Covering the politics, policies and people of New York State government.
I have been meaning to write a column extolling the work of Barbara Underwood, who has been the Attorney General for several months now. She has proven herself to be one of the best occupants of that office ever. Her work following up on the misdeeds of the Trump Foundation […]
Democratic Sen. Kevin Parker is facing mounting criticism over a tweet directed at a Republican spokeswoman Tuesday urging her to “Kill Yourself” after she publicly shamed him for blocking a bike lane in midtown Manhattan. The Twitter war began after a citizen traffic and safety watchdog with the handle @chesneycheckers […]
With a new Legislature about to be seated in Albany, a coalition of more than 90 groups is asking the governor and lawmakers to reform the state’s voting laws this coming session. The Fair Elections of New York campaign sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and all 213 members […]
Despite the fact that both houses of the Legislature enthusiastically voted to allow lottery (Lotto) winners to remain anonymous, the governor vetoed the bill. Andrew said, I think wrongheadedly, that New Yorkers who play the lottery deserve to know who won. Presumably, the governor’s reasoning was that confidence in the […]
Statement from Senate Republican Conference Leader John Flanagan: “After 20 years without a raise, it’s time for hardworking members of the Legislature to receive one, and I have said so many times. I support the compensation committee’s recommendation when it comes to both legislative and executive cost-of-living adjustments. “However, this […]
Gov. Cuomo stresses that pay raise for lawmakers and executive officers will be tied to performance and on-time budgets It has been 20 years since lawmakers and other statewide officers received a pay raise in New York state, and they might have to wait a little while longer if the […]
The New York State Board of Regents is calling for a $2.1 billion increase in Foundation Aid for the 2019-2020 school year to support English language learners, career and technical education programs and universal prekindergarten programs. “The Board of Regents and I believe that all children should have access to […]
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a law on December 7 that requires all private schools in the state to report allegations of sexual abuse. Previously, only public schools were mandated to report these kinds of allegations. Assemblyman Dave McDonough, R-Merrick, was the original author of legislation that was signed […]