Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio joins Rockville Centre Bishop William Murphy, and New York’s Archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan at an impromptu press conference in Albany.

The Bishops of New York State were in the State Capitol March 15 to meet with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and legislative leaders on issues of concern to the Catholic Church. Among the issues discussed were: the Education Tax Credit, designed to drive more scholarships to low-income children to help them attend Catholic and other religious and independent schools; opposition to assisted suicide legislation; an increase in the minimum wage, along with increased state reimbursements for not-for-profit charitable agencies, like Catholic Charities, to cover the added costs; and an increase in child care subsidies to enable more low-income parents of young children to enter and remain in the workforce.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie declined to meet with the state’s bishops.