Now that we have a full team in place to help lead the AHA's advocacy in Albany, we are full steam ahead! This past week, Kristin, Martha and Robin met with key staff members from Governor Cuomo's office who are helping to craft his focus for the upcoming state budget. With so many important initiatives to consider by the administration, the AHA is working hard to elevate the need to invest public dollars in areas where there is the best possible opportunity to improve New Yorkers' health.
As you no doubt have seen, our topmost priority this year is to reinstate New York's focus on healthy food retail. In the past, the state's support has resulted in 20 new food markets, all built in neighborhoods that needed them the most. Our work is not yet done - 32 of New York's 62 counties still have significant burdens regarding access to healthy foods. To learn more about our proposed solution, and to send a message to Governor Cuomo and other state leaders, please visit the Action Center and make sure you respond to the posted alert!
Our meeting with the Governor's office also covered top priorities addressing chronic disease in the state budget such as diabetes prevention, controlling hypertension, and improving tobacco control. A new request for the AHA this year is to ask for devoted funds to support schools who would like to implement a more robust CPR training program for students. Making sure that the CPR in Schools law is fully implemented, and encouraging schools to go beyond the basic training, is something we can all get behind!
As the Governor's executive budget proposal is due in just a few weeks, please continue to respond to any action alerts you find in your inbox! It's important that our state leaders hear from us often in order to keep our requests top of mind. Stay tuned for updates as budget discussion continues!
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