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Tag: Dean Murray

  • Patchogue Fire District Receives $500,000 State Grant for New Fire Boat

    Patchogue Fire District Receives $500,000 State Grant for New Fire Boat

    Photo Credit: Sen. Dean Murray’s Office

    PATCHOGUE, NY — The Patchogue Fire District has received a $500,000 State and Municipal Facilities grant to help fund a new fire boat, giving local firefighters additional resources to respond to emergencies on the Great South Bay and nearby waterways.

    The grant was delivered by New York State Senator Dean Murray, whose office announced the funding this week. State records show the Patchogue Fire District was originally nominated for a $500,000 fire boat grant in 2020 under the State and Municipal Facilities program. 

    Murray said the funding had been delayed for years and described securing the money as a public-safety priority after taking office in January 2023.

    “This is a day worth celebrating. Every day for the last 4 years, I’ve fought to help secure this funding and ensure these dollars were finally delivered to the Patchogue Fire District,” Murray said in the release.

    He added that having appropriate marine-response equipment is especially important in a coastal community where firefighters may be called to fires, rescues and other emergencies on the water.

    According to Murray’s office, the new boat will strengthen the district’s ability to respond on the Great South Bay and surrounding waterways, adding another layer of protection for residents, boaters and visitors.

    The Patchogue Fire District’s current budget also includes a dedicated line for fire boat-related expenses, underscoring the role marine response plays in the district’s operations. 

    Murray credited the Patchogue Fire District’s leadership and volunteers for continuing to pursue the funding and also thanked Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt for assisting with the effort.

    “Our firefighters put themselves in harm’s way every day to keep our community safe,” Murray said. “This investment provides them with another critical tool to do their jobs safely and effectively.”

    The funding does not cover every detail of the boat project on its own, but it provides a substantial state contribution toward the purchase.

  • Suffolk Officials Press Hochul to Expand Sunrise Highway, Cite Traffic and Emergency Response

    Suffolk Officials Press Hochul to Expand Sunrise Highway, Cite Traffic and Emergency Response

    PATCHOGUE, N.Y. — Suffolk County and New York State elected officials gathered alongside labor representatives and first responders Monday to call on Gov. Kathy Hochul and state government to move forward with a major expansion of Sunrise Highway.

    The September 15 press conference focused on a proposal to extend the existing three-lane portion of Sunrise Highway more than 10 miles east to Wading River Road at Exit 59, in both the eastbound and westbound directions.

    State Sen. Dean Murray, Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer Anthony Piccirillo, and Legislators Jim Mazzarella and Dominick Thorne were among the elected officials participating.

    Representatives from South Country Ambulance, the Long Island Contractors’ Association and International Union of Operating Engineers Local 138 also joined the call for action.

    A central message throughout the press conference was that Suffolk County residents send substantial tax revenue to Albany and should see more of that money returned to Long Island through major infrastructure projects.

    “We send a lot of money to the state, and the state therefore should reinvest back into Suffolk County and Long Island,” Romaine said.

    Officials repeatedly directed their appeal toward Hochul, calling on the governor to “do the right thing” for Suffolk taxpayers by advancing the proposed highway expansion.

    Murray said some studies examining traffic conditions in the region have already been conducted and argued that the next step is moving the project further into the state’s transportation planning process.

    He called for steps to be taken to have the proposed expansion included in the state’s five-year transportation capital plan, which would move the effort closer to the planning and funding process necessary for a project of this scale.

    Thorne focused on the public-safety implications of congestion along the corridor.

    He emphasized the need for additional highway capacity to help relieve traffic during emergency situations, when ambulances, fire apparatus and other emergency vehicles can face the same congestion as motorists while attempting to reach people who need assistance.

    The argument presented Monday went beyond reducing commute times.

    Supporters framed the expansion as an infrastructure, economic and public-safety issue for a portion of Suffolk County that has experienced significant transportation demands while continuing to depend heavily on Sunrise Highway as a primary east-west corridor.

