School and business groups, not surprisingly, had different reactions today to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s discussions about changing the tax code and perhaps keeping higher income taxes on the wealthy. Billy Easton, executive director of the labor-backed Alliance for Quality Education, said the state is suffering from letting the rich get… Read More →
New York’s 65 and older population is growing at a slower rate compared to the rest of the country, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau, Gannett’s Aaron Scholder reports. Based on 2010 population figures, the country’s 65 and older population grew at a rate faster than… Read More →
We reported today about the two vacant Assembly seats that will leave perhaps half of Dutchess County without representation on Jan. 1—until Gov. Andrew Cuomo calls a special election for the two seats, as well as ones in Buffalo and Yonkers. And when Cuomo does call the special elections, there… Read More →
The state Department of Environmental Conservation is extending a public comment period on it’s 1,500-plus-page set of proposed rules for hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, the agency announced at a hearing in New York City today. The DEC released its proposed rules for comment in September, and a public comment… Read More →
Ten people across the state have been charged with selling firearms at gun shows without performing a background check on buyers, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced today. Gun sellers from Erie, Genesee, Orleans and Ulster county were among those nabbed in the sting operation. The attorney general’s office said… Read More →
Gov. Andrew Cuomo this morning refused to rule out whether he will consider raising taxes next year, particularly higher income taxes on the wealthy. After a year of vowing to let higher income taxes on the rich expire at year’s end, Cuomo said on Fred Dicker’s radio show on Talk… Read More →
A coalition of left-leaning and labor groups will be canvassing across the state on Saturday, going door to door in 10 regions to garner support for a tax on New York’s highest earners. Canvassers will be in Yonkers, Poughkeepsie and Newburgh, as well as Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Syracuse, Troy, Saratoga,... Read More →
A new report from a coalition of health groups is critical of New York’s spending on anti-tobacco programs, finding the state ranks 20th in the nation after ranking 5th five years ago. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids report ranked the state’s based on the amount of money spent on anti-tobacco… Read More →
Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb said today that Gov. Andrew Cuomo should quickly call special elections for the four Assembly seats that will be open when the Legislature returns to Albany in January. Three Assembly members—Democrat Mark Schroeder of Buffalo, Democrat Mike Spano of Yonkers and Republican Marcus Molinaro—all won… Read More →
The labor-backed Fiscal Policy Institute is out with a report today that Gannett’s Albany Bureau wrote about this morning that contends that the poor economy led New York this year to have 500,000 fewer jobs than if the recession didn’t strike. The fewer jobs costs the state $31 billion in… Read More →