VoterLens
New York State Senate District 39
Marist College—Bachelor's, Criminal Justice
Data last updated 10/21/2026
Rob Rolison represents New York's 39th Senate District and has served in the New York State Senate since 2022. Before joining the Senate, he served two terms as mayor of the City of Poughkeepsie and also served on the Dutchess County Legislature, including as chairman. He began public service as a volunteer firefighter and spent 26 years with the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department, including 14 years as a detective.
Committee Assignments: Children and Families Ranking Member · Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Ranking Member · Aging Member · Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorders Member · Cannabis Member · Joint Senate Task Force on Opioids, Addiction & Overdose Prevention Member · Labor Member · Local Government Member
Robert Rolison, Republican state senator for New York Senate District 39, has emphasized making healthcare more affordable and has taken legislative actions focused on access to care, behavioral health, overdose response, telehealth reimbursement, and prevention/healthy food incentives. His record includes sponsoring overdose/fatality review and opioid-treatment protocol bills, co-sponsoring pharmacist treatment and telehealth bills, and voting for an addiction and mental health integrated services pilot program.
Robert Rolison emphasizes small-business support, workforce development, job creation, and affordability for Hudson Valley residents and employers. His record includes sponsoring legislation to steer economic-development aid toward small businesses, backing workforce-training and labor-market data bills, and opposing payroll-tax burdens on businesses.
Robert Rolison has framed immigration chiefly around the Hudson Valley impacts of New York’s migrant/asylum-seeker response, emphasizing local control, transparency, and protection of vulnerable residents from being displaced to house migrants. As a sitting Republican state senator for District 39, he sponsored legislation to bar hotels and shelters from displacing certain vulnerable U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents in favor of noncitizens or non-lawful permanent residents.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Rolison signed a Senate Republican letter asking Governor Hochul for more public detail on migrant housing, costs, services, and direct communication with municipalities, and supporting an option for local officials to decline hosting migrants if resources are inadequate.
SourceRolison said the migrant crisis was worsened by failures in federal border security and state leadership, and criticized New York City’s migrant busing policy for risking shelter and services for homeless veterans, domestic-violence victims, and other vulnerable residents in Orange County and the Hudson Valley.
SourceRob Rolison’s Climate & Energy positions emphasize reducing utility costs and increasing transparency around New York’s CLCPA/green-energy mandates, while also supporting targeted environmental protections such as blocking radioactive discharges into the Hudson River. He has proposed utility tax/surcharge holidays and ratepayer credits rather than faster mandate-driven energy cost increases.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Rolison urged Governor Hochul to include utility relief legislation in the enacted budget, including his utility tax holiday bill and a bill returning unspent NYSERDA and utility-collected green-energy funds to ratepayers.
SourceRolison opposed banning gas stoves and related devices to meet state climate goals, arguing instead for an all-of-the-above energy plan focused on reliable and affordable power.
SourceRob Rolison's education record emphasizes adding or expanding specific educational supports while pairing schools with safety and access measures. He has proposed statewide 9/11 instruction, co-sponsored bills on school resource officers, arts and music instruction, and expanded scholarship eligibility, and publicly supported state budget funding for child care and early education.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Rolison publicly supported the FY 2026-27 budget's $4.5 billion investment in child care and early education programs to expand access, support providers, and help working families afford care.
SourceRobert Rolison, Republican state senator for New York Senate District 39, emphasizes public safety through tougher penalties for gun possession, domestic-violence/order-of-protection violations, human trafficking offenses, and repeat juvenile offending. As a former police detective, he also publicly supports law enforcement and policies he frames as protecting victims and strengthening community safety.
NYSenate.gov - About Rob Rolison
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/rob-rolison/aboutFetched: biography, location, committees
NYSenate.gov - State Senator Rob Rolison Takes Oath of Office Surrounded by Family, Colleagues
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/rob-rolison/state-senator-rob-rolison-takes-oath-office-surrounded?page=1Fetched: biography, age
BallotReady - Robert "Rob" G. Rolison
https://www.ballotready.org/people/rob-rolisonFetched: biography, education
Open States / Plural Policy - S4774
https://open.pluralpolicy.com/ny/bills/2025-2026/S4774/Fetched: votingRecord
LegiScan - NY S01072 Roll Call
https://legiscan.com/NY/rollcall/S01072/id/1585272Fetched: votingRecord, campaignFinance
FollowTheMoney.org - ROLISON, ROBERT
https://www.followthemoney.org/entity-details?default=candidate&eid=55941694Fetched: campaignFinance
Transparency USA - Robert G Rolison
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/robert-g-rolisonFetched: campaignFinance
New York League of Conservation Voters
https://www.nylcv.org/candidate/rob-rolison/Fetched: endorsements
New York State Board of Elections
https://elections.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2026/05/accessible-june-23-2026-primary-certification-amended-5.13.26_0.pdfFetched: endorsements
New York State Senate - Rob Rolison 2025 legislative agenda
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/rob-rolison/fighting-hudson-valley-senator-rob-rolison-announces-2025?page=7Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S976
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S976Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S1029
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1029Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S4501
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4501Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S3359
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S3359Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S4747A
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4747/amendment/AFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Rob Rolison profile
https://www.nysenate.gov/senators/rob-rolison/aboutFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - MTA payroll tax press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2025/rob-rolison/business-leaders-join-nys-senate-republicans-representing?page=8Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S7009
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S7009Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Migrant letter to Governor Hochul
https://www.nysenate.gov/sites/default/files/press-release/attachment/migrant_letter_to_gov.pdfFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Senate Republican Conference press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/robert-g-ortt/senate-republican-conference-demands-transparencyFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S8463 bill page
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8463Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - S1031 bill page
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1031Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Rolison utility tax holiday budget press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/rob-rolison/rolison-requests-utility-tax-holiday-bill-be-included?page=1Fetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate CRM - Hudson River dumping statement
https://pubfiles.nysenate.gov/crm/rolison/view/c6a7a44242bf3a6fFetched: issuePositions
New York State Senate - Senate Republicans smart energy policies press release
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/robert-g-ortt/senate-republicans-unveil-plan-smart-energy-policies-new?page=6Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/rob-rolison/rolison-introduces-legislation-establish-statewide-911?page=1Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4893/amendment/AFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S6318/amendment/AFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov
https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/rob-rolison/rolison-highlights-45-billion-investment-childcare-2027Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S990
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S990Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S8531
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8531/amendment/originalFetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S8446
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8446Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S6835
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S6835Fetched: issuePositions
NYSenate.gov - Senate Bill S83
https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S83Fetched: issuePositions