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A week after being sworn in in Albany January 4th New York Senator Pam Helming voted Monday to permanently cap state spending and help ensure greater long-term fiscal discipline on state government, while also creating much needed relief for overburdened taxpayers.

"New York's school districts and local governments currently operate under a tax cap and I applaud my Senate colleagues for taking action to create a state spending cap," said Helming. "A state spending cap sends a strong message that Albany is committed to living within its means and will save taxpayers billions."

Helming noted the bill continues progress made by the Senate Republican Conference. Their self-imposed spending cap has already saved taxpayers a cumulative $31 billion since the 2010-11 budget. This savings includes the elimination of a $10 billion deficit inherited from the previous all-Democrat, all New York City-led government according to a release from Helming's office.

Helming was sworn in a second time at the Ontario County Courthouse Saturday. The former Canandaigua Town Supervisor pledged to represent and defend local values in Albany and ensure state government works to better serve the needs of the Finger Lakes region. Helming is the first female to serve as State Senator for the 54th district.

"As my first legislative session gets underway, I'm ready to hit the ground running on behalf of our region," said Helming. "This means working on protecting our environment, particularly our freshwater bodies of water, delivering needed infrastructure funding and defending our shared values from the downstate interests that have worked to erode our rights over the years."

Tuesday Helming announced she is launching a survey for constituents to weigh in on the best methods to make college more affordable for middle-class families. The survey comes in the wake of Gov. Cuomo's proposal for 'free' college tuition at SUNY schools, and asks residents for their thoughts on this idea, as well as other ways to ease the costly burden of college without taxpayers footing the bill.

"Traveling across the 54th Senate District, I've heard the concerns of both parents and students with college affordability, and it's not surprising: over the past decade, the cost of going to a SUNY school has jumped 55 percent," Helming said. "That's just unacceptable, and as I look at the Governor's proposal to address this issue, I'm interested in how the residents of the 54th District feel about the topic. My top priority is doing what's best for our families, and with this input, I can help make that a reality."

Wednedsay Helming announced she has been named Chairwoman of the Rural Resources Commission, a bipartisan Commission that is charged with examining the impact of rural resources on the State's economy, reviewing existing laws and regulations as they relate to rural resources and assessing the effectiveness of programs designed to promote rural viability.  The Rural Resources Commission is comprised of five Senators and five Assembly members, who are tasked with sponsoring legislation, recommending policy and promoting efforts to enhance and protect New York's rural resources.

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