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Albany Watch

Insights and tidbits from the state Capitol

Cara Matthews

Cara MatthewsCara Matthews has been a statehouse correspondent in the Albany Bureau since August 2005. Prior to that, she covered Putnam County government and politics at The Journal News for nearly five years. Before that, she worked at newspapers in Connecticut and covered the state Legislature for one of them.

E-mail Cara Matthews at clmatthe@gannett.com

Entries written by Cara Matthews

Using noose to intimidate now a felony

May
15

Painting, drawing or otherwise placing or displaying a noose is now a felony under New York law—punishable by up to four years in prison.

Gov. David Paterson signed the legislation that was proposed in the state after the well-publicized “Jena 6” case in Louisiana and two cases in New York—one noose was found in the locker room [...]

Posted by Cara Matthews on May 15th, 2008 | Post a Comment »

AG to crack down on more “double dipping”

May
15

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo just announced he is expanding his “double dipping” investigation on pension fraud by requesting information from each of New York’s 685 public-school districts on hiring retired officials who had already been receiving public pensions. (He had previously sought this information just from Long Island districts.)

Cuomo’s office is looking for “double dippers” engaged [...]

Posted by Cara Matthews on May 15th, 2008 | Post a Comment »

Gov says he won’t bend on gas tax

May
15

Gov. David Paterson said today that he would not give in to pressure from Republicans to give the state a sales tax “holiday” between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Although the Senate Republican Majority said its bill authorizes anti-price-gouging penalties for gas station owners and gas distributors that don’t pass along the savings, Paterson said there is no [...]

Posted by Cara Matthews on May 15th, 2008 | Post a Comment »

SUNY wants to appoint new chancellor this summer

May
13

   The State University of New York is making progress on finding a new chancellor for the 64-campus system and is on track to make an appointment during summer, Board of Trustees Chairman Carl Hayden reported today.

   SUNY has been without a permanent chancellor since John Ryan resigned from the $340,000-per-year position last May. John Clark [...]

Posted by Cara Matthews on May 13th, 2008 | Post a Comment »

Keeping playtime safe

May
13

Gov. David Paterson just announced that he submitted a “safe toys” bill to the Legislature. The legislation would protect New York kids from unsafe toys and durable products like cribs, car seats and high chairs that may be available even after they have been recalled. 

The legislation would address that problem by barring manufacturers, distributors and retailers from [...]

Posted by Cara Matthews on May 13th, 2008 | Post a Comment »

Assembly GOP wants to end nursing shortage

May
13

Saying the state’s nursing shortage is reaching “crisis proportions,” Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, announced five proposals he and his Republican colleagues are advancing.

According to the Health Care Association of New York State,  four out of five hospitals in the state are facing a nursing shortage. 

“New York’s nurses serve on the ‘front lines’ in administering quality, compassionate medical care [...]

Posted by Cara Matthews on May 13th, 2008 | Post a Comment »

Advocate fights for accessibility

May
12

 Here’s another report from GNS reporter Dan Osburn, who has been covering events at the Capitol today:

   Broome County resident and disability advocate Frank Pennisi received the “Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr. Advocacy Award” for state lawmakers his work to make polling sites in his county and other locations more handicapped accessible.
   “It’s nice to know they [...]

Posted by Cara Matthews on May 12th, 2008 | Post a Comment »

Lawmaker wants NYPD to use camera for firearm

May
12

GNS reporter Dan Osburn reports that a New York City senator plans to introduce legislation for city police to use high-tech device that will record what happens when a firearm is used. Here are details on what he learned today.

   Sen. Eric Adams, D-Brooklyn, demonstrated a new device called the PistolCam in the Capitol today [...]

Posted by Cara Matthews on May 12th, 2008 | Post a Comment »

“Ugly Betty” returns to NYC

May
12

Touting the success today of the state’s recent decision to triple its film tax credit (from 10 percent to 30 percent), Gov. David Paterson announced today that production of the ABC series “Ugly Betty” would be returning to New York City.  The city’s 5 percent “Made in NY” tax credit will boost that to 35 [...]

Posted by Cara Matthews on May 12th, 2008 | Post a Comment »

Trying not to make hospital patients even sicker

May
9

With hospital-acquired infections affecting 5 to 10 percent of patients, New York is giving more than $1.2 million to hospitals for projects to tackle the issue. Each year, hospital patients across the country contract an estimated 1.7 infections, resulting in some 99,000 deaths, according to state Health Commissioner Richard Daines.

Prevention efforts will target some of [...]

Posted by Cara Matthews on May 9th, 2008 | Post a Comment »

About this blog
A behind-the-scenes look at state government and politics from the Capitol bureau of Gannett News Service.
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About the authors
Jay GallagherJay Gallagher has covered Albany for Gannett News Service since 1984 and has been Albany Bureau chief since 1989. He`s a native of the Boston area and likes to point out that in this millennium, the score is Red Sox 1 championship, the Yankees 0.
Cara MatthewsCara Matthews has been a statehouse correspondent in the Albany Bureau since August 2005. Prior to that, she covered Putnam County government and politics at The Journal News for nearly five years. Before that, she worked at newspapers in Connecticut and covered the state Legislature for one of them.

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