REGION – If you follow New York State Senator Mike Martucci on Facebook you’ll know that he has been out and about in his district (which comprises all of Sullivan County and parts of Orange, Delaware and Ulster counties) in recent weeks.

The freshman Republican senator has just returned from the first legislative session in Albany and is going around the community hearing from constituents.
It’s those very constituents that inspired a new bill that Martucci introduced and got passed in the state legislature.

While visiting a pharmacy he heard about the issue of pharmacy benefit managers, which is essentially a third-party administrator of prescription drugs.

What Martucci discovered is that independent pharmacies were being reimbursed for drug costs at significantly lowers rates than that of corporate pharmacies.

His bill, which was co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. James Skoufis, changed this policy to a fee for service model, which allows for set drug rates and levels the playing field.

“Our independent pharmacies this year with COVID-19 have been helping with vaccines [and many other things],” Martucci remarked. “They know their patients and the people that live in their area.”
Another bill that he was proud to sponsor establishes a protection of development rights that raises funding that can be distributed to farms and keeps them designated as farmland.

Farming is an issue that Martucci feels strongly about, and during his campaign pledged to help small farms.
He introduced a bill to expand the farm tax credit but it was not brought to the floor by the Democratic majority.

“We have to do everything we can to continue to prop [farmers] up and help them through this tremendously difficult time,” he said.

Also throughout his campaign Martucci spoke about the state’s new bail reform laws, which he says are dangerous.

“I think a lot of New Yorkers have concerns about the direction that our state is going with respect to public safety,” he said.

The law went into effect on January 1, 2020 and eliminated cash bail for most misdemeanor and non-violent felony charges.

Some lawmakers, district attorneys and police chiefs have opposed the reforms, while supporters say that cash bail disproportionately affects the poor.

Martucci references Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams, who recently called for changes to bail reform, saying it’s a bipartisan issue and that they need to go back to the table.
While there were many bills passed or dropped during his first legislative session, much of it was of course focused on COVID-19.

Martucci says there were some things he supported, such as the HERO Act and others that he didn’t.
The HERO Act mandates extensive new workplace health and safety protections in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Martucci was one of two Republicans who supported it.

However, he was not supportive of the rent moratorium extension, saying that it should have included a provision that small landlords should be able to bring their rent claims first, so as not to compete with large real estate conglomerates.

Martucci was named a ranking member of the Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business committee. He started a school bus company at a young age that grew.

“For me it’s all about where I come from,” he said. “I was a small business owner, so I lived that every single day. Being on that committee, for me, is so important because I bring that perspective.”

Martucci is focused on schools and businesses reopening after the pandemic, which as the father of three young children, he and his wife know the trials of online schooling.

And now during his off time before the next session begins in January, he will continue to travel around the district.

“I look forward to getting around and meeting more people,” he says. “That’s really where I’m hearing and learning about so many issues.”