Assemblyman Tom Alfano announced that he was promoted to the Assembly Leadership Table by being named chairman of the Assembly Joint Conference and winning a key position as ranking member of the Assembly Emerging Work Force Committee in the New York State Assembly. Both committees, according to Alfano, are key seats that will help him promote job creation and investments in job training, sciences and high technology.

"Labor issues are very important to our communities," said Alfano noting, "This post will allow me to not only work on issues like job creation for labor but help individuals get the job skills they need so that they can compete in the global economy." Since his election to the State Assembly, Alfano has served as the senior Nassau County delegation member on the Assembly Labor Committee. According to Alfano, this new assignment will expand his work on the Labor Committee by holding this key committee assignment.

Alfano pointed to his work with local schools on the promotion of mathematics and science in preparing young people for the information and technology age. "We're laying the ground work by preparing our young people in school, now I want to take these initiatives and help young adults as well as those who are underemployed and unemployed by promoting job training and continuing education forums," said Alfano noting, "With an ever changing economy we have to be ahead of the curve to make sure our local workforce is ready to meet those challenges."

To that end, Alfano pointed to a bill he passed with the chairman of the black, Puerto Rican and Hispanic caucus, Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat, that creates a bio-science facilities development program that provides grant funding for economic development corporations to assist bio-science companies to establish and expand operations in New York. "Assemblyman Espaillat and I want to promote the sciences and create an economic and business environment where we can not only promote job creation but be on the cutting edge of higher tech development. I want to promote this type of economic development work right here on Long Island and the greater New York area," said Alfano.

The legislation Alfano and Espaillat spearheaded passed in the Assembly unanimously. Additionally, Alfano noted that recent legislation to promote an empire zone in Nassau County was also won in state budget negotiations. "Communities like Elmont, North Valley Stream, Hempstead, Franklin Square, Uniondale, Roosevelt, West Hempstead and surrounding areas are tailor-made for an Empire Zone. I want to make sure that we're ready to take advantage of programs and services for people right here in our communities," said Alfano. Twelve new Empire Zones were authorized in the state budget.

Alfano noted that an empire zone can bring tremendous economic benefit to areas. "The bottom line with an empire zone is that it helps create jobs and reduces our local tax burden by expanding our commercial tax base. By giving business tax incentives for employing people in good paying jobs, we're helping working families. Additionally, we're reusing and 'recycling' brownfields that are an eyesore in our communities," Alfano concluded.