First time homebuyers on Long Island and throughout the state may see tax relief through legislation announced recently by Senator Charles J. Fuschillo Jr. which would exempt them from paying NYS mortgage taxes.

According to Fuschillo, if enacted, the first time home buyer who applies for a $200,000 mortgage for a home in Nassau County would save $2,000. Homebuyers are currently taxed at a rate of $1 per $100 of the amount borrowed.

The NYS Association of Realtors states the average price of a house is $296,800 in Nassau and $216,900 in Suffolk. According to Jim Morgo, president and chief executive officer, LI Housing Partnership, it is estimated that a family can only afford a home that is double their total annual income. LI's median average income as of 2000 was $72,033 according to the LI Regional Planning Board.

Pearl Kamer, senior economist of the LI Association, recently stated in the Long Island Business News that the LI housing market remains strong because of job growth and a low unemployment rate of 2.5 percent.

"This makes it overwhelmingly difficult for young people and others who must scrape and save to buy a first home," Fuschillo said. "By eliminating the mortgage tax, we are helping many fulfill their dreams of owning their own home."

"Home ownership is not only good for first time homebuyers, but it is also good for the LI community," Morgo said. "Measures like Senator Fuschillo's that make home ownership more achievable in the expensive LI market deserve support."

Fuschillo's legislation has majority sponsorship in the Assembly.

Senator Fuschillo recently announced that the Senate passed legislation he sponsored that would increase the penalties for overtaking and passing a school bus while loading or disembarking passengers.

"Illegally passing a school bus with red flashing lights jeopardizes the lives of children," said Fuschillo, a member of the Senate Transportation Committee. "On a typical school day, more than 2.3 million children are transported to and from school. By increasing these fines, it will hopefully send a strong message that such an offense must not be tolerated."

According to Fuschillo, the first conviction for illegally passing or overtaking a school bus is $250 to $400 and/or up to 30 days in prison. A second violation within three years of the first would be a fine of $600 to $750 and/or up to 180 days in prison. A third violation within three years of the first violation would be a fine of $750 to $1,000 and/or up to 180 days in prison.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), most of the children killed in bus-related crashes are pedestrians, five to seven year olds, who are getting on or off the bus.

"It's unfortunate that sometimes it takes the imposition of harsh penalties to get the attention of the driving public; however, the safety of our children must always be a priority," said Joanne McGarry, director of the Nassau County Traffic Safety Board. "We are confident that Senator Fuschillo's legislation will aid in educating motorists about the serious dangers of passing a stopped school bus."

Although the school year will soon be over, Fuschillo is reminding drivers that school busses remain active during the summer months transporting children to and from camps and summer activities. Current law states:

* It is illegal to pass a stopped school bus when the large red lights located on the top of the bus are flashing. Flashing lights indicate that the bus is picking up or disembarking child passengers.

* Drivers must stop when approaching the bus from the front, overtaking it from the rear, and when meeting a bus at an intersection.

* Drivers must always stop for flashing red lights. This includes divided and multilane highways and on school grounds.