Rockaway Beach residents have criticized Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato for withdrawing her support for the NY HEAT Act, which aims to reduce the use of fossil fuels and promote the use of cleaner, more affordable energy sources.
Pheffer Amato announced that she was withdrawing her co-sponsoring of the legislation in a post on social media on May 1, citing an announcement from climate advocacy group Spring Street Climate Action that it would spend $50,000 targeting elected officials that it viewed as roadblocks to the NY HEAT Act.
Spring Street even listed several co-sponsors of the legislation, including Pheffer Amato, as potential targets of the campaign, outlining measures such as phone calls and flyering outside district offices.
Pheffer Amato, however, said she has signed a removal of sponsorship form for the bill, blaming advocates who “act badly.”
“I’m taking my name off of this bill because I will not be part of a bill that has advocates that act badly or threaten an action to members because they don’t act the way they want them to be. To those who are targeting my office and will be targeting my staff, bye-bye,” Pheffer Amato said in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter.
Hey @springstclimate, thanks for letting me know you don’t appreciate my support for #NYHeat. Bye bye 👋 pic.twitter.com/E087MJFGna
— Stacey Pheffer Amato (@Stacey23AD) May 1, 2025
Residents in the 23rd District, which is represented by Pheffer Amato and includes neighborhoods such as Broad Channel, Howard Beach and parts of the Rockaways, criticized the Assembly Member over the move, stating that the NY HEAT Act would deliver cheaper energy and cleaner energy for locals.
The NY HEAT Act, which was not included in the recently approved $254 billion state budget, would limit the expansion of New York’s gas infrastructure and cap energy bill costs for low-income ratepayers at 6% of their income. Advocates say the law would potentially save billpayers an average of $136 per month.
The State Senate has twice voted to pass the legislation and included it in their one-house budget proposals, but it has so far failed to win approval in the state assembly. The bill was not included in the FY 2026 NYS budget approved by state lawmakers on Thursday.
Joan Flynn, a constituent living in Neponsit, Rockaway, criticized Pheffer Amato for “engaging in a spat with an advocacy group” instead of fighting for her local constituents.
“Elected officials have constituents, but Assemblywoman Pheffer Amato seems to have forgotten that part of her job. As one of those constituents, I’m extremely disappointed that she is engaging in a spat with an advocacy group instead of fighting for lower bills and more access to clean energy,” Flynn said. “She should be listening to her constituents and fighting to pass the NY HEAT Act.”
Alice Ostrowsky, a constituent in Rockaway Park and a member of the Rockaway Beach Civic Association, described Pheffer Amato’s decision to withdraw support for the legislation as “disturbing.”
“The only explanation given to the community made it sound like she was just uncomfortable with the people who were advocating for the New York HEAT Act and did not want to align with them,” Ostrowsky said. “I found it upsetting that she would just stop supporting something that’s good for us, and it was not based on a policy decision.”
Ostrowsky said there were several reasons for Pheffer Amato to support the bill, including the fact that her district was badly impacted by Superstorm Sandy.
“Why would someone born and raised in the Rockaways, who’s representing us, fail to support a bill that I don’t see a downside to?” Ostrowsky said.
Pheffer Amato has not yet responded to a request for comment.
