Capitol Watch: 9 legislative updates you may have missed over the long weekend
ITHACA, N.Y. — National political headlines were dominated by calls for impeachment, lost hopes of infrastructure week and subpoena filings last week, but lawmakers in Albany and Washington took on a range of issues before leaving town for a weeklong recess. The House passed a major bipartisan plan to help Americans save for retirement, a…
Capitol Watch: Gillibrand speaks out against anti-abortion laws, Reed backs Equality Act
ALBANY, N.Y. — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand missed some votes in Washington last week while hitting the campaign trail, where she protested Georgia’s passage of anti-abortion laws. Rep. Tom Reed crossed party lines to support a Democratic initiative to expand civil rights laws to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination. Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton introduced a bill to…
Capitol Watch: Earth Day inspires state and federal bills
ITHACA, N.Y. — Environmental legislation was on the agenda in both Washington and Albany last week with the recent Earth Day holiday. Democrats in the House passed a bill to try and keep the U.S. in the Paris Climate Accord while New York State Democrats passed a constitutional protection of clean water. Republicans in both…
Capitol Watch: Lifton votes against plan to expand access to college tuition for Gold Star families
ALBANY, N.Y. — Last week, the House passed its bill on net neutrality without the support of Rep. Tom Reed who claims the legislation gives too much control to federal regulators. In the New York Assembly, Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton voted to block a plan that would expand access to free college tuition for children of veterans…
Reed outraises Mitrano in early campaigning, but less than last cycle
ITHACA, N.Y. — The election may be more than a year away, but campaigning for New York’s 23rd Congressional seat is well underway. Republican Congressman Tom Reed has raised about 15 times that of returning Democratic candidate, Tracy Mitrano, in the first three months of 2019, but his campaign has raised less than at the same point…
Rural Democrats discuss strategy, unity at annual convention
Democratic leaders gathered in Central New York over the weekend to talk strategy and unity moving forward at the Democratic Rural Conference’s annual convention. Download audio HERE. View the web story HERE.
Capitol Watch: Breaking down the state budget
ALBANY, N.Y. — Early Monday, lawmakers signed off on the 2019-20 fiscal year budget setting a deluge of Democratic-leaning legislative deals like additional funding for education and a permanent cap on property taxes. The budget was considered “on time” by the State Comptroller meaning legislators will get an additional bonus to their pay this year, but they’re…
Capitol Watch: Trash incinerator bill passes Senate, heated budget week
In the latest from Albany and Washington … it’s crunch time for the Legislature in Albany as the clock ticks toward a Sunday deadline on budget negotiations. Rep. Reed looks ahead the federal debt limit and the potential for another vote to raise the debt ceiling later this summer. For the full story, click HERE
Capitol Watch: Tax cap, trash incinerator and farm labor protections up for debate
In the latest from Albany and Washington … Republican Rep. Tom Reed supported Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s calls to institute a permanent property tax cap on municipalities and school districts, but Democratic Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton isn’t siding with Cuomo. State Senator Tom O’Mara called out state Democrats’ proposed farm labor regulations and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand…
Capitol Watch: Tobacco purchasing age, gun storage and bracing for budgets
In the latest from Albany and Washington … Congress begins paging through the President’s proposed budget for the country while both legislative chambers in New York state plan to release their fiscal plans for the state this week. The state Assembly passed measures to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco and vaping products, and…