Boy howdy, the city really just does not know what to do with raccoons. It was almost a year ago that legislators first proposed a bill asking the city to trap errant raccoons, and today, they're still pushing. more ›

Spring isn't just about pretty flowers, warm weather, and outdoor dining. It is also, apparently, when New Yorkers like to kvetch about restaurants stealing their change. Last year there was the guy moaning about a neighborhood bistro stealing four of his pennies and this year we've got another gentleman complaining, to the Department of Consumer Affairs no less, about an East Village joint stealing his four pennies. Why can't these penny pinchers understand that restaurants in this modern era we live in just don't like making change? more ›

Just in time for Christmas—the holiday that puts plenty of pups in present boxes—City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley is trying to cut down on puppy mills by pushing for "puppy birth certificates." The certificate would include breed, birthplace, and fur color, and the proposed bill would mandate that each dog have one (kind of like Pound Puppies!). Crowley explained at a press conference yesterday, "If you're going to bring a dog into your family, you should know where this dog is coming from." more ›

Apparently our fight for one of the retired space shuttles hadn't been going very well, despite spirited lobbying efforts. The campaign to bring a shuttle to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum hadn't been gaining altitude, according to City Room, because of a bill limiting the contenders to sites that had a historical relationship with the shuttle program. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand may have come to the rescue, however—Gillibrand has amended the qualifications to include applicants that had been involved in “the retrieval of NASA manned space vehicles." And with that, New York back in the game! The Intrepid used to pick astronauts out of the sea after they'd land there in their space capsules. more ›

Hey all you cops, with your uniforms and your billy clubs and your fancy tasers: you like to go out for a drink after your shift, have a little taste, we get that. Sometimes you bring your gun with you. Well, you're officially on notice: those days of getting plastered and crawling across the bar floor shooting at the mice and the dust are numbered, thanks to a new bill that won't allow you to drink and carry a weapon. more ›

Following the egg recall—which happened outside of New York, but right around the same time Brooklyn alfalfa sprouts and cheese was getting recalled—two New York State legislators have announced they want farmers to vaccinate their hens against salmonella. more ›

If you have a raccoon breaking in to your brownstone (like some folks in Park Slope), then soon you may just be able to call on the city to take care of it. A new bill unveiled today by Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley places responsibility on the city to trap raccoons in the five boroughs. All a concerned citizen needs to do is ask! But what will the big bad Department of Health do with the creatures once they're caught? According to the Daily News they'll be encouraged to humanely release them. more ›

A bill to prevent cultural institutions from selling artworks to cover costs has been opposed by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other organizations—and it has pretty much died in the State Legislature. Museums generally "deaccession" works of art to use the proceeds to buy other works of art, and the Board of Regents already prohibits some museums from selling art to cover other costs. However, the bill would have made the practice, which the Times describes as a "misuse of funds that jeopardizes preserving cultural heritage as a public trust," illegal across the board. more ›

New Yorkers have been subletting on the sly since way before Craigslist started matching them with tenants. You go on vacation for a few weeks, you find someone to rent your place for those weeks you're gone, and everybody's happy except your freaked-out cat. But the state Legislature is considering a new bill that would make that practice illegal. (Don't worry, there's a "cat-sitting situation" subsection.) more ›

A veterinarian to the stars is claiming that diva Mariah Carey is refusing to pay her $37,790.32 bill that she racked up on services and care for her pups Cha-Cha, Dolomite and JJ. Dr. Cindy Bressler filed a lawsuit which claims she tended to the dogs at their home of the singer, between October and December of last year. Carey agreed to the sum, but has only paid $8,231.50, and is refusing to hand over any more, according to the NY Post. Carey's lawyers have not commented, saying only that they were unaware of a lawsuit, and Bressler's lawyers have declined to elaborate on the dogs' treatment. But Mimi's dogs are used to A-list treatment... even if they can't get in to first class. more ›

