Oil and gas companies spent millions of dollars on lobbying Albany to make a decision on hydrofracking, but the state doesn't seem any closer to allowing the practice and all sides are urging caution. "I wouldn't say it's a given," Republican state senator and hydrofracking advocate Tom Libous tells the Times. "Economically, we need it desperately. But at the end of the day, if the scientists and geologists at the D.E.C. say 'this is not a good thing to do,' I'm not going to challenge it." Did the earth just shift, or what? more ›

Demonstrators affiliated with the Occupy Wall Street movement interrupted a legislative budget hearing in Albany to make some noise about taxes. The protest interrupted testimony by Taxation & Finance Commissioner Thomas Mattox, who was being questioned about an agreement between T&F and the Inspector General’s office that enabled IG to look at tax returns of state employees. Here's video: more ›

Apparently the Supreme Court's decision is not good enough to the NY State Legislature when it comes to allowing religious groups to worship in city schools. Last June, the U.S. Second Circuit of Appeals ruled that NYC public schools can prohibit religious services, and the Supreme Court refused to hear the case, letting the Second Circuit's decision stand. But, still, the State Senate will consider a bill to allow religious services in schools. And the NYCLU wants to remind lawmakers why it's a terrible idea. more ›

Assemblyman Democrat Sheldon Silver introduced new legislation to increase New York State’s minimum wage today. The proposed law will increase the current $7.25 an hour to $8.50 an hour and become permanently fixed to the inflation rate by 2014. Silver said the increase would "give flight to the American dream." more ›

The cost of jumping a turnstile could soon be much higher. Yesterday the State Senate passed a bill which would allow the MTA to raise the current maximum fine for farebeaters from $100 to $500 and the penalty for not paying from $50 to $100. Suddenly an unlimited Metrocard looks affordable? more ›

Rep. Maurice Hinchey, a 10-term upstate Democrat, thought that news of his retirement would be the big Hinchey story of the week. But his wife, a state lobbyist, was arrested for not only driving while intoxicated—she was also hit with a texting-while-driving charge. Allison Lee-Hinchley reportedly admitted to cops that she was texting when she got into a car crash in Albany on Wednesday. more ›

Fresh from his gambling-happy State of the State address Governor Cuomo today introduced his $132.5 billion 2012 budget and while it is less agressive than last year's slice and dice budget it still manages to be tough on unions. Teacher evaluations sure look like the future in New York State! more ›

Governor Andrew Cuomo gave his State of the State today, vowing to make 2012 the year "we must transform our government to once again become the progressive capital of our nation." He proposed a $1 billion economic development package for Buffalo, which has the third-highest poverty rate in the country, abolishing the state's requirements for fingerprinting food stamp recipients, deemed himself the "student's lobbyist," and pitched a slew of environmental and energy improvements. But Cuomo was also mum about transportation, spoke glowingly of legalizing gambling, declined to read his brief remarks on hydraulic fracturing, and announced an ambitious plan to build the world's largest convention center at the Aquaduct Racetrack. more ›

New Yorkers have until January 11 to tell the Department of Environmental Conservation how they feel about hydrofracking, and the results of the practice in Ohio should light up their switchboards. Usually Ohio's most dangerous faults are Drew Carey-related, but it has experienced eleven earthquakes since March. Although all of them were minor, the most recent on Saturday was a 4.0 magnitude, and according to the Times the state has ordered gas companies to stop injecting "millions of gallons of brine and other waste liquids" into the ground near Youngstown until scientists can pinpoint what was going on. more ›

Hell of a day for former State Senator Carl Kruger yesterday: Appearing in court to plead guilty to federal corruption charges, the longtime Brooklyn politician repeatedly sobbed as he admitted his guilt. With his gynecologist companion at his side, Kruger, 62, broke down and cried, telling Judge Jed S. Rakoff, "I apologize if I’m a little emotional over this." Asked if he was mentally fit to plea, Kruger said, "Under the circumstances, yes, Your Honor." NY Times columnist Michael Powell filed a vivid account of the pitiful scene, which seems worthy of a Ralph Steadman portrait: more ›

State Senator Carl Kruger's 16 year career as a legislator will likely come to an ignominious end today, when the lawmaker is expected to plead guilty to charges of fraud and taking bribes. Kruger, a Democrat represented the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Brighton Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Gravesend, Bergen Beach, Mill Basin, and Midwood, could face up to 20 years in prison on fraud charges and a maximum sentence of five years for bribery conspiracy, the Times reports. And if Kruger pleads guilty to a felony, he automatically loses his job. more ›

In the wake of the ongoing sex abuse scandals at Penn State and Syracuse, politicians around the country have been trying to figure out how to cover themselves and make it easier to punish those who don't report pedophiles working in youth sports situations. Call the resulting legislation JoePa laws if you want, the latest to trot one out is no less than our very own governor, Andrew Cuomo. Today his office proposed a new bill that would make coaches at high schools and universities in New York mandatory reporters of child sex abuse. more ›

A draft report released by the EPA on Thursday indicating that hydraulic fracturing for natural gas is probably the cause for contaminated water supplies in central Wyoming may affect New York's impending decision on whether to permit fracking upstate. Sandra Steingraber, an Ithaca College biologist, tells the Daily News, "It takes away the industry's claim that there has never been a documented case of groundwater contamination because of fracking." more ›

To everyone not reading this on an iPad in the CORE Club: you may have your taxes cut. Earlier today Governor Cuomo along with Republican Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver hammered out an agreement to that representing "the first major restructuring of the tax code in decades resulting in a tax cut for 4.4 million middle class New Yorkers taxpayers." In a release [pdf], Governor Cuomo says, "We are cutting taxes on middle class New Yorkers and small businesses…This would be lowest tax rate for middle class families in 58 years." Sounds like somebody's gonna need a cheer-up weekend in Bermuda. more ›

