Gov. Kathy Hochul today initiated an assessment of the Office of Cannabis Management to identify opportunities for improvement and begin implementation of a strategic plan for the long-term success of the legal cannabis rollout. Commissioner for the Office of General Services Jeanette Moy will serve as lead and executive sponsor […]
Policy
Legislators Join Labor-Religion Coalition to Demand Moral Budget
New York state legislators and members of the Labor Religion Coalition held a rally in the Capitol building’s War Room on March 4 to push for investments prioritizing low-income New Yorkers as the Legislature begins to turn their attention to finalizing the budget. Speakers at the event included Assembly members, […]
Legislative Package Aims To Reduce ‘Forever Chemicals’ Found In Many Household Products
On Tuesday Feb. 6 legislators and the PFAS-free New York coalition held a press conference at the Million Dollar Staircase advocating for a package of bills that work to eliminate and regulate the use and discharge of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in common consumer products and waterways. The package […]
Bill That Would Ban New Fracking Method Advances in Assembly
A new bill (S.8357/A.8866) that would ban the use of carbon dioxide for fracking and gas extraction has been introduced in the Legislature following reports that homeowners in New York’s Southern Tier are being asked to lease their land by a fracking company. Southern Tier CO2 to Clean Energy Solutions, or […]
Poll Finds That Two-Thirds of Americans Believe Online Sports Betting Will Create Compulsive Gamblers
In one of the busiest weeks for bookmakers and bettors, the Siena College Research Institute released a poll that finds 39 percent of Americans bet on sports, and 19 percent use an online betting app. The poll reveals the vast majority of online sports bettors say it’s fun and exciting […]
Governor Hochul Signs Bill Expanding the Legal Definition of Rape
On Tuesday, Jan. 30, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law expanding the legal definition of rape to include a number of different types of nonconsensual sexual contact in New York state. Prior to the signing of Legislation S.3161/A.3340, the law described rape as only vaginal penetration by a […]
Company Exploring A Fracking Alternative In New York’s Southern Tier Is Raising Alarms
Despite a statewide ban on fracking, energy companies have not given up the pursuit of fossil fuels in New York. Now, a company called Southern Tier Solutions, a newly formed company that is seeking leases in New York’s Southern Tier to try an alternate method of extracting natural gas. In […]
Report Finds Only 6 Percent of Written Criminal Court Decisions Are Published Each Year
The watchdog groups Reinvent Albany and Scrutinize recently released a report that estimates a meager 6 percent of all New York state criminal court decisions are actually published annually. These findings have prompted Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris, D-Queens, to call for legislation that would emphasize judicial transparency. The […]