May 10, 2013 — Gov. Andrew Cuomo, joined by union and business leaders, and representatives from county governments, offered more details of a plan to build three new gambling casinos.
The governor says he wants to limit the locations to upstate regions for now, to prop up the failing economy. He says upstate needs jobs like it needs "oxygen". And he says having a downstate location would devalue the upstate centers.  Go to full article

May 09, 2013 — Nine more names of State Senators and others potentially involved in corruption were made public Wednesday, when a judge ordered prosecutors in the case of convicted ex-Senator Shirley Huntley to make public the names of her colleagues that she had secretly recorded.  Go to full article

Albany, NY, May 06, 2013 — Last month, Governor Cuomo carried through on a promise he made to dairy farmers, loosening environmental regulations for small farms.

Right now, a farm with 200 cows or more has to prepare detailed and costly manure management plans. Starting this week, that threshold will be bumped up to 300 cows.

Speaking at last summer's Yogurt Summit, Agriculture Commissioner Darrel Aubertine said the change would help boost milk production to meet demand fueled by Greek yogurt's popularity. "Simply put," said Aubertine, "this will make it much easier for small farms to grow."

North Country lawmakers and the state Farm Bureau praised the rule change. But environmental groups say more unregulated manure means more farm runoff in rivers and streams. It remains a big question whether the change will do much of anything at all - to the environment or for the economy.  Go to full article

May 06, 2013 — Republicans in the State Senate plan to hold hearings Tuesday, May 7, on what they say are abuses in New York City's public campaign finance system.  Go to full article

May 03, 2013 — New York State's second highest court has ruled in favor of two towns which passed laws banning gas drilling.

In two decisions released Thursday, the court ruled unanimously in favor of local control in Dryden and Middlefield.  Go to full article

May 02, 2013 — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders tried to jumpstart negotiations over siting several new gambling casinos in New York. But they also concede that the plans might be delayed for another year.  Go to full article

Albany, NY, May 02, 2013 — A key component of Governor Cuomo's 2013 agenda appears in jeopardy, as the governor concedes he does not currently have enough votes in the state Senate to bring an abortion rights bill he has championed to the floor.  Go to full article

May 01, 2013 — The state's Attorney General and Assembly Speaker have proposed an early voting system for New York that they say can improve voter participation and democracy.  Go to full article

Apr 30, 2013 — In the five years since New Yorkers first began to hear about horizontal hydrofracking, the state has become a battleground over the gas drilling technique.
While opponents have some high profile support, their movement remains mostly a loose collection of small groups that have been remarkably effective.  Go to full article

Apr 30, 2013 — New York was once the dominant grower of a main ingredient in beer: hops. As craft brewing has taken off in the state, it's created an opportunity for farmers to get back into hop growing.  Go to full article