Covering the politics, policies and people of New York State government.
The Honorable Edward Griffith of Brooklyn, N.Y. passed on October 26, 2023, at 92 years of age, and it is important to recall and celebrate his life and legacy, as well as his enduring contributions to the law of New York. From 1973 through 2000, Mr. Griffith represented the 40th […]
Legislators in Albany have introduced four bills aimed at improving New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). The bills would require state agencies and local governments acknowledge FOIL requests under a stricter deadline and report how they handle requests to assess the state of FOIL. The proposed legislation would also […]
This week, Craig Ross Jr. will receive sentencing for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 9-year old girl from Moreau State Park in Saratoga County last fall. Ross faces 47 years to life in prison after pleading guilty back in February. Senator Jim Tedisco, R-Ballston Lake, and Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, D-Rotterdam, […]
A recent anti-fracking bill, S.8357/A.8866, has now passed in both the Senate and Assembly. The bill would add carbon dioxide fracking to the statewide high volume hydraulic fracking ban codified in the 2020-21 state budget. The proposed legislation adds two words to the original law that banned fracking, which defined […]
On Monday March 11, Assembly Republicans introduced an “Affordable Blueprint for Childcare.” The proposed legislation would expand access to early childcare education, create more affordability, increase the number of childcare providers, and increase tax incentives for childcare providers and families. The Republican Conference stressed they believe childcare is not a […]
The state court system will be putting a heavy emphasis on more specialized courts this coming year, including drug treatment courts, veteran courts and alternative-to-incarceration courts. Chief Judge Rowan Wilson outlined his goals for the court system in his State of the Judiciary address last month. He used the word, […]
On Feb. 15, more than 100 local newspapers across New York state launched The Empire State News Coalition in an effort to approve a legislative package that several news organizations say would bring relief to the struggling local journalism field. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act, S625B/A2958C, would provide tax credits […]
A coalition of good-government groups is applauding the Senate and Assembly for including $114.5 million for the New York State Public Campaign Finance Program in their one-house budget bills, matching the governor’s budget allocation. The funds would cover $14.5 million in administrative costs and $100 million for public matching funds […]