If Mayor Bloomberg really wants his plan to make it legal for livery cabs to pick up street hails to make it out of Albany, the TLC may finally have to do something about its horrendous treatment of the handicapped. Back in June the Mayor's plan got the go-ahead and just needed Andrew Cuomo's stamp. But now it seems the Gov is witholding approval unless the additional 1,500 highly-lucrative taxi medallions that would come with the bill are all required to be handicap-accessible. more ›

Are lap dances considered legitimate artistic expression? 75 year-old University of Maryland professor Judith Hanna believes so, and she testified as much in state court for Nite Moves, an Albany-area strip club that is seeking exemption from the state's sales tax that other purveyors of "dramatic or musical performances" receive on cover charges. If Patrick Henry High's Joan Henderson is reading this: Scores WAS a legitimate detour on that 10th grade field trip. more ›

Though he's couched his opposition to the renewal of the "Millionaire's Tax" in the lofty language of personal conviction, Governor Cuomo appears to be warming up to the idea of bringing more "fairness" to the tax code in order to bolster an anemic state budget. The Times reports that Democrats in the State Assembly were warned that the governor may call a special session of the legislature on Tuesday, and sources say "leaders were discussing the creation of new tax brackets that would allow them to apply higher tax rates to the state’s top earners" while giving middle-class families a tax cut. Perhaps the governor cares more about polling than he initially let on. more ›

Assemblyman William F. Boyland Jr. was indicted for a second time yesterday, accused by federal prosecutors of soliciting $250,000 in bribes in exchange for political favors. Earlier this month Boyland Jr. was acquitted on other corruption charges, and he used court-appointed attorneys in his defense, which cost taxpayers $125 an hour. They got him off that time, and so why mess with perfection? Boyland Jr. will once again be passing along the costs of his alleged corruption to his constituents. Cut him some slack, he's broke! more ›

Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo recently responded to the contentious hydrofracking issue by acknowledging that "the temperature is high. We have a process. Let's get the facts. Let the science and the facts make the determination, not emotion and not politics." But what about money? With $3.2 million spent by industry lobbyists in Albany last year so far dwarfing the $800K spent by environmental groups, it would appear that the gas companies are controlling the temperature. Who needs Indian Point, anyway? more ›

Hey guys, did you know the bicentennial of the War of 1812 is coming up? Oh, what's that—you don't remember what the War of 1812 was about? That's okay—neither does Albany, who doesn't have enough money to celebrate the landmark anniversary. And for the tiny pocket of history buffs who do care, that's simply not acceptable. more ›

With the fabulous new Queens Racino open for business, you might be thinking that you don't need any other job than to pull the lever and order another scotch in a plastic cup. But all streaks eventually come to an end, and Governor Cuomo's office has created a new online job index containing 42,000 positions to keep us from robbing soda machines. WOO-WOO! Alllllll aboard the "Jobs Express!" First stop, Properhygieneburg! We'll be flush with cash and back at the Racino in no time! more ›

New York State is poised to pass a legislative agenda that focuses on granting illegal immigrants access to financial assistance for public universities, a step that California took a few days ago. John King Jr., the state's education commissioner to the Board of Regents, tells the Times that, "It's about making sure that students are able to fulfill their aspirations after their graduate from high school." New York allows undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition, but the move is part of a larger strategy to lobby Congress to pass a version of the Dream Act, which would give students who completed two years of college or military service a path to citizenship. more ›

It doesn't matter if 72% of New York voters want the "Millionaire's Tax" reinstated, Governor Cuomo doesn't necessarily care what you people think. "The fact that everybody wants it, that doesn't mean all that much," Cuomo told the Times at a press conference. The governor also noted that his father opposed the death penalty when many voters supported it. “Reporters would say, ‘Well, people want it,’” Cuomo said. “And the point was, you know, we don’t elect—you can’t just have as a governor a big poll-taking machine, right? And we take a poll, and whatever the poll says, that’s what we do." Except when we're talking casinos. more ›

To thank four Republican State Senators who agreed to vote for gay marriage, wealthy mover-and-shakers are holding a big fundraiser in Manhattan tonight "expected to raise about $1.25 million to help finance their re-election bids next year," according to the NY Times. One of the wealthy donors who promised to support the Republicans is Mayor Bloomberg, who already contributed $10,300 each to Mark Grisanti of Buffalo; Roy McDonald of Saratoga; James Alesi of Rochester and Stephen Saland of Poughkeepsie this summer. more ›

Governor Cuomo is confident that we can rid ourselves of the ticking time bomb nuclear power plant Indian Point, which supplies 30% of New York City's power. He's also sure that we can drum up some replacement power in the meantime: "There is no doubt that we need replacement power if we are close to Indian Point. There is also no doubt that we can find it." From where? Cuomo doesn't say, and as the Daily News reports, the governor "avoided direct answers to a number of questions" during an internet chat with constituents. Yes but does he know of the "draw me like one of your French girls" meme? more ›

Governor Cuomo doesn't want you buying dinky fireworks, but he's okay with Nik Wallenda crossing Niagara Falls on a tightrope. While vetoing a bill that would have legalized sparklers and other fireworks for five year olds, CityRoom reports that Cuomo signed a bill that excepts Wallenda—the seventh generation of the famous Flying Wallendas—from rules prohibiting stunts on the American side of the falls. Wallenda plans on walking over the falls next summer. more ›