This morning, on the 37th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, former state Democratic Party Chairwoman Judith Hope emailed an open letter to Harold Ford Jr., attacking the would-be senator for his record on abortion rights.
“Being pro-choice means you stand up and fight for a woman’s right to her own medical Read More
Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat is also calling for State Senator Hiram Monserrate to resign, but said it is a “point of weakness” that the Inquisition Panel formed last week to ponder charges against him contains no Latino members.
“Given what has happened, Senator Monserrate is no longer able to effectively serve his constituents, or the Read More
In an upstairs conference room at 250 Broadway this afternoon, Senate Majority Leader John Sampson somberly, but forcefully, defended his plan to commission a nine-person committee–with a Democratic majority–to consider the case of convicted Senator Hiram Monserrate.
“Violence against women is simply unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said Sampson. “It has no place in Read More
ALBANY—State Senator Craig Johnson was milling around his chamber Thursday when I approached him to ask about David Paterson.
His eyes widened. His head shook. He refused to go on record. I asked why.
"I'm here today to address certain Senate needs, and we are going to have a lengthy debate," Johnson, a Long Island Read More
ALBANY—As the State Senate dithers, Yonkers is “running on fumes,” a spokesman for Mayor Phil Amicone said.
“We’re going to be the first casualty of this political war,” David Simpson, the spokesman, said. “The whole city is being held hostage.”
Yonkers needs the State Legislature to reauthorize its mortgage-recording tax as well as Read More
ALBANY—As the State Senate dithers, Yonkers is "running on fumes," a spokesman for Mayor Phil Amicone said.
"We're going to be the first casualty of this political war," David Simpson, the spokesman, said. "The whole city is being held hostage."
Yonkers needs the State Legislature to reauthorize its mortgage-recording tax as well as Read More
ALBANY—Democrats in the State Senate are passing bills!
And it's all because Senator Frank Padavan walked through the back of the chamber, Democrats say. He was spotted by several people (although I didn't see him), and journal clerks counted him as a present as Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins gaveled in and led the pledge. Read More
ALBANY—The State Senate has distributed a draft copy of its M.T.A. bailout bill, and a spokesman said staffers plan to introduce it later today.
I obtained a copy early, and one thing that jumped out as an extra detail above the framework revealed Monday is the exact structure of the payroll Read More
ALBANY—The State Senate has distributed a draft copy of its M.T.A. bailout bill, and a spokesman said staffers plan to introduce it later today.
I obtained a copy early, and one thing that jumped out as an extra detail above the framework revealed Monday is the exact structure of the payroll tax: It will Read More
ALBANY—The State Senate’s second publicly presented plan to provide revenue to the M.T.A. is getting a better reception, at least, than the dead-on-arrival program they introduced last month.
If Majority Leader Malcolm Smith is to be believed, it might actually pass the chamber.
Smith told reporters, at a press conference about rules reform, Read More
