Covering the politics, policies and people of New York State government.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has granted clemency to seven individuals, including five pardons and two commutations, noting the individuals have demonstrated remorse, exemplified rehabilitation and displayed “a commitment to improving themselves and their communities.” One commutation includes a reduced sentence for an individual originally convicted under the Rockefeller Drug Laws who […]
State University of New York Chancellor John King announced on Tuesday, April 11 that the mandate for student COVID-19 vaccine requirements will be lifted in tandem with President Joe Biden’s announcement the previous day that the country is no longer in a state of national emergency. Though the vaccine is […]
On March 8 — International Women’s Day — the group One Fair Wage held a flash mob and rally to increase tipped workers’ wages in the state Capitol. Restaurant workers and their supporters orchestrated a 75-person flash mob as part of a rally on wages at the Million Dollar Staircase […]
A new Siena poll of New York state residents released Wednesday April 12 shows that 70 percent of New Yorkers are happy they live here, while 30 percent wish they lived somewhere else. In relation to that, 71 percent plan to continue to live in New York five years from […]
Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages and Sen. James Sanders have introduced a bill to prevent the use of the app TikTok on state-owned devices. The bills (S.508/A.03317) would prevent anyone — employee or contractor — from using or accessing TikTok on any government issued device that can connect to the internet, whether […]
A coalition of state lawmakers, New York City Council members and environmental groups are calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to close a landfill in the Finger Lakes while the owners hope for an extension and expansion on the landfill. On April 6, Assembly Member Anna Kelles and New York City […]
The SeeThroughNY database — the largest single depository for information on New York state salaries and spending — published new 2022 payroll details for employees that worked for the state’s executive, legislative and judicial branches. The database is published by the Empire Center, an Albany-based think tank focused on making sure […]
In the wake of a Texas federal court ruling against access to the pregnancy-ending drug Mifepristone, New York lawmakers and health care experts met for a virtual press conference Tuesday to promise uninterrupted access to reproductive health care, including abortion, in the state of New York. Dipal Shah, the executive […]