On Wednesday, national transportation group TRIP released a report which finds that roads and bridges that are deteriorated, congested or lack some desirable safety features cost New York drivers $24.8 billion per year – as much as $2,768 per driver – due to higher vehicle operating costs, traffic crashes and congestion-related delays. The group reports […]
Earlier today, the members of the Senate Republican Conference met behind closed doors in Albany and re-elected Long Island Senator John Flanagan as their conference leader. According to one Senator who was present for the vote, Flanagan received 14 votes, while Senator Catherine Young of Cattaraugus County received 9 votes. The Senate Republicans will be […]
On Wednesday, the state Department of Health (DOH) issued its second two-year report on the state’s medical marijuana program. The report recommends changes to increase patient access and further improve the state’s Medical Marijuana Program, including allowing practitioners to certify patients who previously did not qualify for medical marijuana; permitting all practitioners who can prescribe […]
In January, 17 new State Senators and 21 new Assemblymembers will take office. Some of the new members who will be representing Upstate communities include: Democrat Rachel May in the 53rd Senate District in Central New York. May will replace incumbent David Valesky, whom she defeated in the Democratic primary. May, an educator who has taught […]
Each week, City & State New York publishes a list of the week’s political “winners” and “losers.” Read last week’s list here.
Later today, the Assembly Committees on Codes, Health, Government Operations and Alcoholism and Drug Abuse are holding a public hearing in Buffalo on legalizing, regulating and taxing the adult use of marijuana in the state. A second hearing will be held in Binghamton on November 20. The Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) holds […]
Democrats had a good day in New York this Election Day, having swept all of the statewide offices, gaining control of the State Senate for the first time in a decade and winning three Congressional seats to help the Democrat retake control of the House of Representatives. Governor Andrew Cuomo easily won a third term […]
On Wednesday, Gov. Cuomo appeared on a radio show, where he celebrated the Democrats’ Election Day successes, but said that he thinks the incoming Senate Democratic majority understands the need for moderation. The Governor received about 3.4 million votes, the largest number that any governor has ever received. The approximately 59 percent of the vote […]
Personnel changes are common after a general election as elected officials get their staff in place for their upcoming term. As Gov. Cuomo prepares for his third term in that office, some administration staff changes have already been announced. Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos is leaving the position that he has held […]
Last Wednesday, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) released a list of some of the issues that the Assembly will be focusing on in 2019. The Speaker noted that many of the assembly’s priorities have been blocked by a Republican-led Senate, and that he looks forward to working with incoming Senate Majority Leader Andrew Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) […]