Covering the politics, policies and people of New York State government.
Legislators and community activists are calling for a $50 million public health investment, safe injection sites, decriminalized syringes and safe housing for HIV-positive New Yorkers. The End AIDS 2020 Community Coalition, made up of 90 different organizations across the state, including Vocal NY and Housing Works, is calling for […]
On Tuesday Jan. 24, Assemblyman Dean Murray, R-East Patchogue, introduced a bill he says would help safeguard New Yorkers by taking away local authority to flout federal homeland security laws that pertain to deporting undocumented immigrants with a criminal record. Murray’s New York Combating Alien Recidivism and Ending Sanctuary […]
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has nominated Rowan Wilson to be the next associate judge on the New York State Court of Appeals. If approved by the Senate, Wilson would replace Judge Eugene Pigott who retired last year. “The New York State Court of Appeals embodies the highest values of government […]
SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher delivered her eighth and final State of the University Address January 23, outlining proposals she says will benefit both current students and recent graduates. Those proposals include being more proactive in encouraging all students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms and to […]
Revised bill contains new assurances that only mentally competent patients could request life-ending drug Four state lawmakers on Monday announced they are re-introducing a bill that would allow physician-assisted suicide for mentally competent, terminally ill patients in New York state. Sen. Diane Savino, D-Staten Island; Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, D-Scarsdale; […]
Assemblyman Tom Abinanti, D-Greenburgh, has introduced a bill (A. 456) that would ban gun shows on public property. Abinanti introduced his bill after Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino authorized the first gun show at the Westchester County Center in four years. On Thursday, January 19, Astorino vetoed a Westchester […]
Cuomo proposes full-time Legislature, term limits, easier voting and public campaign funding In his sixth and final State of the State Address in Albany, Gov. Andrew Cuomo outlined a plan to limit outside income of lawmakers, create a full-time Legislature, impose term limits for elected officials and make it […]
Senate Finance Committee Chair Catharine Young and Assembly Ways and Means Committee Chair Herman Farrell, Jr. announced the Joint Legislative Hearing Schedule on the 2017-2018 Executive Budget proposal. These hearings, each of which focuses on a programmatic area, are intended to provide the appropriate legislative committees with public input […]