As a state and as a nation, we are racing a growing and unprecedented gun-violence and mental-health crisis that has completely shaken our most basic sense of security. The horrific events that have taken place recently, especially the mass shootings in New York City, Buffalo, and Texas, have devastated communities and forced us to pause as we engage in once-taken-for-granted activities like dropping off our children at school or going shopping to feed our families. We must fix this crisis now.

Mass shootings like the ones we have seen in recent weeks are, in part, a symptom of inadequate mental-health care. Anyone who so casually devalues life and has built up the hatred necessary to commit such heinous acts clearly needed help that they obviously did not receive. This must be addressed.

 The lack of available mental-health services is both a funding and human-resources issue. Before we can properly fund and fill those shortfalls, we must be able to identify and pinpoint them. It’s going to take a comprehensive effort by elected officials, public-safety officers, and local governments to identify gaps in these services and develop a sustainable plan to bolster their availability across New York state. With that information, we can work toward concrete solutions.

There are also ways to protect our students and keep our communities safer through immediate legislative action. To that end, the Assembly Minority Conference previously proposed an emergency Temporary Commission on School Safety and Security. The tragic events we see unfolding before us on a seemingly regular basis certainly necessitate such a commission. We said then, this “needs to take place sooner, rather than later,” and unfortunately, later is now.

As envisioned, the bipartisan group would work toward establishing uniform standards for all state schools and have representation from the executive, legislature, Office of Court Administration, Division of Criminal Justice Services, State Sheriffs’ Association, local police benevolent associations, NYSUT, the United Federation of Teachers, and New York State School Boards Association. This type of collaborative effort would allow stakeholders in each segment of public safety and education to develop a comprehensive, replicable plan.

While in the aftermath of tragedy, there will be a rush to create new laws, regulations, and requirements in response. And effective, common-sense ideas should be considered. But there should be an equal priority placed on enforcing the laws that currently exist. On issues of public safety we see too many laws ignored or disregarded. We have tools that have gone unused. For example, Assembly Republicans have called on Gov. Hochul and state leaders to immediately hold a meeting of the state Domestic Terrorism Task Force, which despite being established in 2020, has not yet met nor issued any recommendations or reports. In a recent letter to the governor, I urged the task force to hold its overdue first meeting and begin its work. Now, more than ever, we need a plan in place to protect ourselves.

 Additionally, we must continue to support our law-enforcement community and provide them with the resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. In New York, we are blessed with one of the bravest and most dedicated law-enforcement communities in the world. The Buffalo Police Department, for example, was reportedly on the scene of the supermarket shooting earlier this month in less than two minutes. These officers — especially Aaron Salter, a retired Buffalo police officer who was killed after he confronted the gunman — are heroes, and they are our greatest defense against the evil individuals who threaten our families. We must continue to give them the same support and dedication they provide us.

We are, again, a nation in mourning. While there is no shortage of debate about what measures will be put in place and how to eradicate the horrors of domestic terrorism, we can all agree something tangible, effective and immediate needs to be done. This problem is not going to go away on its own, and I am calling on my fellow lawmakers and all government officials to come together, get to work and fix this — whatever it takes.        

William (Will) A. Barclay, 53, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses most of Oswego County, including the cities of Oswego and Fulton, as well as the town of Lysander in Onondaga County and town of Ellisburg in Jefferson County. 

A recent column in the New York Times argued that American voters “haven’t been worried like this in a long time” and that their fears could have a big influence in the 2022 elections. It’s certainly true that voters have a lot to be concerned about — and that our fears and worries affect how we vote. 

For elected officials, the question is, what should they do about it? If they neglect Americans’ deeply felt concerns, they’re likely to pay for it at the polls. They need to take these worries at face value and show they will work to address them. 

What are voters concerned about? The economy is always a focus, as it should be. Voters always care about maintaining a decent standard of living. When Bill Clinton ran for president in 1992, a strategist posted a sign at campaign headquarters that read, “The economy, stupid.” It was a reminder to stay focused on what mattered to voters. 

Back then, the nation was in a recession. Today, the concern is inflation, which is the highest it’s been in 40 years. The economy may be growing, but that’s an abstraction to most people. Inflation is personal: We feel it when we buy groceries or fill up the gas tank. Just two years after COVID-19 largely shut down American commerce, confidence in the economy remains shaky. 

Government spending is another concern. A recent poll found that 80 percent of Americans favor a balanced budget. That’s a challenge, of course; there are many worthy causes for spending public money, but no one wants to raise taxes to pay for them. But we spend hundreds of billions of dollars for interest on the national debt, which crowds out spending for worthwhile programs. Deficits matter and need to be managed. 

Another important concern is security. Violent crime rates are much lower than they were 30 years ago, but they have been rising in some cities, and people worry about their safety. Concern for security ties in with immigration. If Americans think we have open borders, it can create a sense of disorder and lawlessness. Government should help people feel safe and secure. Voters expect as much. 

A third focus is education. The political party that is seen as doing a better job on education gets a leg up at election time. Education in the U.S. is primarily a state and local concern, but national leaders can do their part to support it. In the long run, education is tied to the economy. States and regions with strong education experience more robust economic growth. 

Cultural issues, including abortion, religion, and others, sometimes become prominent, as we saw with the leak of a draft Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. I don’t think these issues rise to the same level as the economy and security for influencing elections, but they are foremost to some highly motivated voters. 

Foreign policy is not usually as important in elections as domestic policy, but it can be pivotal. Russia’s war in Ukraine has vaulted forward in public attention in a short time. Polls show that most Americans approve of the government’s response to the invasion, but many worry about a widening war involving nuclear-armed Russia. A recent poll found that Americans are almost as fearful of nuclear weapons as they are of inflation. 

All these concerns will be in play in this year’s elections, which will determine control of the House and Senate and set the course for Joe Biden’s presidency. We might argue that voters’ concerns are exaggerated: that the economy is solid, inflation is transitory, crime rates are low, and immigration is good for America. But fear and worry are powerful emotions. Politicians ignore them at their peril.        

Lee Hamilton, 91, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at 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.