The Mohawk Valley Nine are urging Governor Andrew Cuomo to include relief for Vernon Downs on the special session agenda.

The governor plans to convene a special session in Albany on Wednesday to consider legislation extending mayoral control of New York City schools for a year.

The bi-partisan group of legislators from Oneida, Madison and Herkimer Counties released the following statement:

“With a special legislative session on the horizon, the time is now for the Governor to address the outstanding issue of relief for the Vernon Downs racino. Vernon Downs will close this fall if a relief package is not approved based upon warning notices that have already been sent out, and this may be our last chance to act. Three hundred good jobs are at stake in the Mohawk Valley right now, and every day that goes by without resolution is another day of distress for these workers and their families. The Governor frequently speaks about fighting to protect middle class jobs in upstate New York, so securing relief for Vernon Downs by leveling the playing field to compete with other similar business interests is the perfect opportunity for the Governor and the Legislature to demonstrate this commitment. We understand there are other priorities the Governor wants to address, but we are respectfully calling upon the Governor to also include the future of Vernon Downs in any package of matters he plans to take up in an extraordinary session.”

The Mohawk Valley Nine is comprised of delegation co-chairmen Senator James L. Seward (R/C/I/Ref – Oneonta) and Assemblyman Bill Magee (D – Nelson), Senator Joseph A. Griffo (R/C/I – Rome), Senator David J. Valesky (D – Oneida), Senator Jim Tedisco (R/C/I/Ref – Glenville), Assemblyman Marc Butler (R/C/I/Ref – Newport), Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R/C/I – Black River), Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi (D – Utica), and Assemblyman Brian Miller (R/I – New Hartford).

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