This week, the Governor signed a bill into law (A.5944/S.4863) which will lift the ban on gravity knives. “Gravity knives” are folding knives which are able to be opened with one hand, by a flick of the wrist. These knives are commonly used in the skilled trades industry, by chefs or artists. They can be […]
Governor Cuomo announced the official launch of the University at Buffalo’s Innovation Hub. The Innovation Hub is funded through a $32 million Empire State Development grant commitment from New York State, and supports innovation at UB and its leading research partners, including Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Jacobs Institute, Hauptmann-Woodward Medical Research Institute and […]
Comptroller DiNapoli released his annual report on Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs) and their activity within the state. The report showed IDAs provided approximately $1.4 billion in total tax exemptions to 4,385 projects in 2017. These exemptions were partially offset by $642 million in payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs). Through 2017, active IDA projects produced […]
City & State NY’s Winners and Losers here. City & State NY’s Long Island Power 100 here. Cuomo on Chartock here. Lohud’s feature of Melissa DeRosa, Secretary to the Governor here. Albany Med CEO announces retirement. According to a report, Liz Benjamin will leave Spectrum News and Capital Tonight program will end. Cuomo suggests mobile […]
The Board of Regents will hold its next meeting on June 3rd and 4th. A Joint Legislative hearing on suicide and suicide prevention is scheduled for June 4th. The Senate Committees on Consumer Protection and Internet and Technology will hold a public hearing to conduct discussion on online privacy and what role the State Legislature […]
In a 4-1 ruling this week, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court ruled that theexclusion from collective bargaining for farm laborers is unconstitutional, reversing a lower court which had granted a motion to dismiss. The Court determined that farmworkers are “employees” within the plain meaning of the term and that nothing in the constitutional provision’s language […]
This week the Governor declared a state of emergency for the counties of Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans, Oswego, St. Lawrence and Wayne due to high water levels and significant potential for flooding. The Governor has ordered state agencies to protect state property and assist local governments and individuals responding to or recovering from local flooding. The […]
This week the Legislature passed a bill designed to help congressional investigationsby allowing the state Department of Taxation and Finance to release state tax filings to certain congressional committees upon request from the chairperson. The amended version of the bill narrows the original language to only applying to tax filings for the current or prior year and to […]
It was reported this week that Seth Agata, executive director of the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE), would be leaving his position at JCOPE at the end of June. The announcement was made at the monthly JCOPE meeting by commission chairman Michael Rozen. Mr. Agata is said to be leaving for a position at a private […]
It was reported this week that the New York State United Teachers union (NYSUT) has agreed to a $100,000 settlement with Risa Sugarman, chief enforcement counsel for the New York State Board of Elections. Sugarman’s complaint alleged that NYSUT violated election law by ignoring a law that took effect in 2016 that prohibits political action committees (PACs) […]