Covering the politics, policies and people of New York State government.
Interest groups, businesses and issue advocates spent $121.2 million on lobbying efforts during the first half of 2017, according to a report by The Joint Commission on Public Ethics. This represents an increase of about $1 million — or about 1 percent — from lobbying expenditures during the same time […]
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is calling for a bipartisan, united front against Trump Administration policies he says are threatening New Yorkers. The governor’s plea was directed at New York’s congressional delegation and comes in response to President Trump’s call for an $800 billion decrease to the Medicaid program — the heaviest […]
A regulatory reform coalition that works to “simplify bureaucratic structures” unveiled a paper today that portrays New York’s “Scaffold Law” as outdated, costly and as an impediment to infrastructure improvements. “For too long, New Yorkers have lived with the unintended consequences of New York’s Labor Law §240, a 19th-century statute […]
In less than three weeks, New York state voters will have the chance to declare their frustration with the seemingly endless trail of corruption by public officials. On November 7, they will decide whether to give judges the power to revoke or reduce the pensions of legislators and other officials […]
TANSTAFL — “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch,” or in this case, construction of a bridge. At the end of the day, someone has to pay. A Citizens Budget Commission report projecting that tolls on the new Tappan Zee Bridge will likely increase from $5.00 to $10.50 […]
The state’s largest teachers unions are suing to block the SUNY Charter Schools Committee from implementing what the unions call “illegal” regulations they say will “undermine the teaching profession by allowing unqualified teachers” to work in some charter schools. The suit filed by the New York State United Teachers and […]
The SUNY Charter Schools Committee on Wednesday approved a controversial plan that could allow certain charter schools to bypass state teacher certification criteria. The move, approved 4-1 by the committee, allows high-performing charter schools authorized by SUNY to create independent criteria for teacher certification, removing the requirement of a bachelor’s […]