Closed-Door Negotiations Could Result In Change To Controversial NY Bail Reform Measure Closed-Door Negotiations Could Result In Change To Controversial NY Bail Reform Measure
Closed-Door Negotiations Could Result In Change To Controversial NY Bail Reform Measure Could New York's bail reform laws that took effect this year soon be a thing of the past? Gov. Andrew Cuomo and State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins reportedly met behind closed doors this week to discuss the much-maligned and oft-criticized newly enacted bail reform laws. The two were reportedly looking to make potential changes to the law before the New York State budget has to be signed into law on Wednesday, April 1. As of Wednesday, Jan. 1, thousands of inmates throughout the state were put back on the streets due to Cuomo’s bail reform legislation, which marked the en…
Cuomo Signs Equal Pay Law At Champion USA Women's Soccer Team's NYC Canyon Of Heroes Parade Cuomo Signs Equal Pay Law At Champion USA Women's Soccer Team's NYC Canyon Of Heroes Parade
Cuomo Signs Equal Pay Law At Champion USA Women's Soccer Team's NYC Canyon Of Heroes Parade At the ticker-tape parade celebrating the World Champion USA Women's Soccer Team, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed pay equity legislation to close the gender wage gap. Minutes before the Wednesday, July 10 parade through the Canyon of Heroes in downtown Manhattan, Cuomo also called on US Soccer to pay the women's national team the same as the men's national team. "There is no rationale why women should not get paid what men get paid. These are women's soccer players, they play the same game as the men's soccer players, and they play it better -- so if there is any economic rationale, the men should…
New York Expands Marijuana Decriminalization After Bid To Legalize Pot Fails New York Expands Marijuana Decriminalization After Bid To Legalize Pot Fails
New York Expands Marijuana Decriminalization After Bid To Legalize Pot Fails Marijuana has not been legalized in New York -- but soon it will no longer be a crime if you are a possession of smaller amounts. State Senators approved legislation late Thursday, June 20 to decriminalize its use.  The new law could eventually clear marijuana conviction records for tens of thousands of people and make future violations for possessing small amounts of weed punishable by a $50 fine. Senate Democratic leaders said the legislation aims to address racial disparities in antiquated marijuana drug laws.  "Communities of color have borne the brunt of New York State’s ma…
Tenant Protest Leads To Dozens Of Arrests At State Capitol Tenant Protest Leads To Dozens Of Arrests At State Capitol
Tenant Protest Leads To Dozens Of Arrests At State Capitol More than 60 housing rights protesters were arrested at the state Capitol in Albany on Tuesday, June 4. They want to extend New York City’s rent regulations to Upstate and portions of the New York City suburbs that don't have rent control. Protesters blocked the entrances to the Senate and Assembly chambers as well as Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office. Among those arrested was New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who demanded the 2019 session not end this month as scheduled unless rent laws are reformed.  In a press statement, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Yonke…
Westchester Lawmakers Face Off With Con Ed Officials Over Natural Gas Moratorium Westchester Lawmakers Face Off With Con Ed Officials Over Natural Gas Moratorium
Westchester Lawmakers Face Off With Con Ed Officials Over Natural Gas Moratorium Con Edison officials were back in the hot seat this week, as Westchester lawmakers grilled the utility company about the gas moratorium set to take effect on March 15. Last month, Con Edison announced that the demand for new gas has surpassed its limits in southern Westchester, prompting them to stop accepting new customers beginning on March 15. The announcement led to finger-pointing and panic for many Westchester officials and developers with extensive, multi-million dollar projects in the works. There have been public meetings hosted by the Public Service Commission, and on Monday, Con …
New York Abandons Use Of Student Tests In Teacher Evaluations New York Abandons Use Of Student Tests In Teacher Evaluations
New York Abandons Use Of Student Tests In Teacher Evaluations Teacher evaluations will no longer be tied to student’s standardized test scores under a bill that was approved by state legislators. Four years ago, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a highly contested bill into law that linked student’s test scores to teacher evaluations. The legislation quickly came under fire and was contested by both parents and educators. The 2015 bill led to approximately 18 percent of students statewide opting out of standardized testing in grades 3 through 8. Now, Cuomo is poised to sign a new bill backpedaling those measures. New York joins a growing coalition of…
