Albany

BY E.J. McMAHON On April 2, with New York’s COVID-19 curve still rising ominously, state lawmakers wrapped up a budget almost unchanged from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s pre-pandemic January proposal. With the economy in a coma and revenues crashing, the plan obviously was

Measures to Restore Checks & Balances, Provide Testing & PPE to Nursing Homes and To Support Small Business are Rejected by Senate Majority Senator Patrick M. Gallivan (R-C-I, Elma) led efforts of the Senate Minority Conference this week in proposing

Says China must be held accountable for loss of life and economic damage to New York (Buffalo, NY) – State Senator Chris Jacobs is urging Attorney General Letitia James to bring legal action against the People’s Republic of China (PRC)

New York’s governor and state lawmakers dished out $152 million for local projects favored by state lawmakers through the state Dormitory Authority during the state’s 2020 fiscal year, according to data posted today on SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s government transparency website. The

Payroll for Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) in the calendar year 2019 increased by more than $150 million, according to data released today on SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s transparency website. Payroll at Port Authority totaled more

BY BRIAN KOLB Traditionally, Memorial Day marks the beginning of summertime, outdoor recreation. Families flock to beaches, campgrounds and host backyard barbeques for their neighbors. Citizens line downtown streets at celebrations, and churches are packed during remembrance services. There’s no

ALBANY, NY  — The New York State Senate Republican Conference today demanded that Governor Cuomo and the state Department of Health step up their focus on protecting nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and adult daycare centers from COVID-19, instead of

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia), has signed a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo asking him to reconsider allowing religious institutions to open and host services earlier than previously indicated. With Western New York leading the charge to reopen the state, Hawley

Angelo Morinello (R,C,I,Ref-Niagara Falls) and members of the Assembly Minority Conference today announced their “Jump-Start New York” plan to help reboot the economy. The initiative calls for short-term relief measures as well as a path to long-term stability for the

Assemblymember Monica P. Wallace (D-Lancaster) announced Tuesday that the New York State budget contains provisions requiring disclosure of ingredients in vapor products as well as information about the potential health hazards of those ingredients. Wallace, who had introduced legislation (A.8663)

$500,000 State Grant Will Support the Botanical Gardens’ Expansion Plans; Museum Addition Will Feature a Butterfly Conservatory, New Classrooms for Educational Programming, Exhibit Space, and a Café Members of the Western New York State Delegation joined leadership from the Buffalo

Sales of Dairy Products Decline Because of COVID-19 Senator Patrick M. Gallivan (R-C-I, Elma) is urging the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to assist dairy farmers across the state who have seen the sale of milk and

The number of New York public-sector early retirees allowed to collect both a state or local government paycheck and a full public pension benefit grew by over 4 percent from July 2018 to July 2019, according to data posted today on SeeThroughNY.net, the

Maximum eligible pension benefits for retirees of the New York City Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) increased by at least $135 million in 2019, according to data posted today at SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s transparency website. The Empire Center’s most recent Freedom of

When word spread that Governor Andrew Cuomo had ordered the National  Gaurd to seize ventilators and other medical equipment from hospitals across Upstate New York, it sparked an immediate backlash from both ends of the political spectrum, even prompting harsh

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) is applauding the successful reinstatement of funding to local municipalities in the state budget. After funding was at risk of being cut from the governor’s budget plan, Hawley fought hard to ensure that local municipalities were

BY ASSEMBLYMAN BRIAN KOLB “We have the power, but do they have the will? It’s time for the Legislature to regain its mojo.” I said those words about three years ago. I was trying to inspire some urgency in my

After reports swirled across the State late Friday night that senior public health officials in the administration of Governor Andrew Cuomo were actively drafting a temporary six-week ban on the sale of combustible cigarettes, the Altria Group (which owns Phillip