"It's big, if you want to do it right," says New York State Assemblywoman Michelle Schimel as she completes the first six months of representing the state's 15th assembly district. "The breadth of the job is huge," she told the Great Neck Record in an interview just last week." Commuting between Albany and Great Neck is now a way of life for many months each year.

Ms. Schimel, a longtime Great Neck resident, splits her time between her district office in Great Neck, where she spends most of her time, and sessions in Albany. She is in Albany part of each week, from Jan. 1 to the end of June each year. The rest of the time she is at her district office in Great Neck, though special sessions, up in Albany, are not uncommon anytime of year. This year, she noted, she will be called upstate for some special sessions. "I plan to go (up to Albany) this fall, in September and October," she said. "We have big ticket items to address."

One such big ticket item, she said, is New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposal for a congestion pricing plan --- putting high prices on tolls to enter New York City, at certain points (pretty much all of midtown) at specific commuting times.

Back home in the district office, Ms. Schimel says that she deals with constituents who come to her office every day. "I'm following everyone's best friend, Tom DiNapoli (her predecessor and current New York State comptroller)," she said, as she explained that in the district she deals with numerous "day-to-day" issues. "It's a busy office, we're helping people get through the system; they come for help and they get help," she said.

The district office is quite successful, she said. Michelle Schimel is proud that her local office has a "good staff ... you always get a human being." The packed schedule, the busy office are all worth it, though, she told the Record.

"I love it, it is all so very interesting," she reiterated, as she admitted that she is "still studying" and "learning so much," especially when it comes to issues such as sewers, water tables, and, yes, even duck hunting. "Suddenly I have to be informed on a lot of issues," she said, again speaking of how much she must study and how much she is learning. "It's fascinating ... and now I'm really getting under the soil of the issues," Ms. Schimel added.

As she did when she served as North Hempstead Town clerk, Michelle Schimel is again dealing with regulatory agencies. And she is involved in some issues. "There are a lot of issues on Long Island," she said. One very big, very local issue involves Great Neck sewer districts and possible sewer diversion projects. There, as in other issues, she works closely with other public officials; this time working with state Senator Craig Johnson, also new at his post, and the DEC. With each issue, she emphasized, "we are always trying to decide what's the right thing to do."

Ms. Schimel is involved with the sewer issues, and, as well involved with working on the Lloyd Aquifer. "We have to stop drilling into the Lloyd Aquifer because it affects all of Long Island," she told the Record.

She is also busy working with the local villages, including "working to allow Nassau County to transfer parks to the village and towns." And she has a great hope to be able one day to see statewide electric waste management. While town clerk, she did bring such a program to North Hempstead. "I will be working on it ... it won't be easy ... there is legislation out there, but it needs tweaking," she said.

With all of this, Michelle Schimel is still involved in gun control, the issue that brought her to the forefront of the public and political arena years ago. "My focus is on illegal guns," she stated. Her goal is for legislation that will reduce gun violence in the state, "hopefully under the auspices of New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo."

All of the work and all of the satisfaction might not be the biggest surprise for Michelle Schimel, but "being able to vote comfortably" has been a "big surprise." Thinking that she might receive criticisms and pressure from other state officials when it comes time to vote, she has been pleasantly surprised that she is quite free to vote her conscience. "I represent what this assembly district wants and I'm getting favorable letters on my votes," she said, with justifiable pride.

So as the first six months become history, Ms. Schimel looks forward to a future of exciting, challenging work. With enthusiasm and a great deal of energy, she will deal with one issue at a time, one person at a time, firmly working for what she believes is the very best for her district.

In the New York State Assembly, Michelle Schimel serves on the following committees: Environmental Conservation Committee, Energy Committee, Transportation Committee, Veterans Committee, Local Governments Committee ("a key committee"), and the Steering Committee.