Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer, William J. Lindsay (D-Holbrook) and Suffolk County Comptroller Joseph Sawicki, Jr. (R-Southold) – two ardent supporters of the State of Long Island movement – are renewing their efforts to press for legislation to study the feasibility of Nassau and Suffolk counties seceding from New York State and hold a Suffolk/Nassau referendum on the issue to allow voters to decide.

They sent a joint request to newly elected Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano (R),  Nassau County Legislature Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa) and Minority Leader Diane Yatauro (D-Glen Cove) requesting that the Nassau legislature, like Suffolk, adopt a “Home Rule Message” for pending state legislation   calling for the creation of a task force to study the feasibility of Nassau and Suffolk counties seceding from New York State to become the State of Long Island.

“We can’t keep this up,” Lindsay said. “We’re losing our jobs, we’re losing our youth, we’re losing our future. Someone has to stand up to the chaos that is in Albany, someone has to stand up for Long Islanders. We’re doing just that.”

A unified voice from both Nassau and Suffolk counties would send a serious message to Albany that we reject their illegitimate taxes and fees upon Long Islanders,” said Sawicki who has long promoted the idea of secession as a way to solve Long Island’s fiscal woes. “The Dowling College study has proven that we send over $3 billion more to Albany than we get back.  That $3 billion can provide enormous tax relief for Long Islanders instead of being used to bail out the rest of the State.”

Last May, the Suffolk County Legislature approved Presiding Officer Lindsay’s Home Rule Message supporting this state effort to explore of the creation of a new State of Long Island.  The Nassau County legislature did not sign on to the idea at that time.

Included with the letter was a copy of a report done by Martin Cantor, Director of the Long Island Economic and Social Policy Institute at Dowling College, which outlines the economic injustice perpetrated on Long Island by the State of New York and shows that Long Island contributes $3 billion more in taxes to the state coffers than it gets back in state aid every year, and that’s nearly $4,000 annually for a family of four.

Said Sawicki, “The creation of this bi-county commission wherein both Counties will study the issue is the logical next step in forming the 51^st state so that Long Island voters can make an informed decision in a November referendum.”

State legislation (Senate Bill No. S.426-A and Assembly Bill No. A.1189-A) was filed by New York State Senator Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) and New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, Jr. (I-Sag Harbor) last year.

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