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State Senator Dean G. Skelos is currently serving his eleventh term in the New York State Senate. In 1995 he was named Deputy Majority Leader by Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno. The majority leader heads the political party (Democratic or Republican party) that has the greater representation in the State Senate. As Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Skelos plays a key role in developing the Senate's legislative and governmental policy.

Since Senator Skelos represents a large district in Long Island, much of his work is to help build a strong economy on Long Island and create new jobs for the people living there. For example, in 2002, Senator Skelos announced his "Long Island Biotech Investment and Job Creation Program." This program will help establish Long Island as a leading location for biological and technical research, which will create more jobs and help Long Island’s economy grow. More recently, Senator Skelos chaired the New York State Senate's NextGen Task Force and, in that capacity, created a comprehensive strategy to encourage the creation of high-paying technology jobs.

To help Long Island residents hold onto more of their hard earned money, Senator Skelos helped to get a 33-year old commuter tax repealed, which saves people commuting regularly to and from Long Island an average of nearly $400 each year. Senator Skelos also led the effort to make college tuition tax deductible for all families, regardless of income or college choice. This will help make college more affordable for all students.

Another important law, in which Senator Skelos played an important role, is called "Megan’s Law." This law, which came about in 1995, requires the registration of released convicted sex offenders and provides a manner of notifying the community. Therefore, if someone who committed a sex-related crime, moves into a neighborhood, families will know about the person’s background.

In another effort to help children remain safe, Senator Skelos has written laws that require schools to teach children how to recognize and avoid an attempted abduction, and to alert school officials if a child has been abducted. He also helped establish the Missing and Exploited Children's Clearinghouse Fund to publicize information about missing children so that more people could help in the search for these youngsters.

Senator Skelos not only represents Long Island in Albany, but he was born and raised there, in the town of Rockville Centre. He graduated from South Side High School in 1966 and went on to Washington College, in Maryland, where he graduated with a B.A. in History in 1970. He then attended Fordham University School of Law and graduated with a Juris Doctorate Degree in 1975. That same year, Senator Skelos was admitted to practice law in New York State. Besides being a State Senator, he is currently part counsel to the law firm of Ruskin Moscou Faltischek P.C. He is also very active in his community as a member of the Valley Stream Elks, Sons of Italy and the Rockville Centre Kiwanis. Senator Skelos resides in Rockville Centre with his wife, Gail, and son, Adam.

For more about Senator Dean G. Skelos, you can visit his web page at http://www.senatordeanskelos.org