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From NCPR Blogs:

Voters slap down four school budgets that bust prop tax cap

Voters in the North Country sent a clear message to school districts that tried to exceed the state property tax cap.  The answer was a resounding No. The vast majority of the region’s budgets came in under the cap and passed handily. But...

Was NPR’s portrayal of NY Sen. Gillibrand sexist?

  Ailsa Chang’s NPR profile of New York Senator — and former North Country congresswoman — Kirsten Gillibrand is getting panned on-line and apparently edited by NPR’s on-line crew. Chang’s report cast Sen....

Rent a ‘copter to prevent frost, and other good reads of the week

It was a newsy week in the world of agriculture, so here are seven good reads to keep you busy this weekend: The Farm Bill passed both the House and Senate Agriculture committees this week, and are likely to get hearings on the floors of their...

What are the Great American Scandals we ignore?

I’ve been as captivated as anyone by the sudden burgeoning of scandal in Washington. Until this month, the Obama administration seemed to skate almost effortlessly above the morass that eventually sucks up most White Houses, from Richard...

Farm Bill shaping up to be a food fight

The Senate Agriculture committee passed a nearly $100 billion a year Farm Bill this afternoon, 15-5. One of the Senators who voted against it was New York Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, who’s leading a fight to restore all of the $400 million...

Politics

Srinivasan's Confirmation First For D.C. Circuit In 7 Years

May 23, 2013 — The partisan war over judicial nominees has accelerated in recent years. It took nearly a year to win Senate confirmation for Sri Srinivasan to the important federal appeals court for the District of Columbia, though he had no formal opposition.

Abortion Opponents Try to Spin Murder Case Into Legislation

May 23, 2013 — Abortion opponents are hoping the recent murder conviction of Pennsylvania abortion provider Kermit Gosnell will lead to more scrutiny of second trimester abortions. They're working on a bill that would ban most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy — nationwide.

Black Caucus Leader: We Disagree With Presidents, Even Obama

May 23, 2013 — Rep. Marcia Fudge, the head of the Congressional Black Caucus, says any immigration overhaul significantly boosting the numbers of highly skilled immigrants could negatively affect African-Americans with similar skills.

Health Officials Decry Texas' Snubbing Of Medicaid Billions

May 23, 2013 — The state is turning down an estimated $100 billion in federal funds that would have paid for health care coverage for more than 1 million poor Texans. For Gov. Rick Perry and the state's Republican-dominated Legislature, the potential appearance of supporting "Obamacare" was too much.

Transcript: Obama Addresses Counterterrorism, Drones

May 23, 2013 — President Obama spoke at the National Defense University on Thursday about his views on the next stage in combating terrorism. Read his speech as released by the White House.

Voter Resources

Project Sunlight: Track lobbying activities, member item spending and other legislation in New York. An initiative of the NYS Office of the Attorney General.

League of Women Voters DemocracyNet: Great one-stop election resource.

NYS Board of Elections Campaign Finance Database: Enter the last name of any candidate in New York to find out where the money comes from and where it's going.

Open Secrets: Campaign finance information broken down by industry, region, etc., for mostly federal politicans. An excellent starting point for following
money in politics.

Special Reports

Audio Slideshow:
Adirondack teens talk democracy
Face of Democracy is a national program that gives students an inside view of the democratic process by sending out to polling places to interview and photograph voters and officials. Sue Halpern, project organizer, talks with Brian Mann

Cartoon Special:
Editorial cartoonist Mark Wilson Covers the NYS Party Conventions
Mark Wilson, aka Marquil, is a political cartoonist covering the 2006 New York State party conventions for NCPR. His sketches and caricatures bring the arcana of state politics to life.