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The Public Service Commission (PSC) holds its next meeting on May 17. The Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) holds its next meeting on May 22. The state Democratic and Republican parties will be holding their respective nominating conventions to designate candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and comptroller on May 23 and 24. […]

On Saturday, the Executive Board of the state’s Working Families Party (WFP) voted to endorse Cynthia Nixon in the race for Governor. The WFP also endorsed New York City Council Member Jumaane Williams for Lieutenant Governor. Both Nixon and Williams are also running in their respective Democratic primaries in an effort to defeat Governor Andrew […]

State lawmakers return to Albany today after taking a two-week post-budget break. This is the first time that the Senate will meet since Gov. Cuomo, Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Senator Jeff Klein announced the reunification of the mainline Senate Democratic Conference with the eight-member Independent Democratic Conference in order “ to protect against […]

Gov. Cuomo’s re-election effort appears to have begun as the Governor appears at two labor rallies last week. Last Wednesday, he spoke at a rally held by workers from the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ. The union, which is made up of 31,000 workers at 3,500 co-ops, condos and rentals in New York City, […]

Last Tuesday Gov. Cuomo announce that he has proposed legislation to prohibit all employers, public and private, who do business in New York State, from asking prospective employees about their salary history and compensation. Unshackle Upstate has opposed proposals of this nature in the past. While they are well-intended, they represent yet another burdensome state […]

Eleven vacant state legislative seats throughout the state will be filled at April 24 special elections. The winners of these races will have to run again in November, The Senate Democrats are hoping to win two special elections to replace Democrats who were elected to other offices. With the Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) members […]

Conservative Party Leaders Vote to Support Molinaro in Governor’s Race Last weekend, the state Conservative Party’s Executive Committee voted to recommend that the party support Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro in the race for Governor over State Senator John DeFrancisco. Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long said: “This was not an easy choice. Both candidates have […]

The Legislature returns to Albany next week . Both houses are scheduled to be in session on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On April 23, the Assembly Health Committee is holding a public hearing in Albany “to examine the practice of medical aid in dying, as well as potential legislation to authorize this practice.” A second […]

In a bombshell announcement on Wednesday the State Senate’s 7-year long feud between the “mainline” Senate Democratic Conference and the rogue Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) has ended (at least for now) as the warring factions announced their reunification at the apparent direct intercession of Governor Cuomo. The arrangement would keep Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins as Democratic […]