Senator James Skoufis (D-Orange County) was sworn in for a third term on Wednesday, the first in his newly-drawn 42nd district, comprising nearly all of Orange County. Skoufis will continue in his role as Chair of the Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee, the body charged with proactively investigating and exposing waste, fraud, and abuse; and working to exercise effective oversight over state government.
Skoufis enters the new year with an impressive legislative record under his belt: he passed the most legislation of any of his colleagues in 2022 – 70 bills in total, including 42 bills passed in both chambers and a total of 35 bills signed into law. He maintains a fiercely independent voting record among his Senate majority colleagues, including strong opposition to new taxes.
In 2023, Skoufis will work to advance legislation that curbs corporate welfare and drives reform of industrial development agencies, holds environmental bad actors to account, continues implementing universal pre-k in Orange County and empowers first responders and their families. He plans to host his annual roundtables with local police, fire and ambulance departments, veterans and Orange County farmers to maintain a direct line of communication with these key constituencies.
“As my team and I turn the page on a busy 2022, we’re raring to go on behalf of our new and longtime constituents,” said Skoufis. “Though our district lines have changed, our work ethic has not: we’ll fight tirelessly to ensure our Orange County neighbors are heard and supported, while representing their needs and priorities each day in Albany.”
Skoufis picks up over 150,000 new constituents in the new Senate District 42 who were previously represented by Senator Mike Martucci. With the change in lines, Skoufis will need to vacate both his Newburgh and North Rockland offices for a new space within the district. An office opening will be announced shortly.
In 2022, his office fielded 1,289 constituent cases, ranging from unemployment to utility disputes to assistance with licensure and beyond.