Covering the politics, policies and people of New York State government.
Congressman Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, has announced that he will not run for New York State Governor in 2018. Gibson was widely considered as a possible candidate for the 2018 gubernatorial election against Andrew Cuomo. But on Monday, Gibson announced he intends to step away from politics entirely. Gibson released a statement […]
Assemblywoman Margaret Markey and Senator Brad Hoylman are sponsors of a bill that would eliminate the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse crimes. The legislation also includes a one-year window during which the statute of limitations is suspended so older victims can seek justice. Markey will screen […]
A bill that would require the state court system to compile data on policing practices was left out of the 2016 New York State budget. Now, advocates of the bill (S.6001/A.7698-a), including Assemblyman Joseph Lentol and Senator Daniel Squadron, are calling for adoption of the Police STAT Act before […]
With increased success comes increased expectations, especially in the world of sports. This is even truer in the world of New York sports, as evidenced by a new Siena College Research poll out this week. As baseball season begins this week, 45 percent of New Yorkers think the Yankees […]
A new bill in the Assembly is designed to prevent individuals on the Terror Watch List from purchasing a firearm in New York state. The bill (A.9433) introduced by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale, is an attempt to give more time to the FBI for completing background checks on those purchasing […]
In the wake of a shocking crime in the Capital Region, state lawmakers are calling for a new law (S.2936/A.1596) that would expand the definition of cruelty to animals. Specifically, the bill would impose two years in jail and a $5,000 fine on those who harm animals while committing another […]
Assemblyman Joseph Lentol and Senator Daniel Squadron are calling for New York to overhaul the system for collecting and reporting data on policing activity throughout the state. Their Police-STAT Act (A.7698/S.6001) would allow the state to capture and publicly report statistics about policing across the state. More than 50 people […]
Lawmakers fighting to legalize mixed martial arts in New York have taken the first step towards making that desire become a reality. Earlier this month, the Senate voted 48-14 in favor of a bill (S.5949-a) to legalize the combat sport in the Empire State. Seventy-two members of the Assembly have […]