Category Archives: Unshackle Upstate Update

Former Assembly Majority Leader Daniel Walsh passes away. City & State NY’s weekly Winners & Losers article here. City & State NY‘s collection of 2019 predictions here.

New York State’s 2019 legislative session begins on Wednesday, January 9. The state Board of Regents holds its next meeting on January 14 and 15. The Assembly plans to hold a joint committee public hearing on budget oversight and county-wide shared services property tax savings plans on January 15. The Public Service Commission (PSC) holds its next meeting on January 17. […]

As is common when a Governor begins a new term, Gov. Cuomo has started to make staffing changes within his Administration. Dani Lever has been named communications director, where she will oversee the Governor’s press shop, digital communications, and short- and long-term messaging strategy. Timothy Hartz will serve as Director of Executive Operations. He previously […]

Last Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader-Elect Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) announced the new Democratic Senate majority’s committee chairs for the 2019-20 legislative session.  Highlights include: Senator Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) as Chair of the Senate Finance Committee; Senator Shelley Mayer (D-Yonkers) as Chair of the Senate Education Committee; Senator Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx) as Chair of the Senate Health […]

Last Wednesday, the Assembly’s Democratic Majority re-elected Assemblymember Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) as their leader for the 2019-20 legislative session; he will be officially elected Assembly speaker for the upcoming session when the Assembly convenes in early January. Heastie was first elected to the Assembly in 2000, and as Speaker in 2015. Heastie said that the […]

The New York State Compensation Committee, which was tasked with making recommendations with respect to adequate levels of compensation, non-salary benefits, and allowances for state legislators, statewide elected officials, and state agency heads, released its full report last week. On December 6, Committee members said on that they would recommend that state legislators’ salaries increase […]

The Legislature has released its calendar for the 2019 legislative session. Lawmakers will begin the session on Wednesday, January 9th, and are scheduled to end session on Wednesday, June 19.

Last week, the Washington D.C.-based Tax Foundation released its annual report on wireless taxes and fees.  As in prior years, New York imposes some of the highest wires taxes in the nation – taxes make up 25.2% of the average New York resident’s wireless bill. High wireless taxes limit the ability of wireless consumers – […]

Gov. Cuomo, state legislative leaders and the state’s District Attorney’s Association have agreed to delay the establishment of a commission that was enacted to investigate misconduct by prosecutors and would otherwise become effective on January 1, 2019. The District Attorneys Association of the State of New York (DAASNY) filed lawsuit in October challenging the law, […]

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