As legislators, we are charged with developing legislation to improve public safety, the economy, and the quality of life here in New York state. Unfortunately, over the last six months, not much of the legislation that passed moved the needle on any of these fundamental considerations.

 New York state is one of the least affordable places to live in the U.S., and the work we did during [the budget and legislative process] was often ineffectual. We, again, passed a budget that spends a record amount of taxpayer money — this time $229 billion — but left out of the spending plan was any meaningful tax relief for middle-class families and a plan to curb rampant outmigration thinning the state’s population. 

 Instead of focusing our time and energy on solving the spike in crime plaguing our communities and making the state more inviting for businesses and job creators, we instead passed legislation like “Clean Slate” — making it easier to hide violent crime from landlords and employers along with a bevy of other measures making it easier to be a criminal and prisoner in New York.

 Additionally, next to nothing was done to prepare communities around the state for the massive influx of migrants being sent here from the southern border. The lack of planning and communication between New York City officials and their upstate counterparts has been astonishing, and even as lawmakers returned to Albany for two additional days of voting, there is still no roadmap for this crisis going forward.

 It is telling how poorly a legislative session went when its best attributes are what was left out. As such, I am proud of members of the Assembly Minority Conference for working to help defeat Gov. Hochul’s ill-advised housing plan, which would have bypassed the local laws and placed an enormous undue burden on municipalities around the state. We will continue to advocate protecting the interests of municipalities around the state as they are the backbone of our communities.

 There is no doubt the legislature, as a whole, could have done better by New Yorkers. The partisan agenda of one-party rule failed to include measures on inflation relief, safety in our schools, support for law enforcement, or reducing the everyday cost of living. But our Assembly Minority Conference is undeterred and will continue to fight for a stronger, more resilient economy, a more friendly tax and business climate, and a safer New York.                                        

William (Will) A. Barclay, 54, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses all of Oswego County, as well as parts of Jefferson and Cayuga counties.

I wrote recently about international Leaders, world-changing figures Like Nelson Mandela and Mikhail Gorbachev. Today, I want to give credit to women and men I worked with in the U.S. Congress. Some are well-known and some aren’t, but all served their constituents energetically.

Some were Democrats and some were Republicans. Some were conservative, some liberal. They had different styles and skill sets. With all their diversity, they were talented individuals. They showed that there are many roads to governing effectively.

Wilbur Mills, a lawyer from Arkansas and a long-time chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, was the House’s leading expert on taxes. Whenever he would step forward to speak about the tax code — to explain it, to defend it, to respond to criticism — members would listen carefully.

Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina was a staunch opponent of civil-rights legislation who switched from the Democratic to the Republican party over the issue. My personal relationship with him was good, however. Once, after a meeting, he walked over and congratulated me on a statement I had made. That was typical. He had strong opinions but worked easily and effectively in an environment where people disagreed.

Edith Green, a former schoolteacher from Oregon, was a master of education legislation and a champion of women’s rights. She chaired House hearings that led to Title IX, the law that bans sex discrimination in education.

Lindy Boggs of Louisiana enjoyed admiration in the House. When Congress passed credit reform early in her tenure, she added a ban on discrimination by sex or marital status. She succeeded her husband, Hale Boggs, who died on a flight in Alaska. He had been majority leader and was among the best I ever saw at speaking extemporaneously. He could persuasively debate almost any issue.

Sens. Jacob Javits of New York and Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota (the 1968 Democratic candidate for president), were famous for their legislative acumen. They debated smoothly, shifted from topic to topic, and moved between conference committees to put the pieces together.

Mike Mansfield of Montana had a hardscrabble childhood but became a successful politician and the longest-serving majority leader of the Senate. He was among the most popular men in the Senate. He was gracious and always insisted on fairness.

Tom Morgan, a physician from Pennsylvania, championed bipartisanship. As chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he was always in control of the agenda and completely unflappable, even when provoked by fellow Democrat Ron Dellums of California. Dellums was elected as an activist and a rhetorical flame-thrower, but over time he learned the system and made it work to get things done.

Across the aisle, Republican John Rhodes represented Arizona in the House and served as minority leader. He was courteous, always well prepared, slow to anger, and respected by members. He represented the best of the House in his conduct and actions.

Charlie Halleck, a Republican from my home state of Indiana, was both majority and minority leader during his 34 years in the House. A dedicated conservative who nevertheless supported civil-rights legislation, he was skilled at using the rules to advance legislation.

Of course, there was Democrat John McCormack of Massachusetts, the House speaker when I arrived. He was known for the phrase, “I hold the distinguished gentleman in minimum high regard.” He would say it often, including to me. In a kinder, gentler era, it was his way of gently rebuking colleagues.

I’ve described a Congress where members held strongly conflicting views but cooperated to get things done. Is that possible today? It’s hard for me to judge from a distance, but politicians are still politicians. Most run for office to accomplish certain goals, and the only way to do that is to work together.        

Lee Hamilton, 92, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south-central Indiana.