Westchester County Association Will Merge With Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp Westchester County Association Will Merge With Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp
Westchester County Association Will Merge With Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp Two of the area’s leading business advocacy organizations will soon become one, following the announcement of a major merger between the Westchester County Association and the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corp.The deal, announced on Tuesday, Jan. 29, will center on strengthening the economy in the Hudson Valley. The new organization - which has not been given a designated name - is expected to take effect later this year. When the merger is complete, current WCA Chairman William Harrington is expected to serve as the chairman of a unified board of directors. Bill Mooney, the president …
New York Will Become Early Voting State For First Time New York Will Become Early Voting State For First Time
New York Will Become Early Voting State For First Time Voting in New York will be a little easier this fall. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law on Thursday that will allow up to eight days of early voting before an election. The new legislation also will synchronize federal and state primary elections, allow voter preregistration for teenagers, provide voter registration portability within the state, and close the “LLC loophole.” “At a time when the federal government is doing everything it can to disenfranchise voters, we are breaking down the barriers that have discouraged too many generations of New Yorkers from exercising the…
New Protections For Abortion Rights Enacted In New York New Protections For Abortion Rights Enacted In New York
New Protections For Abortion Rights Enacted In New York Forty-six years after the Roe v. Wade decision, New York is taking steps to protect women’s rights and make sure that historic court decision becomes state law. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed The Reproductive Health Act this week, which “protects women's reproductive rights by ensuring New Yorkers can make personal healthcare decisions and medical professionals can provide crucial services without fear of criminal penalty.” The new legislation comes amid fears that the Supreme Court may overturn Roe v. Wade. "In the face of a federal government intent on rolling back Roe v. Wade and wom…
Yonkers' Andrea Stewart-Cousins Makes History As New Senate Majority Leader Yonkers' Andrea Stewart-Cousins Makes History As New Senate Majority Leader
Yonkers' Andrea Stewart-Cousins Makes History As New Senate Majority Leader It’s official: New York Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Westchester has made political history, becoming the first woman to become the majority leader of the State Senate when she was sworn in on Wednesday. "When you think about it, not that long ago, women weren’t even allowed to walk on the floor of this chamber,” the Senator representing Yonkers said shortly after taking the Senate gavel on the opening day of the state Legislature's 2019 session. "I stand here the first woman leader of a legislative house in state history. And if we do this right, I cannot and will not be the last."&n…
Video: Joined By Hillary Clinton, Cuomo Calls for Bolstering NY Abortion-, Birth-Control Rights Video: Joined By Hillary Clinton, Cuomo Calls for Bolstering NY Abortion-, Birth-Control Rights
Video: Joined By Hillary Clinton, Cuomo Calls for Bolstering NY Abortion-, Birth-Control Rights Flanked by former presidential nominee and fellow Town of New Castle resident Hillary Clinton, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowed that the Reproductive Health Act will be passed within the first 30 days of the legislative session, bolstering abortion- and birth-control rights statewide. "A woman's right to make her own decisions regarding her personal health is a fundamental right, yet Washington, with its extreme conservative agenda, continues to threaten the freedoms for which women have fought for decades to attain," Cuomo said during a speech at Barnard College in Manhattan on Monday,…
Stewart-Cousins' Elevation As NY's First Female Majority Leader Lauded By Cuomo, Pace President Stewart-Cousins' Elevation As NY's First Female Majority Leader Lauded By Cuomo, Pace President
Stewart-Cousins' Elevation As NY's First Female Majority Leader Lauded By Cuomo, Pace President There no longer will be "three men in a room" negotiating key state legislation, with the first woman in the state's history being tapped as a leader in the New York General Assembly. "Congratulations to Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins on her much-deserved election to be leader of the Senate majority and the first African-American woman to lead a majority conference in the Legislature," Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a fellow Westchester Democrat, said in a statement on Monday, Nov. 26. Stewart-Cousins of Yonkers also drew praise from Pace University's president, where she received her …