Freshman State Assemblyman Steve Katz has broken his leg in what he says was a freak accident.

The Republican lawmaker says he was walking with his wife at FDR State Park on Thursday when he slipped on some ice and broke both bones in his left leg.

He had words of thanks for the Yorktown Police Department, Yorktown Ambulance Corps and the "amazing staff at Hudson Valley Hospital Center" who cared for him

Katz says his prognosis is "promising" but says he will be laid up for several days. 

A bill passed earlier this week in Albany will allow several Westchester communities to use the old lever-style voting machines for upcoming elections on March 15.

Village clerks in Larchmont, Port Chester, Scarsdale,Hastings, Bronxville,Tarrytown, Tuckahoe and Pleasantville had asked a contingent of Westchester State Assemblymembers to support and pass the legislation citing the cost and availability of the new electronic voting machines which feature optical scanning technology.

Assemblymen Marc Molinaro (R,C,I-Red Hook) and Steve Katz (R,I-Yorktown) gathered at the Putnam County Courthouse in Carmel February 11 to announce mandate relief proposals.

(L-R: Assemblyman Robert Castelli, Assemblyman Steve Katz, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino)

Freshman Westchester Assemblyman Steve Katz today welcomed a contingent of local Westchester officials to Albany as the group paid a visit to discuss legislative concerns for the coming year.

Got some cost-cutting ideas for Albany? Newly-elected State Senator Greg Ball wants to hear from you.

Sen. Ball announced today, along with several fellow State lawmakers, the creation of a new website, www.youcutalbany.com, an on-line tool designed to enable taxpayers throughout the state to cast votes for specific wasteful spending items they would like to see eliminated from the State budget. Said Ball, "It's time to focus like a laser on waste and duplicative services and get government out of the way so our beleaguered entrepreneurs and small businesses, not government, can begin to once again do what they do best, which is create private sector jobs."

Ball was joined by freshman State Assemblyman Steve Katz,who echoed the sentiment saying "Reducing the size and cost of state government is imperative to get our state's economy back on track, balance the state budget, reduce the tax burden on homeowners and businesses and improve the efficiency of the state to meet the needs of New Yorkers."

Reaction to the Governor's first-ever State of the State address is largely positive.

Republican State Senator Greg Ball said he liked what he heard and said he supported the Governor on such issues as a property tax cap.  Said Ball, "Hopefully that message will make its way into law and tax relief and doing what needs to be done. This state is hemorrhaging jobs, we're hemorrhaging people, folks are voting with their feet, and they need a governor and legislature to work together to get this state back on track." 

Freshman NY State Assemblyman Steve Katz of Yorktown was among seventeen new members sworn into office in Albany today, joining the Assembly Minority Conference.

The ceremony was held in the state capitol and was officiated by Acting New York Supreme Court Justice Craig Doran. Katz's wife Nicole held the Bible as he took the Oath of Office.

As a freshman lawmaker, Katz has been appointed the Ranking Member of the Assembly Standing Committee on Mental Health and has also been named a member of the Economic Development, Consumer Affairs and Protection and Housing Committees.

Katz said the Housing Committee was of particular importance to him, saying the issue of affordable, safe housing is one of the most pressing issues in Westchester County.