    The proposed expansion would carry the highway’s three-lane configuration eastward for more than 10 additional miles until Wading River Road, providing additional capacity through a heavily traveled section of Brookhaven Town.

    Monday’s press conference, however, did not represent an announcement that the expansion has been approved or funded.

    Major questions involving state authorization, engineering, environmental review, funding and an eventual construction schedule would still need to be addressed before work could begin.

    For the coalition assembled in Patchogue, the immediate objective was to push the project higher on Albany’s infrastructure agenda.

    Their message to Hochul was consistent: Suffolk County sends significant revenue to New York State, its residents rely on Sunrise Highway for transportation and emergency access, and they believe it is time for the state to reinvest some of those resources into expanding one of Long Island’s most important roadways.

  • Suffolk Officials Call for 10-Mile Expansion of Sunrise Highway to Wading River Road

    Suffolk Officials Call for 10-Mile Expansion of Sunrise Highway to Wading River Road

    PATCHOGUE, N.Y. — A coalition of New York State and Suffolk County elected officials is calling for a major expansion of Sunrise Highway, proposing that its three-lane configuration be extended more than 10 additional miles east to Wading River Road.

    According to a media advisory issued by New York State Senator Dean Murray, officials are holding a press conference in Patchogue to advocate for widening the highway in both the eastbound and westbound directions.

    The proposal would continue the existing three-lane portion of Sunrise Highway for more than 10 miles, reaching Wading River Road at Exit 59.

    Murray is expected to be joined by New York State Assemblyman Joe DeStefano, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer Anthony Piccirillo, and County Legislators Jim Mazzarella and Dominick Thorne.

    Representatives from South Country Ambulance, Long Island Contractors’ Association Executive Director Marc Herbst, and representatives from the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 138 are also scheduled to participate.

    The involvement of elected officials, emergency-service representatives and organized labor gives the proposal a broader focus than simply adding another travel lane. The press conference is expected to make the case for extending the highway’s capacity farther east as officials push for action on one of Suffolk County’s major east-west transportation corridors.

    The proposal is particularly significant for communities in the Brookhaven and greater eastern Suffolk area, where Sunrise Highway serves residents, commuters, commercial traffic and emergency responders traveling across the region.

    The media advisory describes the initiative as a call for the widening of Sunrise Highway. It does not indicate that construction has been approved, funded or scheduled.

    That distinction is important: the officials are advocating for the expansion, but the press conference itself does not constitute state authorization for the project.

    The event is scheduled to take place at the southwest portion of the ShopRite parking lot at 95 Sunrise Highway in Patchogue.

    Additional details about the proposed expansion, including potential costs, engineering requirements, environmental review, funding sources and a possible construction timeline, could emerge as officials publicly present their case.

    For now, the central proposal is clear: extend the three-lane section of Sunrise Highway more than 10 miles eastward in both directions and carry it to Wading River Road at Exit 59.

  • New York State Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano is backing an effort to change New York’s bail laws in cases involving alleged harm to children.

    New York State Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano is backing an effort to change New York’s bail laws in cases involving alleged harm to children.

    The proposal originates in the Senate as S.10679, introduced by State Sen. Dean Murray. DeStefano is backing the Assembly version of the measure, although a separate Assembly bill number has not yet been publicly identified.

    The legislation would make crimes in which a defendant is alleged to have caused physical, psychological or emotional harm to someone under 18 eligible for bail consideration.

    The proposal does not require judges to impose bail. Instead, it would give courts the ability to consider bail in qualifying cases involving children.

    The push follows a case involving 12 William Floyd Middle School students who were hospitalized after consuming THC-infused gummies.

    According to the official announcement supporting the legislation, the defendant prosecuted in connection with that incident was released because the charges were not bail-eligible and later fled Long Island before being apprehended.

    DeStefano said the case demonstrates why judges need greater discretion when children are alleged victims.

