Steck and Madden Clash in 110th Convention Debate | News

Rep. Phil Steck, D-Colonie, is trying to keep his seat in the race against Colonie Town board member and local businessman Jeff Madden, a Republican who has used his time on the debate stage to challenge Democrats’ recent opposition in Albany to criticize policies pushed for years that he says have hindered local governments and negatively impacted taxpayers.

“Serving on the [Colonie] City government has allowed me to see up close the challenges facing our community: rising costs, schools struggling to serve our children, and systems that simply aren’t working,” Madden said in his opening statement . I have worked hard to make a difference, but I see the burdens Albany is placing on local government. That’s why I’m running for Assembly.”

The debate in SUNY Schenectady’s Carl B. Taylor Auditorium was sponsored by the college and The Daily Gazette. Editor Miles Reed moderated while two panelists — Gazette political reporter Tyler A. McNeil and WGY morning anchor Doug Goudie — challenged the candidates on topics such as the state’s climate goals, bail reform and the influx of migrants arriving in communities in the to be brought to the hinterland, advised.

Steck, who has represented the district that includes part of suburban Albany County and part of Schenectady since 2013, touted his work in the Assembly while portraying Madden as an inexperienced lawmaker and linking him to the politics surrounding the Former President Donald Trump is seeking another term in the Oval Office in this year’s presidential election.

“I think it’s important to do the job you were chosen to do before you say you’re going to fix the entire state of New York,” Steck said.

State lawmakers criticized Madden’s stance on climate change. Steck argued that laws passed by the state legislature in 2019 set out greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals that were merely “aspirational,” noting that lawmakers have taken “incremental steps” toward achieving a greener environment.

“Climate change is real,” Steck said. “We’re trying our best to do something about it without overwhelming the public.”

Madden criticized the state’s climate goals, noting that measures like those aimed at electrifying all school buses in the state and moving away from fossil fuels will ultimately burden taxpayers and have little impact on addressing the climate crisis. New York is responsible for only a fraction of global emissions, while the United States has the cleanest environment in the world.

“We are not going to make any changes to the world’s environment,” Madden said. “Everyone wants clean air and clean water, but we don’t want the country to go bankrupt for it.”

Madden also criticized Steck’s interest in other overtures, which in recent years have included weighing a possible run for state Senate and, more recently, a run for Albany County district attorney. Steck ultimately dropped out of both contests after failing to gain party support.

Steck said he is committed to serving the people of the 110th District.

“If someone tells you they no longer want to be your representative in the Assembly, you may want to listen to them,” Madden said.

Madden also criticized the state’s plan to spend $4 billion to support asylum seekers brought into the state in the past two years, including funding for housing, legal services and health care.

“You’re not entitled to anything,” he said. “By definition they are illegal migrants and not legal migrants unless they came through a port of entry. If they came by other means, they are illegal migrants.”

Steck did not directly address government spending, but instead pointed to the country’s immigration policy that allows those entering the country to apply for asylum, noting that the policy has been in place since the Reagan administration. He also criticized Trump for allegedly thwarting a plan to overhaul the country’s immigration process negotiated by President Joe Biden and leaders in Congress, including Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“The people I was talking about were given refugee status and are not the people who sneaked into the country as illegal immigrants,” Steck said. “Two different things.”

The candidates also clashed over changes to the state’s bail system that eliminated bail for most nonviolent crimes in 2019. Steck voted against the changes at the time, but voted for a law that expanded which crimes are eligible for bail.

Madden said he would “immediately repeal bail reform” and criticized Steck for voting for changes to the law in 2020. He said the changes allowed recidivism and prevented the legal system from providing services to those in need.

“There are a lot of ways to look at it, but when it comes to bail reform, none of them are good,” Madden said.

But Steck said repealing the law was unrealistic and said he voted for the changes because he thought it was better to improve the law than do nothing.

“The second time I voted to improve the law, I felt that way because I knew that the repeal that Mr. Madden is calling for is completely unrealistic,” Steck said. “It was much better to achieve things, to improve the law, [rather] Then don’t get involved and stomp your feet and say no.”

Over the course of the hour-long event, there were moments of unity between both parties.

Both candidates were critical of the state’s rollout of legal cannabis and said they would do what they can to support residents of Niskayuna, where some residents have called for an audit after facing higher water bills this year were. Both candidates agreed that the New York Yankees would win the World Series title in six games against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The series began on Friday evening.

But during the lighting round — in which panelists asked quick questions that candidates could answer in one sentence — stark differences also emerged.

Madden said he supports expanding the number of charter schools and supports fracking, a process of extracting oil and natural gas using pressurized fluid from underground rock formations that has been banned in New York since 2015.

Steck said he opposes the creation of additional charter schools, which he said would harm public schools and fracking because of its impact on communities.

When asked about her favorite New York politician, Madden said former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Steck nominated Franklin Delano Roosevelt as president.

Early voting in New York begins Saturday and runs through Sunday, November 3rd. Election day is Tuesday, November 5th.

Photos, Video: Assemblymember Steck and Jeff Madden debate in the 110th

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