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Live, local conversations focused on arts, history, and current news.
So obviously, advocating for the important issues like access to health care, reimbursement rates, raising reimbursement rates, making sure to take care of Medicaid dollars, our schools, our school funding, working on issues that would impact housing and housing starts, especially in our region, any anything we can do, to make sure that people in my district have access to quality affordable housing. There are budgetary items that would include down payment grants, but I also believe that we need to do more. We need to incentivize the construction of housing in locations where we know we have the infrastructure to support it. A couple other things that are very important to me is the CHIP funding for local roads. I wanna see more than was initially put in.
Paula Kay:It's our local roads are critical to everybody who lives here, and we need to support our towns and villages to make sure that we continue to get that money. Leaving it flat as in in the executive budget doesn't help in a year where costs are rising, and we know that. You had also mentioned things I would not support. So in the budget, there is a proposal to close-up to five prisons. And when it's done in the budget process, just like last year, that means it's a ninety day closure.
Paula Kay:And I do not support any final budget that contains closure of prison prisons in this manner.
Patricio Robayo:And talking about prisons, last time I spoke to you, you were going to look into what were some of the chemicals that were going into the word burn correctional facility that was making not only the those who are incarcerated sick, but also the staff. Has there been any updates on that?
Paula Kay:So we still according to the department of corrections, they don't know exactly what those chemicals are. They have been doing testing. I can tell you I know what the reaction to those chemicals are, and the reaction is life threatening, and it's happening really on a weekly basis. And sometimes we have several exposures in one day. It can be the incarcerated.
Paula Kay:It can and also staff. One exposure is too many, and I've been promised by the Department of Corrections that they are implementing a new system with regard to mail and packages that will really make a difference. And I've also been promised that will happen in a matter of weeks, not months. And, again, every day that goes by is a potential for another serious harm to people within that building. So I'm watching that.
Patricio Robayo:Now as far as what's happening federally, how has the budget shifted now that some things are being frozen on the federal level?
Paula Kay:So we're waiting we are waiting to hear. There are two schools of thought. One is that we will continue on the current path and then potentially have to come back into session once the federal dollars are completely determined later in the year, and that we'll come back and adjust. And I suppose the other school is that we'll address it now. I'm waiting I am waiting to find out from my conference.
Patricio Robayo:Thank you so much for doing this, Paula. Again, I do really appreciate it.
Paula Kay:You are welcome, Patricio.