Covering the politics, policies and people of New York State government.
Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation allowing New Yorkers to be buried with their pets at not-for-profit cemeteries. “For many New Yorkers, their pets are members of the family,” Cuomo said. “This legislation will roll back this unnecessary regulation and give cemeteries the option to honor the last wishes of […]
Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell, a Manhattan Democrat and sponsor of the Dignity for All Students Act, wants to change the way teachers are trained to detect bullying and harassment and improve the quality of HIV/AIDS education in high schools. In a letter to Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia, O’Donnell laid out […]
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed two new laws that allow farm wineries, breweries and cideries to sell their products by the glass both on site and in off-site stores, further updating New York’s 80-year-old Alcoholic Beverage Control Law. These bills (S.5707-a/A.7960-a and S. 5341/A.5580) allow farm wineries, breweries and cideries […]
The recent announcement that the federal government will give New York several million dollars to improve railroad crossings highlights the need for legislation requiring the Department of Transportation to assess and prioritize rail crossing deficiencies across the state, said Assemblyman Tom Abinanti, D-Greenburgh, the author of a bill that […]
The Division of the Budget is launching a new website — www.ny.gov/nonprofits — designed to improve the working relationship between the state and those not-for-profits that provide services to New Yorkers. The website will serve as New York’s source for information impacting the nonprofit sector and as a portal […]
As Americans root for Team USA at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, R-Staten Island, wants to exempt athletes from New York’s “insatiable hunger for tax revenue.” The assemblywoman said she will introduce legislation next session to eliminate the state tax on income earned as […]
The New York State Public Service Commission has approved a new energy standard that will require 50 percent of New York’s electricity to come from renewable energy sources like wind and solar by 2030, with an aggressive phase in schedule over the next several years. In its initial phase, […]
A new bill that would prohibit a tax, fee or charge on any paper, plastic, or other merchandise bags was passed by the Senate and saw movement in the Assembly late in the session. The bill is seen as a reaction to a controversial New York City law that places […]