New York State Assemblyman Rob Walker (R, C, I, WF - Hicksville) reminded New Yorkers who have yet to file their 2007 tax returns that there is still time to take advantage of tax credits which will increase the size of income tax refunds during this time of economic uncertainty.

"I don't think there is an individual or family out there who wouldn't like to see the size of their tax refunds increased in order to help pay bills or meet day-to-day expenses," said Walker. "These tax credits are put into place specifically to help taxpayers make ends meet and I highly encourage all individuals and families who are eligible to take the time and fill out the necessary paperwork so that they can reduce their tax burden."

The five most popular tax credits currently available to New York families, although not the only tax credits available, include:

• The Earned Income Tax Credit- for working families with incomes up to $37,783, depending on the number of children in the household;

• The Child and Dependent Care Credit- for working parents who pay for child care;

• The Empire State Child Care Credit- for resident taxpayers with a credit equal to the greater of $100, times the number of children ages 4-16 who qualify for the federal child care credit or 33 percent of the allowed federal child credit for children ages 4-16;

• The College Tuition Credit- a credit worth up to $400 per eligible student; and

• The Household Credit- for taxpayers with qualifying incomes who are heads of households.

For more information on these valuable tax credits, please visit the New York State Tax Department website at www.nystax.gov or call 1-800-225-5829.

Assemblyman Rob Walker (R, C, I, WF - Hicksville) recently introduced legislation in the New York State Assembly, which would provide critical consumer protection for those individuals who require dental prosthetics such as crowns, bridges and dentures. This legislation comes on the heels of recent outbreaks of lead-tainted dental work, which had been outsourced to China.

"The purpose of this bill is clear and simple: to provide proper peace of mind to individuals who require dental work and want to be absolutely certain that their health will not be adversely affected," said Walker. "Due to the fact that between 15 and 20 percent of all dental restoration work is outsourced to a foreign country, there needs to be assurance that consumers will not pay a price with their health because a dental lab and the dentist wanted to increase their bottom line."

Currently, dental labs are not regulated by any specific laws requiring them to disclose if the work was outsourced to a foreign country although the National Association of Dental Laboratories has pushed for regulation in recent years. In addition to providing consumers with more knowledge regarding their dental prosthetics, the bill also enables the Commissioner of Public Health to make rules and regulations to establish quality standards for dental prosthetic devices sold and manufactured in New York State.

According to Ralph J. Rega, certified dental technician, and president of both Creative Dental Technologies in Hicksville and the Long Island Dental Laboratory Association (LIDLA), "There are no laws that require the dentist to inform the patient if their crown, bridge or denture was made in a foreign country. We need to stay focused on the most important issue at hand and that is the patients' safety and right to know. The lab must communicate if the work was done in a foreign country with a letter or sticker and then the dentist must communicate that information to the patient. In fact, full disclosure to the patient must be thorough."

Walker said it is his hope that the bill will be "taken up quickly and passed through both the Assembly and the Senate so that it may be signed into law by Governor David Paterson." He continued, "It is unconscionable that we can all find out where our clothing is made from a label but we don't know if potentially hazardous metals are being put into dental work coming from foreign countries. This bill will change all that and make all New Yorkers safer and more informed."