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Liz Krueger

Politics
Polluters Pay Up: NY Law Forces Fossil Fuel Companies To Fund Climate Protections Polluters Pay Up: NY Law Forces Fossil Fuel Companies To Fund Climate Protections
Polluters Pay Up: NY Law Forces Fossil Fuel Companies To Fund Climate Protections New York is making polluters pay up. A landmark law signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday, Dec. 26, created a “Climate Superfund” requiring large fossil fuel companies to pay for critical projects aimed at protecting residents from severe weather impacts like flooding and extreme heat. The move is meant to shift the cost of climate resilience projects from New Yorkers to those most responsible for the pollution, Hochul’s office said. “With nearly every record rainfall, heatwave, and coastal storm, New Yorkers are increasingly burdened with billions of dollars in health, safety, and envir…

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by Michael Mashburn
Politics
'Protected, Not Prosecuted': NY Bill Would Decriminalize Prostitution, Target Sex Traffickers 'Protected, Not Prosecuted': NY Bill Would Decriminalize Prostitution, Target Sex Traffickers
'Protected, Not Prosecuted': NY Bill Would Decriminalize Prostitution, Target Sex Traffickers New York lawmakers are considering new legislation aimed at protecting sex trafficking survivors and closing a legal loophole often used by their abusers. The Sex Trade Survivors Justice and Equality Act (STSJEA), introduced by Democratic Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter, would decriminalize prostitution and automatically expunge all prior convictions for prostitution. If passed, the bill would also: Eliminate a loophole in New York State law that prevents sex abusers from being charged with promotion of prostitution when they traffic people to themselves Prevent people from being charged as a…

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by Michael Mashburn
Politics
Last-Ditch State Senate Effort To Legalize Marijuana In New York Dead For Year Last-Ditch State Senate Effort To Legalize Marijuana In New York Dead For Year
Last-Ditch State Senate Effort To Legalize Marijuana In New York Dead For Year Marijuana smokers who were hoping to light up legally in New York will have to wait at least another year.  Efforts to legalize marijuana in the state died after marijuana advocates failed to convince state senators that legalization would not harm public health and safety. A last-ditch effort to push revised legislation through was unsuccessful overnight, multiple news outlets reported on Wednesday. Sen. Liz Krueger, a Democrat from Manhattan, said the issue is "dead for now." "This is only a delay, but that delay means countless lives will continue to be upended by unnecessary enfo…

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by Jon Craig
Politics
Westchester May Become Latest County To Trash Plastic Bags, Foam Westchester May Become Latest County To Trash Plastic Bags, Foam
Westchester May Become Latest County To Trash Plastic Bags, Foam As people around the globe observe Earth Day on Sunday, Westchester County Legislators Kitley Covill and Nancy Barr are putting their environmental principles into action. On Thursday,  April 19, they proposed legislation to encourage the use of reusable bags and keep single-use plastic checkout bags out of the county’s streets, landfills and waterways. The legislation additionally takes aim at polystyrene foam, banning its use in food packing and other kinds of items packed in the county. “This is the first step toward a goal we all share -- to improve the environment by eliminating the p…

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by Jon Craig
Business
Ban On Plastic Bags, Fee For Carryout Bags Eyed For New York Ban On Plastic Bags, Fee For Carryout Bags Eyed For New York
Ban On Plastic Bags, Fee For Carryout Bags Eyed For New York Paper or plastic? You may no longer get a choice if Gov. Andrew Cuomo bans plastic bags. “It’s clear that we need to address the real environmental concerns caused by the proliferation of plastic ‎bags, and a ban is one of the options we’re reviewing,” Cuomo spokesman Richard Azzopardi said. Not so fast, one state lawmaker told this New York Post in this article: “The first step is that they should enforce what’s on the books,” said Sen. Simcha Felder who led a successful fight against New York City imposing a 5-cent fee on each plastic bag. “There’s a recycling bill that’s on the books th…

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by Jon Craig