Amidst oil spillage, budget shortfalls, and Drakegate, it's difficult to keep sane. The New York State Senate must have sensed this when they approved (albeit narrowly) the legalization of mixed martial arts yesterday, providing New Yorkers a new avenue of vicarious stress release. With the 32-26 vote on Bill No. S2165B, which "authorizes mixed martial arts events in this state" and "imposes taxes on gross receipts of such events," the state may finally be establishing MMA as a mainstream sport cash cow. more ›

Sometimes there are white whines, and sometimes there are valid complaints. Today CityRoom's Complaint Box is filled with the latter, as one gentleman finally shines some light on this outrageous scam being pulled on innocent New Yorkers at restaurants citywide: the round up. You probably haven't even noticed it's happening, but some establishments have started to stealthy round-up bills when customers pay in cash. more ›

Yesterday the City Council passed legislation that will change the carriage horse industry, albeit not make it extinct, as many animal rights activists would like. Under the new bill, horses will be given five weeks off a year to "vacation" outside of the city, NY1 reports. Council speaker Christine Quinn called the move a “huge step forward" for the industry, and Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz spoke of the tourist appeal, saying: "People all over the world come to New York City with plans to take a carriage ride through Central Park. This bill ensures they can continue to do so in an environment that treats both the horses and the drivers fairly." more ›

With the Democrats' 10-year, $938 billion health care bill poised to become law, there are differing opinions in New York about how it will impact the Empire State. Rep. Anthony Weiner, an impassioned advocate for reform, says, "Thousands and thousands of New Yorkers are going to have health insurance who didn't have it before, small businesses are going to get a tax incentive to provide insurance and simply put, the economy is going to have a chance to start getting jump-started." But gazillionaire Mayor Bloomberg predicts Weiner's jumper cables will short out New York's battery. more ›

If the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Westchester is sold, New York City residents could see their electricity costs increase. And if the deal goes through, the new owner of the aging facility might be able to avoid paying for the eventual decommission of the plant, forcing taxpayers to cover the hundreds of millions of dollars of decontamination costs. more ›

Former New Jersey Governor John Corzine's hand must be cramped—on his last day in office he signed 54 bills into law, including one to legalize medical marijuana. And though he's letting state residents with chronic illnesses toke up, he also wants to discourage the munchies. Yesterday he followed New York's lead in making calorie postings mandatory at fast-food restaurants. more ›

Update: The New Jersey Assembly approved the measure to legalize medical marijuana. It's on to the State Senate now, and if it goes through Gov. Jon Corzine will sign it into law before leaving office next Tuesday, says the NY Times. more ›

At 1 a.m. this morning, with D.C. still digging out from an historic blizzard, the Senate voted 60-40 along party lines to cut off debate on an expansive health care legislation. After securing the vote of Senator Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska, on Saturday, the Senate appears on track to pass the bill by Christmas Eve. At this point, Senate Republicans are fighting the bill with parliamentary tactics, demanding the full 30 hours of debate allowed under the rules after each filibuster is broken by a vote of 60 senators. Because the storm had severly delayed Amtrak, a government plane was sent to retrieve New Jersey Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez. more ›

NYC has the second highest cell phone tax rate in America, according to a study released by Representative Anthony Weiner, the Vice Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet. His report shows that New Yorkers pay ten cell phone taxes and fees—more than any other major city in the country. And the tax rate is 16.20%, second only to Chicago, which clocks in at 19.02%. more ›

Independent Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman surprised Democrats yesterday by declaring he would vote against the Senate health care bill in its current form. In an interview on Face the Nation, Lieberman said that he would "have a hard time" voting for the bill if it includes a compromise, reached last week, to set up insurance plans run by nonprofit companies supervised by the government, and allow people without insurance to buy into Medicare at age 55. His remarks seemed to surprise some Democratic leaders who thought Lieberman had agreed to go along with the compromise. more ›

