Category Archives: Unshackle Upstate Update

Governor Urges Federal Government to Fund Gateway Tunnel Project

Last week, Gov. Cuomo toured the Gateway Tunnel “to expose corrosion and damage, calling on President Trump and Washington to stop playing politics and fund their share of the repairs.” The tunnel, which connects New Jersey to Penn Station, is the busiest rail hub in the nation. During Superstorm Sandy, both tunnel tubes were inundated […]


Cuomo, Molinaro Spar Over Debates

After refusing to debate his Republican opponent, Gov. Cuomo appears to be moving toward agreeing to some sort of debate with Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro.  The Governor initially agreed to a Saturday morning radio event — a “moderated conversation” – but Molinaro rejected that, calling it “a staged fraud on the taxpayers of New […]


Coming Up

The state Board of Regents holds its next meeting on October 15 and 16. On October 16, the Assembly Committees on Codes, Health, Government Operations and Alcoholism and Drug Abuse are holding the first of four public hearings “to seek input on proposals to legalize, regulate and tax adult use of marijuana in New York.” The first hearing will be held […]


Winners & Losers

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


Political Update

Cuomo Holds Massive Fundraising Lead Over Molinaro Entering the home stretch of the state’s gubernatorial race, two-term incumbent Andrew Cuomo has a huge lead over his Republican challenger, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro. According to campaign filings, Molinaro has just $210,000 to spend, while Cuomo has more than $9 million on hand. Cuomo Ad Hits […]


Senate Majority Leader Lays Out ‘The States for the Senate’

Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan (R-Suffolk County) released an editorial this week in which he lays out the case for a Senate Republican Majority in Albany in 2019. He writes about “protecting New Yorkers from dangerous policies coming from New York City,” including “single payer health care, taxpayer funded heroin injection sites, taxpayer funded campaigns, a Sanctuary […]


Assemblyman Charged With Receiving Bribe

On Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York announced that Assemblyman Joe Errigo (R – Livingston County) has been charged with accepting a bribe and the theft of honest services.  He is alleged to have introduced legislation that would enable a Rochester-area development project to move forward. The complaint indicates that Errigo acknowledged accepting the bribe. U.S. […]


Comptroller Releases Annual Report on the MTA

On Thursday, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli released his annual report on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the state authority responsible for the New York City metropolitan area’s regional transportation system.  According to the report, the MTA “is facing its greatest challenge in decades….[s]ubway, bus and commuter rail service has deteriorated, and riders are abandoning the system for other […]


Governor Announces Funding for Emergency Communications

On Thursday, Gov. Cuomo announced that $45 million in state grant funding has been awarded to 57 counties and New York City for emergency communications. This funding, which is derived from surcharges on cell phone bills, enables local governments to expand their emergency response capabilities to enhance public safety operations. Gov. Cuomo said: “In an emergency, every […]


Governor Announces Funding for Solar Powered Storage Projects

On Wednesday, Gov. Cuomo announced that the state will make $40 million available to support solar projects that integrate energy storage. This funding, which will be made available in early November, “will accelerate the deployment of at least 50 megawatts of energy storage paired with solar, and reduce barriers to deployment of this clean energy technology associated […]