prohibiting smoking in bars and other public places.
Fuschillo is chairman of the Senate Consumer Protection Committee and a member of seven other committees, including Education, Health and Labor.
Before he was elected to the Senate, Fuschillo was the chief operating officer of a private, not-for-profit family service agency, where he managed more than 400 employees and 40 human-service programs throughout Long Island and New York City. He serves on the boards of directors and is a member of Ascent: A School for Individuals with Autism, the Merrick Kiwanis Club, the Community Wellness Council of the Merricks and Bellmores, Italian Americans in Government and the Order Sons of Italy in America. Fuschillo is married and has three children, and he coaches his daughter¹s soccer team.
Small, a children¹s rights attorney, is a Family Court law guardian, representing children in custody fights when their parents are divorcing. He grew up in Valley Stream and earned his undergraduate degree in earth science and geology from SUNY-Stony Brook. After college, he did environmental consulting before attending law school at SUNY-Buffalo. He has done criminal defense work for the Legal Aid Society of Nassau County as well as the Suffolk County Coalition Against Domestic Violence. He is married and has two young children.
Comments about this story? SBrinton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 203.