    “New York’s laws should never tie a judge’s hands when a child has been physically, psychologically, or emotionally harmed,” DeStefano said. “Senator Murray’s legislation restores common sense discretion to the courts by making these serious crimes bail-eligible while still allowing judges to consider the facts of each individual case.”

    Supporters of the legislation argue that New York’s current bail laws can prevent judges from considering bail even when circumstances involving children raise concerns about public safety or the possibility that a defendant could flee.

    For DeStefano, the proposal is about restoring another tool to judges rather than mandating detention.

    The Senate measure, S.10679, still must move through the legislative process. DeStefano is supporting the corresponding effort in the Assembly, where a separate bill number has not yet been publicly identified.

    New York State Senate Bill S.10679⁠

    It is sponsored by Sen. Dean Murray, was introduced August 14, 2026, and is currently in the Senate Rules Committee. The page includes the full bill text and a PDF download

  • DeStefano Backs New Push to Crack Down on Medicaid Fraud in New York

    DeStefano Backs New Push to Crack Down on Medicaid Fraud in New York

    HAUPPAUGE — New York State Assemblyman Joe DeStefano is backing a new legislative push aimed at tightening Medicaid fraud enforcement, increasing local prosecutorial involvement and creating financial rewards for credible tips that lead to successful cases.

    DeStefano joined Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney, state Sen. Dean Murray, Sen. Anthony Palumbo and Sen. Mario Mattera in Hauppauge to support a two-bill package targeting fraud within New York’s Medicaid system. 

    The first proposal would formally designate the Office of the Medicaid Inspector General, or OMIG, as the statewide clearinghouse for Medicaid fraud tips submitted through the 1-877-87-FRAUD hotline. Credible allegations would then be referred to both the New York Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Unit and the appropriate local district attorney. 

    Under the proposal, authorities would have 30 days after receiving a tip to determine whether an investigation will move forward and which agency will lead it. OMIG would also receive the outcome of completed investigations and issue annual reports showing how many tips were received, referred, investigated and resolved. 

    A second bill would create a Medicaid Fraud Tip Reward Program funded with 1% of money recovered through Medicaid fraud investigations, seizures and forfeitures. People whose documented information directly leads to a guilty plea or criminal conviction could qualify for a financial reward. 

    DeStefano: Fraud Takes Money From People Who Need Care

    DeStefano framed the issue as both a taxpayer concern and a threat to people who rely on Medicaid.

    “Every dollar stolen from that system is a dollar taken away from someone who genuinely needs care.”

    He said the program exists to support seniors, people with disabilities, low-income families and children, while arguing that New York does not have enough oversight to deal with waste, fraud and abuse. 

    The Medford Republican represents New York’s 3rd Assembly District and has previously supported legislation involving Medicaid fraud detection, including a proposal that would reimburse counties for fraud, waste and abuse detection software. 

    Suffolk Officials Want More Local Enforcement

    Tierney argued that local prosecutors need greater access to Medicaid fraud complaints.

    Under the proposed legislation, credible tips would no longer remain solely within the state-level enforcement structure. Local district attorneys with jurisdiction would receive the information and could take part in investigating and prosecuting cases. 

    Tierney said the additional authority could help Suffolk investigators pursue cases that might otherwise fall through the cracks.

    Romaine also backed the package, saying stronger Medicaid fraud enforcement could protect money intended for people who depend on the health-care program. 

    Fraud Fight Tied to Affordability

    Supporters are also framing the proposals as an affordability issue.

    Palumbo argued that waste and fraud ultimately increase pressure on taxpayers and reduce resources available for legitimate public programs. The lawmakers backing the package say stronger oversight and more aggressive prosecution could help recover taxpayer money while protecting the integrity of Medicaid. 

    The legislation has not yet become law. It would still need approval from the Legislature and the governor before the proposed referral and reward systems could take effect.

    For DeStefano, the argument is straightforward: Medicaid should remain available for the residents who genuinely need it, while those who exploit the system should face greater scrutiny and prosecution.