Siela A. Bynoe for State Senate District 6

Siela A. Bynoe has spent just two years in the State Senate, but in that short time, she has used her thoughtful voice well.

A former Nassau County legislator, she deeply understands her district's varied needs, including flood mitigation for Freeport, iron removal systems and other infrastructure upgrades in Rockville Centre and Baldwin, and the impact of charter schools on the finances of the Hempstead school district. 

Bynoe, 58, a Democrat from Westbury, has a passion for larger issues that impact the communities she represents. That's particularly evident in her work on Nassau University Medical Center, where she played a significant role when the state worked last year to remake the board and install new leadership. It was Bynoe who pushed for local resident involvement, and now it is Bynoe who is pushing for a future for the hospital's vast property that includes housing, veterans services, healthcare complexes and other solutions to meet the surrounding communities' needs. She suggested that the land surrounding the A. Holly Patterson Extended Care Facility might represent an opportunity to erect a new building for the cramped and aging Uniondale Public Library, which needs a fresh start.

Bynoe recognizes that the state formula for school aid and its focus on head count to allot dollars should be "revisited" to address the loss of students to charter schools. And as Nassau County's sole member of the Democratic majority, Bynoe recognizes the broader role she has to play to address the county's needs more comprehensively. She is keen on strengthening a statewide suburban caucus in her party to make sure Long Island's interests are met.

Rockville Centre Republican Matthew J. Capp previously worked for former Rep. Anthony D'Esposito, and is now a press secretary for the Town of Hempstead. While many lawmakers talk about the difficulty young adults have in staying on Long Island, Capp, 29, has a firsthand grasp on those concerns, noting that he just bought a one-bedroom cooperative apartment. He said the state can do more to "partner" and communicate more directly with local municipalities to encourage more housing construction. He also rightly pointed to the need for other local hospital systems to work with NUMC, something he said state officials can assist in coordinating. Capp brings a knowledgeable and insightful perspective to challenging issues that makes him an asset in local government and politics.

Bynoe want to keep working on improving long-term senior care, expanding workforce development opportunities, improving childhood early intervention services, and finding ways to continue and replicate the housing success stories in communities like Westbury and Mineola.

Albany's overly late budget left legislators little time to push forward other initiatives, including those related to the state's medical misconduct disciplinary system, escrow account abuses, and the opportunity for library trustees to develop their extra land. A new term would give Bynoe a chance to use her expertise, relationships in Albany and community ties to tackle those issues and more. 

Newsday Opinion endorses Bynoe.