Kenneth P. LaValle, (R-C-I, Port Jefferson) is the New York State Senator representing the First Senatorial District.
Senaor LaValle is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Higher Education and has helped shape higher education policy in New York State where his work with education leaders at the State University of New York, City University of New York and independent colleges has earned him the respect of the academic community. Senator LaValle's achievements in education and higher education are matched by a distinguished record in health care and he is most proud of his work in establishing a Burn Unit at Stony Brook University Medical Center.  His legislation to protect and advance the rights of patients earned him special recognition from the Suffolk County Breast Health Partnership.  St. Charles Hospice also paid tribute to his efforts in developing a program for terminally ill patients in nursing homes.  His commitment to quality health care is continued in his efforts to create an east end hospital alliance, ensuring continued access to vital health services on eastern Long Island. Senator LaValle's environmental legacy is reflected in the enactment of the Pine Barrens Preservation Act of 1993.  As the author of this historic legislation, he has assured the protection of environmentally-sensitive lands for generations to come and is often cited as a landmark initiative in the environmental well-being of Long Island.  The Long Island Pine Barrens Society, the Group for the South Fork, the North Fork Environmental Council, the Peconic Land Trust, and the Nature Conservancy are but a few of the many organizations from which Senator LaValle has received praise for his positive contributions on environmental issues. Throughout his tenure in the New York State Senate, real property tax relief has been an important priority for Senator LaValle.  As a major architect in the development of the STAR program, he takes tremendous personal satisfaction in the benefits this initiative has brought to homeowners in the First Senatorial District. Senator LaValle has also been a long-time advocate of a property tax cap, and his legislation was one of the building blocks for New York State's Tax Cap Law.