Area leaders, business people and other community residents had gathered at Shorewood Country Club.

State Sen. George Borrello looked out at the crowd and stated, “Look out there. Look how beautiful this is. Look at this beautiful venue that we’re in. This is why we are in this fight, because this is worth fighting for. I love living here. I don’t want to move, so every day, whether it’s in Albany or in the district, we’re here just trying to support our shared values.”

Borrello, as well as Assemblyman Andrew Molitor, were the guest speakers at the CHQ Chamber State of the State Legislature Breakfast.

The two Republican leaders gave an update on the recent legislative session that had wrapped up, challenges that they see moving forward, and where they want to see the state pivot.

Shorewood Country Club in Dunkirk was the host of this year’s CHQ Chamber State of the State Legislature Breakfast” Wednesday.

Molitor said he believes the number one goal of the state legislature should be figuring out a way to stop the population loss by making New York more affordable.

“We are continuing to do nothing for that. That’s a huge problem,” he said.

The night before the breakfast was the primary for the state.

Molitor noted that in New York City, some of his moderate Democratic colleagues had lost their seats in the primary to “Democratic Socialists of America.”

Borrello expressed his concern over that as well.

“You saw a primary last night where you had committed communists that are now going to be members of the Senate and the Assembly, and candidates for Congress,” he said.

Following the primary, the Associated Press reported, “New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s slate of fiery progressives swept establishment-backed Democrats in the state’s congressional primaries on Tuesday, ousting two sitting congressmen in a resounding show of force for the democratic socialist leader of America’s largest city, who is fighting to reshape the Democratic Party in New York and beyond.”

Borrello, a frequent critic of the Democratic leaders in Albany, believes the state is becoming more divided. “I don’t think this is anymore a Democrat-Republican thing. This is about a radical left agenda, based in New York City, that really opposes, I think, the fundamental values of most of the people I represent,” he said.

Molitor was elected as assemblyman of the 150th District, which includes all of Chautauqua County, in November 2024.

He was asked about what surprised him during his first two years in office.

“The bills don’t get read, so very often, you have bills that are really bad bills that get enacted or maybe are really good ideas but because the bill wasn’t read and gone through with a fine tooth comb has all these unintended consequences,” he replied.

Some of that is due to timing. Borrello noted that after the state budget was passed, which was two months late, the state legislature only had six days left in session.

“In those six days, we addressed over a thousand bills,” he said.

Borrello did say he felt there were some “wins” in the state budget, specifically delaying some of the climate mandates that were originally to be enacted in 2030, including mandating electric school buses.

He added that he is worried those delays could be reinstated following the election in November.

“If the same people are in charge, I have no confidence that they (Democratic leaders) will continue down this path, trying to moderate their positions,” Borrello said.