Last week a Bronx motorist threw a ticket agent's hand-held computer to the ground during an angry dispute over a parking ticket issued minutes after his Muni-Meter expired. "I get a five-minute grace period. It was in the media, today on the news," George Collazo reportedly yelled during the altercation. George, if you're reading this, we regret to inform you that your grace is still denied. more ›

Business owners did their best yesterday to scare off Council members mulling a bill that would require all employers in the city to provide up to nine paid sick days. The owners insist such a law would force small businesses to slash salaries and benefits, lay off employees, and eventually flee the city. "Pile on another expense to us, you’re gonna put people out of business. You’re gonna encourage people to move their business out of New York City. I’m a mile from New Jersey. It’s a hop over the bridge. And it’s very tempting," said Tom Scarangello of Scaran Heating & Air Conditioning. more ›

It's summertime in the city, whether or not the weather's caught up yet, and it's likely you are currently sitting in a freezing cold air-conditioned office. Yesterday NY1's Pat Kiernan Twittered about a USA Today graphic that claimed "2/3 of Americans say air conditioning a 'necessity'," which actually seems slightly low. more ›

New York State's only openly gay Senator, Thomas Duane (D-Manhattan), is telling the media that if the Senate votes on a bill to legalize same-sex marriages, it will pass. Duane, who is the bill's primary sponsor, tells Newsday, "Already there are enough votes for it to pass and a cushion." But that view was hotly disputed by other Senators, including Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, who supports gay marriage but refuses to bring the bill to the floor before the legislative session ends on June 22nd unless it's clear there are enough votes to pass it. Smith insists, "I don't have 32 votes that I know of." Senator Frank Padavan (R-Queens) says Duane's "dreaming," and Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., a fierce opponent of same-sex marriage, slammed Duane's prediction, telling the Daily News "It's unprofessional to be playing with people's minds." Governor Paterson, who'll sign the bill if it reaches his desk, is urging the Senate leadership to put the bill to a floor vote, regardless of the vote count. But openly voting on such a divisive issue would take political backbone, so Duane can probably just keep dreaming. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg's proposed 5-cent fee on every plastic bag used by shoppers would help reduce waste and raise an estimated $100 million to help the city's budget crisis, but it will probably never see the light of day now that City Council Speaker Christine Quinn opposes it. Quinn is also blocking a move to reimpose the city sales tax on clothing and shoes under $110, which would raise an estimated $394 million a year, and instead she wants to increase the city's sales tax from 4% to 4.5%. more ›

Residents of the 1,003-unit Roosevelt Landings complex on Roosevelt Island are used to paying for their electricity as part of their rents, but come April they'll start receiving separate bills for the first time. Last week the managers of the complex handed out sample electricity bills based on the readings of submeters installed in apartments, and now residents are shocked to learn that electricity is freaking expensive. One tenant who lives in a three-bedroom unit got a bill for $1,050.43, which was about half of what she pays in rent. Another tenant, Missy Feliciano, tells the Times, "I almost died when I opened the package." Assemblyman Micah Kellner wants officials to re-examine the submetering plan; he contends that "this is a de facto rent increase on this building," which used to be part of the state’s moderate-income Mitchell-Lama housing program. But the COO of the complex, Douglas F. Eisenberg, says, "They haven’t been responsible for their electric bills. Now they are. I think at the end of the day, I feel pretty good that we’re doing the right thing here." more ›

Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island) has introduced a bill that would require camera phones to "make a sound" when taking a picture (which may actually make some reluctant to snap a shot of an underground perv). Wired is reporting that "The move is part of the 'Camera Phone Predator Alert Act' and the idea is to ensure privacy and safety of the public, especially children," something that Japan has already required of their snap-happy citizens. They note that the bill likely won't pass in its current form, and if it does clicktones will be the new ringtones. But will they be loud enough to alert sleepy subway riders? Some call it out for being another anti-camera scheme, and ask, "why not require every man to wear a bell around his neck...in case he might sneak up on a child?" more ›