Hayes appointed to Assembly Ways & Means Committee, plans to have his voice heard

Assemblyman Jim Hayes, R-Amherst, has been reappointed as the ranking minority member of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.

In that role, Hayes said he will be at the forefront of the fight to reform state government, lower taxes and rein in out-of-control spending. He also renewed his pledge to fight for jobs in Western New York.

"Western New York has suffered from soaring property taxes, unfunded state mandates and the loss of jobs to other regions of the country for far too long," he said. "We must restrain state spending and stop costly state borrowing that force New Yorkers to pay some of the highest state and local property taxes in the nation. A sad situation that continues to chase jobs, economic opportunity and population out of upstate and Western New York."

Hayes thanked Assembly Minority Leader James N. Tedisco, R-Schenectady-Saratoga, for the reappointment.

"I look forward to working under (Tedisco) and with my Assembly Republican colleagues to reform the way the State Legislature spends our tax dollars," Hayes said.

Hayes was appointed to the Ways and Means post in 2002. This will be his second legislative session serving as the ranking minority member of the committee.