Covering the politics, policies and people of New York State government.
Members, supporters and advocates for the New York Civil Liberties Union rallied Monday outside the Capitol in support of several bills they say would protect and expand civil rights. Public defense funding and reform, reproductive rights, transgender discrimination, electronic privacy, and police data transparency were all on the agenda for […]
Andrew and Donald, the saga continues. It turns out that Andrew, slick dude that he is, has lucked out. He thought that Hillary would be president. He was wrong or possibly just playing it cagey. Then the heat got turned up and everyone wanted to know what and when Andrew […]
Representatives from the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS) joined with more than 100 direct care staff and mental health advocates to rally on the steps of the Capitol last Wednesday to call on lawmakers to increase funding for mental health recovery assisted living programs. Cries of “fair […]
Legislators, teachers, advocates and representatives from New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) rallied Tuesday in the capital for tax code changes to fund schools across New York. The expansion of the “millionaire’s tax” and closing of the carried interest loophole will bring in […]
President Donald Trump fired U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara Saturday after the prosecutor refused to step down along with 45 other Obama holdovers who were asked by the Justice Department to resign. Bharara has been a hero to those in New York who appreciated his tough stance on public corruption, […]
Legal advocates, clergy and representatives from the NAACP and New York Bar Association are urging legislators to pass the Justice Equality Act, which would provide state funding of public defense offices and expenses. The bill (A.1903), sponsored by Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy, D- Albany, passed both the assembly and senate last […]
A Republican-sponsored bill in the Senate and Assembly would eliminate most provisions of the controversial SAFE Act in upstate New York and on Long Island. The bill (S.0879/A.6140) would “reestablish the rights of law abiding citizens in rural and suburban areas of the state” by limiting the regulations of […]
Senator Brad Hoylman, D–Manhattan, is taking action against the Trump Administration’s recent rollback of transgender protection laws. The senator has introduced a new bill on March 3 that would protect New York’s transgender youth by codifying certain protections under state law. Hoylman’s bill (S.4843) would permanently adopt the Title […]