Karen DeWitt

The legislative session that’s concluding in Albany seems to be more about what’s not getting done than what is getting accomplished. Agreements were not reached on several key issues.

Governor Andrew Cuomo says he no longer thinks settling the issue of making teacher evaluations public “urgent,” and will allow the legislature to end its session without an agreement on the matter.

Governor Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers seem determined to end the Legislative Session on that June 21.  The limited agenda for the remaining four days includes a bill to reform care for the disabled and curb abuses, and whether to make teacher evaluations public.

Supporters and opponents of a plan to allow limited fracking in New York’s Southern Tier converged in Albany on Thursday after a report that the governor will likely give the go-ahead to the controversial practice of natural gas drilling in select areas.

Lawmakers plan on leaving for the summer on June 21, but they continue to be gridlocked on some issues, such as raising the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $8.50 an hour, and offering tax breaks to small businesses as an incentive to create more jobs.

A lobby group closely associated with Governor Andrew Cuomo was the elephant in the room during a hearing by the state ethics commission on new rules for donor disclosure.

With 2-1/2 weeks left in the legislative session, those in favor of raising New York’s minimum wage are still pushing to get the bill passed this session.

Governor Andrew Cuomo is attempting to revive New York’s iconic “I Love New York” tourism campaign with some new ads.  The governor says the state not been aggressive enough in its promotions in recent years. But there are going to be some changes in the ad campaign ― the red heart, for one, is out.

Albany remains sharply divided on a bill that would raise the minimum wage – a day after Governor Andrew Cuomo, who backs the measure, said he “wouldn’t bet” on a resolution any time soon.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says a new, temporary board set to run the New York Racing Association will enhance racing while working closely with New York's expansion of gambling.

When Governor Cuomo introduced what he calls the Justice Center for Protection of People with Special Needs, he said it would establish the “strongest standards and practices in nation”. The new agency would employ a staff of special prosecutor and an inspector general to pursue allegations of abuse of the mentally and physically disabled in the care of the state. The bill would increase penalties for those convicted. It would also set up a 24-hour hotline to report suspected abuse, and create a statewide database of workers convicted of abuse to prevent them from ever being hired again.

Democrats in the State Assembly approved a bill to increase the state’s minimum wage. The Republican leader of the State Senate offered a spirited defense of his position opposing the measure, but did not rule the issue out altogether.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan and the New York State Catholic Conference called on lawmakers in Albany on Thursday to pass, “a modest increase” in the state’s minimum wage, currently set at $7.25.

Groups opposed to hydraulic fracturing, otherwise known as fracking, presented Governor Andrew Cuomo with 200,000 signatures asking for a ban on the gas drilling process in New York.  A State Senator predicted the opposition to the process will have an effect on the governor.

Governor Andrew Cuomo named a blue ribbon commission to look at the problems facing education in New York, instructing them to come back with an “action plan” not a “theoretical document” that the legislature can implement in time for the 2013 school year.

Governor Andrew Cuomo for the first time addressed speculation that he might be a candidate for President in 2016, saying it’s “flattering”, but “distracting”.

Abortion rights advocates promoting the Reproductive Health Act say they are counting on Governor Andrew Cuomo to help the bill become law this year.

An historic preservation group is weighing in on hydro-fracking for the first time, and they don't like what they’ve been learning about the gas drilling process. They say it would ch...

Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued an executive order to create a health care exchange for New York residents, a state-run clearinghouse for individuals and small businesses looking for health insurance, after the Legislature failed to act.

For the second year in row, New York State is on the way to an on time budget. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the first of several budget bills into law, while the Legislature passed all the bills that make up the $132.5 billion budget.