Blog

Nov 5 2018

Get Out and Vote!

Tomorrow’s general election are important.  While a great deal of attention is being paid to the national mid-term elections and New York’s race for governor, the Republican’s hold on the New York State Senate is risk.  New York City Democrats dominate the Assembly and voters have recently elected a string of Democratic governors. If the […]


Nov 5 2018

Governor Announces Funding to Secure Non-Public Schools, Cultural Centers

Last Tuesday, Gov. Cuomo announced that the state is accepting applications for a grant program to protect the state’s non-public schools and cultural centers, including religious-based institutions.  The program, which will distributed $10 million in this round of awards, provides funding to help strengthen security measures and help prevent hate crimes or attacks against these […]


Nov 5 2018

Court Rules that State Daily Fantasy Sports Law Violates State Constitution

Last Monday, a state judge struck down a 2016 state law that legalized daily fantasy sports (DFS) in New York State. That law classified daily fantasy sports – contests in which players compete by building rosters of professional athletes in a particular sport — are games of skill, not games of chance, which are banned […]


Nov 5 2018

Key State Senate Races

New York’s biggest and most contested prize this election season is control of the State Senate. With the exception of two brief periods – 1965 and 2009-10 – the Republicans have controlled the state Senate since 1939. The Republicans, with only 31 members as of this writing, have been able to maintain control of the […]


Nov 5 2018

Gubernatorial Candidates – Except Cuomo – Debate

On Thursday night, 4 of the 5 candidates for governor faced off at a debate at a college in Albany hosted by the League of Women Voters.  Republican Marc Molinaro, independent Stephanie Miner, Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins and Libertarian Larry Sharpe debated in front of a crowd of roughly 100 people; only incumbent Democratic […]


Nov 5 2018

Attorney General Candidates Debate

On Tuesday, Democrat Letitia James and Republican Keith Wofford, the leading candidates for state Attorney General, faced off in their only live televised debate before Election Day. (Watch the debate here.) The Attorney General’s office became open in May when then-Attorney General Eric Schneiderman resigned in the wake of allegations of physical abuse by multiple […]


Nov 5 2018

Comptroller Candidates Debate

Last Monday, incumbent Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and Republican challenger Jonathan Trichter met in a televised debate. (Watch the debate here.) The state Comptroller is the head of the Department of Audit and Control.  The Comptroller’s responsibilities include auditing government operations and serving as the sole trustee of the state’s retirement system. The two candidates sparred […]


Nov 5 2018

Winners & Losers

Each week, City & State New York publishes a list of the week’s political “winners” and “losers.”  Read last week’s list here.


Nov 5 2018

Coming Up

Tomorrow is Election Day.  Polls are open from 6 am until 9 pm. On November 13, the New York State Compensation Commission holds its first meeting. On November 15, the Assembly Elections Committee is holding a public hearing to “examine ways to improve access to voting, both in person and by absentee ballot, including through […]


Oct 30 2018

Coming Up

On October 30, the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce is holding a program titled ‘Preparing for NYS Increases to the Minimum Wage & Salary Threshold.’ The Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) holds its next meeting on October 30. Also on October 30, Spectrum News and NY1 will host a debate between attorney general candidates […]