Politics Now

By Tom Precious

Albany -- When it comes to running his chamber, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver isn't often wrong in his predictions of its operations.

But when he said this morning he thought the state budget debate would be over in his house before dinner tonight, even optimists felt that was a tad optimistic.

Right now, they have three bills to go before the 2013 budget is complete.

But democracy does not come cheap. Lawmakers, and there are 150 of them in the Assembly, get per diems of $171 a full day and $61 a half day, and a new day starts in 45 minutes.

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By Tom Precious

ALBANY -- The nearly $54 million in capital aid contained in the 2013 state budget to keep the Buffalo Bills in Western New York isn't going over well in some parts of the state. While the editorial in today's Glens Falls Post-Star newspaper raised a number of concerns about the fiscal priorities of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and lawmakers, we bring you the parts about the state aid for the NFL franchise.

The editorial starts out:

''New York will shell out millions to improve the Buffalo Bills’ stadium, while cutting services for disabled people, but that’s OK, according to the Cuomo administration, because the state will be able to use a luxury box at the stadium to promote upstate to employers.

We suggest, instead, the box be reserved for disabled people, since the budget paying for it is being balanced on their backs.

As details leak of the budget being mixed together by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders, the choices they’re making are raising questions.''

Continue reading "Upstate newspaper editorial condemns budget deal for Bills" »

By Tom Precious

ALBANY -- Senate Democrats spent hours on the chamber floor debating and railing against the 2013 budget deal crafted, in part, by Senate Republicans and their five breakaway Democratic allies. But, when all was done, most Democrats ended up voting for the major budget bills.

Blame the way the budget is put together, one Senate Democrat, Michael Gianaris, noted during the early morning debate in the wee hours this morning. While there is, in the eyes of Senate Democrats, plenty of bad in the budget, it ends up being hard to vote against things like state aid for schools or funding for local governments contained in the bills that can total hundreds of pages apiece.

Thus, the votes on the last round of budget bills in the Senate:

Continue reading "Senate Dems complain, but mostly support budget bills" »

By Tom Precious

ALBANY – A Brooklyn Democratic assemblyman is joining the expanding list of legislators around the country seeking to limit the use of drone aircraft by state and local government agencies and private companies.

Citing privacy concerns, Assemblyman Nick Perry’s legislation, introduced Tuesday, would set limits on drones used by law enforcement and other agencies in the collection and storing of evidence, including audio and video recordings, involving criminal and regulatory investigations unless specifically okayed by a search warrant.

The bill memo accompanying the legislation says the purpose is “to protect New York state residents from unwarranted and unauthorized use of drones or other unmanned aircrafts to conduct surveillance upon them inside their homes or place of worship or within the closed confines of their property or other locations where a person would have an expectation of privacy.’’

Continue reading "Lawmaker wants restrictions on drone aircraft in NYS" »

By Tom Precious

ALBANY -- Lawmakers have introduced a measure with stricter provisions than failed past efforts to legalize marijuana sales to New Yorkers with a "severe debilitating or life-threatening'' health condition.

The new bill, which ends such past ideas as letting people grow their own marijuana, would have the state health department regulate the process that would include allowing a certain number of private for-profits or not-for-profits to grow the plants and sell the drug under new security protocols to patients with treatment plans approved by a physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner.

The measure was introduced by its past sponsors, Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, a Manhattan Democrat, and Sen. Diane Savino, a Staten Island Democrat. Savino has more political power this year as one of five breakaway Democrats who jointly run the Senate with Republicans. The bill has 68 co-sponsors, including 10 Senate Democrats. It has previously sailed through the Assembly.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has opposed the idea of medical marijuana legalization, though advocates believe he could be flexible, especially since he is already promoting a plan to relax marijuana possession laws. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have medical marijuana laws. Advocates say the measure will more strictly regulate the drug than prescription painkillers; patient advocates in the past have said marijuana will be cheaper, less addictive and less dangerous than many of the painkiller prescriptions they take.

Continue reading "New, stricter medical marijuana bill introduced" »

By Tom Precious

ALBANY -- Tully rule notwithstanding, the Senate pulled an all-nighter and passed the 2013 state budget bills shortly before 5 this morning. [They broke for a spring break, a vacation that was to begin last week but was stalled with budget snags; the Senate is due back April 15.]

"We should be very proud of the results of this budget,'' Senate co-leader Dean Skelos, a Long Island Republican, told colleagues shortly before the house adjourned.

"We achieved a budget that is fiscally responsible. This budget is pro-taxpayer, pro-family, pro-jobs and builds on our successes of the past two years,'' he said.

Democrats, though, spent hours noting the fiscal plan's shortcomings, including cuts for developmentally disabled people, public health programs and a minimum wage hike that is less than what many Democrats had sought.

"Our work is not done. we've left too many people behind,'' said Senate Democratic conference leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Westchester County Democrat.

The all-night session is a break with the tradition of the Senate that has held largely in place since 1997. It was that year when Sen. Michael Tully, a Long Island Republican, died of a heart attack following an all-night gathering.

"This is a vampire bill,'' said freshman Sen. Terry Gibson, a Dutchess County Democrat, in urging colleagues, unsuccessfully, to hold the budget deliberations during daylight.

The Assembly is due back tomorrow to take up the budget bills.

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By Tom Precious

ALBANY -- Here are some of the provisions in one of the new budget bills regarding operators of commercial vehicles.

The bill states that the definition of illegally using a cell phone includes the current provision that it is within the "immediate proximity of the user's ear and the new: "with respect to a person operating a commercial motor vehicle, holding a mobile telephone to, or in the immediate proximity of, the user's ear, or dialing or answering a mobile telephone by pressing more than a single button, or reaching for a mobile telephone in a manner that requires such person to maneuver so that he or she is no longer in a seated driving position, restrained by a seat belt that is installed in accordance with section 393.93 of title 49 of the code of federal regulations and adjusted in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer's instructions."

Hands-free use will be permitted, "provided, however, that for purposes of this section, a mobile telephone used by a person operating a commercial motor vehicle shall not be deemed a "hands-free   mobile telephone" when such person dials or answers such mobile telephone by pressing more than a single button."

 By Tom Precious

ALBANY -- The National Rifle Association's affiliate in New York will file a lawsuit in court tomorrow seeking to overturn the state's gun control law.

Tom King, president of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, would only say the suit will challenge "the constitutionality of a number of issues'' contained in the NY-SAFE Act, which was passed in January.

Continue reading "Major legal challenge to NY-SAFE Act coming tomorrow" »

By Tom Precious

ALBANY -- The so-called Article VII budget bill dealing with public protection and general government has gone to the legislative print shop, a sign of progress after a week of on-again, off-again movement.

Under one plan, lawmakers are being told to be available late Saturday afternoon to begin passing budget bills, and then coming in later in the day Sunday. [That leaves at least part of Monday for some last-minute action before Passover starts at sundown.]

Continue reading "White smoke? First major budget bill heads to printer" »

By Tom Precious

Albany – Lawmakers are raising concerns that Gov. Andrew Cuomo is trying to grab too much power over how state economic development money is spent through the 10 regional councils spread around the state.

The issue is one of the final logjams holding up a final deal, though there are still a number of education and health care disagreements still unresolved, as well as how to handle possible changes to the state’s new gun control law.

“There’s a concern the governor is attempting to expand the role of regional economic development councils to the exclusion of the Legislature,’’ Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver told reporters following a brief closed-door meeting with Cuomo and legislative leaders at the Capitol this morning.

Continue reading "Today's budget fight: economic development dollars" »