Senate Deputy Majority Leader Thomas Libous said today it’s unclear whether a special session of the Legislature is all but ruled out for this year. “I think while certainly the governor and others are downplaying it, you never know,” Libous said in an interview with Gannett’s Albany Bureau. “There’s a… Read More →
The University at Buffalo’s president announced Monday that he would shut down the school’s controversial shale-gas research institute, less than two months after he penned a letter defending it to the SUNY Board of Trustees. In an open letter, UB President Satish Tripathi said he decided to close the university’s… Read More →
Another gas-industry group is out with a strongly worded letter to the Cuomo Administration today, with a New York-based trade organization saying that their trust in state government has been “exhausted.” The Independent Oil & Gas Association of New York sent its letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo today, urging him… Read More →
While a special session of the state Legislature is increasingly unlikely, groups gathered in downtown Albany to call on the Senate to increase the state minimum wage. Anti-hunger, faith and community groups pushed for a special legislative session before January to raise the minimum wage to at least $8.50 an… Read More →
Federal disaster unemployment assistance is being made available for residents of Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, and Ulster counties who lost their job or income due to Superstorm Sandy, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today. The disaster unemployment benefits are available to New Yorkers who lost their job or income due to last… Read More →
Sen. Michael Gianaris, the head of the Senate Democratic campaign committee, said Gov. Andrew Cuomo is not to blame if Democrats can’t take control of the Senate in January. MSNBC host Chris Hayes and a writer for Salon knocked the Democratic governor for not doing more to help Democrats retake… Read More →
The state’s pension fund grew 4 percent in the second quarter of the fiscal year to a total of $150.1 billion, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said. DiNapoli’s office estimates a yearly return of 7.5 percent on the fund, which has about 1 million retirees and workers. The fund is one of… Read More →
The state housing market anticipates the fourth quarter to have a decrease in sales, particularly in areas affected by Superstorm Sandy, but the market had an increase in sales during October, Gannett’s Haley Viccaro reports. Closed sales, pending sales and median sales all increased in October compared to last year…. Read More →
A national gas-industry group has taken issue with the state’s selection of health experts for its hydrofracking review, claiming the picks “contradict the state’s intention of having an independent and objective” process.” Energy in Depth, an organization with backing from gas companies and industry trade groups, is set to send… Read More →
MSNBC host Chris Hayes was critical of Gov. Andrew Cuomo over the weekend for not doing more to put the state Senate back in Democrats’ hands. Cuomo hasn’t indicated whether he wants Republicans or Democrats to control the chamber in January, but he has had a good working relationship with… Read More →
