Dear Mr. President: I am writing in hopes that you will add me to your list of potential pardons. I don’t think I have committed any crimes but, hey, you never know when you might want to wave a pardon in someone’s face. The way I see it is, if […]
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Gov. Cuomo signs toxic burning ban, vetoes bill to protect small streams
On Nov. 23, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed landmark legislation that will ban incineration of fire fighting foams containing harmful chemicals in certain cities. This new law is documented as being amongst the first of its kind in the nation, a notable victory for critics of foam incineration at the Norlite […]
New law updates NY’ers privacy rights, protects against “revenge porn”
On Nov. 30, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law new legislation aimed at protecting against commercial exploitation or unauthorized use of a dead person’s name, picture, voice or signature, giving only the families of such people the right to use them. The law also introduces new penalties for publishing revenge […]
Stewart-Cousins chosen to lead Senate Democrats next session
Andrea Stewart-Cousins was unanimously re-elected by her Democratic Conference colleagues as president pro tempore and majority leader of the New York State Senate. Stewart-Cousins, who represents Greenburgh, Scarsdale, and parts of White Plains, New Rochelle, and Yonkers, has served as leader of the Senate Democratic Conference since December 2012, and […]
Persistence pays off on tenants’ rights bill inspired by Bronx tragedy
In 2002, 8-year-old Jashawn Parker died in a Bronx apartment fire. The building accumulated nearly 400 code violations that went unaddressed by the landlord. Almost two decades and 17 attempts later, a law to prevent another incident like this was passed by both the Assembly and Senate and signed by […]
NY AG vows to stand with Muslim community as they look to shed Trump-era hate
In the days following the largest voter turnout in a presidential election in our nation’s history, Muslim Advocates, a Washington, D.C.-based group that strives to “halt bigotry in courts and halls of power,” held a virtual press conference to discuss the current state of our democracy, and to deliver the […]
Gov. Cuomo touts historic low for new HIV cases on World AIDS Day
To mark World AIDS Day — Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020 — Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York state has “bent the curve” on the HIV epidemic. Data collected for 2019 shows the number of infections, as well as HIV-related incidences, that occurred statewide hit an all-time low of 1,700 […]
Senator-elect Jabari Brisport will make history this January
Jabari Brisport won an uncontested race for New York’s 25th Senate District in Brooklyn, making history as the first openly gay black man to be elected to New York State Legislature. He is a part of the “Rainbow Wave,“ a term used to describe a new wave of LGBTQ+ candidates winning […]