The state Assembly and Senate went in opposite directions today, with the Democratic-controlled Assembly announcing measures to help tenants mainly in the New York City area deal with rents and the Senate seeking tougher laws on Internet violence.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver supported a nine-bill package aimed at keeping rents affordable in the New York City [...]

That’s the message from Sen. Eric Adams, D-Brooklyn, this week as he demonstrated a new device called the PistolCam – a 5-ounce camera he said would provide “a clearer picture of what officers encounter after they remove their guns from their holster.”

Adams, a former NYPD officer, wants officers to start using the guns in the [...]

Remember when Spitzer 2010 sounded so imminent?

Well, according to the New York Observer, former Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s campaign will be returning money to donors who request a refund.

The email to donors from campaign spokeswoman Allyson Giard reads:

“As you are likely aware, we are currently disbanding Spitzer 2010. We intend to re-distribute the campaign’s remaining funds [...]

State Assembly Republican Leader James Tedisco has put online his petition to have Assembly Democrats pass a state gas-tax suspension from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Meamwhile, Senate Republicans, who passed a gas-tax suspension last week, said more than 20,000 New Yorkers have signed petitions set up by its members.

Tedisco’s petition can be found here.

As the state looks to curb costs in the face of a weakening economy, state workers continue to rack up overtime pay, a review of state records shows.

Overtime costs among the state’s nearly 400 agencies jumped by more than $66 million between 2005 and 2007, a 16 percent increase, and some state workers have more [...]

That was part of Gov. David Paterson’s response to questions about why he wants to remove an upstate chairman of the Empire State Development Corp. and replace it with one statewide chair.

He said he doesn’t want to take away representation of upstate businesses, but feels it’s important to have one person at the helm of [...]

Hoping to drum up support and money for Rep. Randy Kuhl’s re-election bid, the National Republican Congressional Committee released a poll today that it conducted in January that shows Kuhl with a 20 percentage-point lead over Democrat Eric Massa.

Kuhl represents the 29th Congressional District, which runs from the Southern Tier to the Rochester suburbs.

Politicial parties [...]

Gov. David Paterson is hitting some upstate counties today and is touring with Sen. Charles Schumer.

There first stop was Skaneateles in the Finger Lakes, where the pair announced that the state Department of Transportation will develop new policies to keep large trucks off local roads in central New York.

They said that the countryside is being [...]

The state Commission on Judicial Conduct released a report today that says the panel supports judges receiving a pay raise, but warned judges to not recuse themselves in cases brought to their courts by firms in which state lawmakers are employed.

There have been reports across the state of state judges recusing themselves from cases involving [...]

Upstate Empire State Development Corp. Chairman Daniel Gundersen finally made a public statement late today on Gov. Paterson’s plans to fold his position into one statewide economic development chairman.

Paterson’s move leaves questions about Gundersen’s future, yet Paterson said he wants to keep Gundersen, who works out of Buffalo.

Gundersen’s statement essentially suggests he supports whatever direction [...]