In an attempt to protect immigrant communities in New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo sent a letter on Nov. 2 to President Trump, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. This past week, the CDC had […]
Policy
Bars, restaurants and gyms must close at 10 p.m. under new restrictions
Responding to an increase in COVID cases, Gov. Andrew Cuomo today announced new restrictions on bars, restaurants, gyms and residential gatherings in New York state. Effective Friday at 10 p.m., bars, restaurants and gyms or fitness centers, as well as any State Liquor Authority-licensed establishment, will be required to close […]
Local governments taking steps to reform police agencies under governor’s executive order
Under Executive Order 203, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is directing all police departments in New York state to perform a comprehensive review of their current procedures and practices and to develop plans for addressing inherent racial biases. The Executive Order — issued on June 12, 2020 following the murder of George […]
Celebrity chefs join Gillibrand in call for restaurant relief bill
On Oct. 20, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, alongside restaurateurs David Chang and Tom Colicchio, urged the U.S. Senate to pass the Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed to Survive (RESTAURANTS) Act of 2020 as soon as possible. The funding would be designated for independent eateries in an effort […]
Cultural and arts industry discuss major losses due to COVID-19
On Oct. 21 Senator José Serrano, Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation, hosted a public meeting to discuss how the coronavirus has impacted cultural and arts organizations across the state. The members present for the hearing unanimously expressed their appreciation of the industry of the […]
Legislation proposed to combat long lines at polling locations
The “Make Voting Easy” Act was proposed this past weekend by Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris to expand and generate early voting sites in order to prevent long lines in the next election that currently force voters to wait hours. Sen. Gianaris’ proposal requires one polling site for every 25,000 […]
NY’s draft vaccination plan prioritizes frontline workers and virus hotspots
In anticipation of a federally approved vaccine for COVID-19 coming this winter or spring, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has unveiled a draft plan for vetting and distributing the drug to New Yorkers. Given the many unknowns at this point in the vaccine development process, the draft New York State COVID-19 Vaccination […]
Overwhelmed nonprofits ask governor to release federal aid as a lifeline
On Oct. 21, several New York lawmakers and nonprofit groups held a virtual press conference asking Gov. Andrew Cuomo to release $2 billion in federal coronavirus aid that New York state received through the Coronavirus Relief Fund in the CARES Act. According to the groups, New York state received $5.1 […]