Local lawmakers pressure Albany to move on DMV fees

A bipartisan coalition of state assemblymembers took their request that the governor’s office waive license plate transfer and new vehicle registration fees for people affected by Hurricane Sandy to the next level on Tuesday, January 29 when they held a press conference on the issue in Albany.

Assemblyperson William Colton, who had been instrumental in kicking off the effort last month, renewed his calls for action at the event, saying, “As a government body, we must make the road to recovery and normalcy the least burdensome as possible.

“The State of New York should not reap benefits from victims who, absent these acts of God, would not have to go out and replace their vehicle,” he contended.

Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis concurred. The victims of Hurricane Sandy have been left in personal and financial ruin. We must do all we can to ease the long rebuilding process, she said.

In addition to making it easier for Sandy victims to purchase new cars, the proposal would, “Creat[e] incentives for consumers to shop in-state, helping dealerships that were also impacted by the storm, and avoiding any state budget shortfalls as this revenue could not have been anticipated prior to the storm,” she said.

The event was the culmination of efforts begun in late December when a letter was sent to Cuomo, requesting he waive the often-expensive fees for people forced to replace vehicles damaged during Sandy.

Other supporters of the initiative at the press conference included Assemblymembers Alec Brook-Krasny, Matthew Titone and Joseph Borelli.

The group seized the moment to champion other Sandy-related causes as well, including Malliotakis’ call to waive state sales taxes on the purchase of replacement vehicles.

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