Now, the county legislature must add referendum to the November ballot
Larchmont, NY — Of the many reasons to head to Long Island at the start of Memorial Day Weekend, Governor Kathy Hochul picked a good one. She was in Babylon on Thursday morning to sign the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act into law.
The bill passed unanimously the New York State Assembly in April, then passed the state Senate last week, 57-1. On Wednesday, it was delivered to the Governor, who heard from legislators, environmental leaders, and concerned citizens how imperative it was that she sign the bill promptly. Now that it’s law, the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act empowers the county legislature to add a referendum to the November ballot. A meeting of the county legislature on June 4 will be the next step in the process.
David Ansel, Vice President of Water Protection, Save the Sound: “We are thrilled that Governor Hochul made signing the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act such a priority, and appreciate that she came to Long Island to showcase the importance of this legislation. We appreciate the leadership and commitment of Assemblyman Fred Thiele and Senator Monica Martinez, who sponsored the bill in their respective chambers, as well as the overwhelming bipartisan support of the New York State Legislature.
“Now, we look forward to the Suffolk County Legislature taking the necessary next steps to ensure the Suffolk County Water Quality Restoration Act is added to the November ballot, giving county voters a voice in their clean water future. So much work remains to be done to protect Long Island Sound, its rivers and streams, and Suffolk County’s groundwater from the degrading effects of nitrogen pollution. But for the first time in decades, we are making progress toward addressing this longstanding problem in a meaningful way.”