County sued over reapportionment plan

Oswego County is being sued by 11 plaintiffs in the matter of the reapportionment plan passed late last year.

The plaintiffs have asked the court to nullify the plan and allow an unbiased committee redraw the legislative district lines.

The Article 78 proceeding was filed with Oswego County Court early Tuesday afternoon and a subsequent press conference was held later that day at Fulton City Hall.

The plaintiffs include the five members of the Democrat caucus and residents Al Gerisch of West Monroe. June Rivers and Sam Weber of Mexico, Gay Williams of Minetto, Ronald Greenleaf of Hannibal and former county legislator Barbara Brown of Palermo.

The non-legislative plaintiffs are from varying political affiliations.

“A few hours ago, I and 10 other plaintiffs set into motion a process we hope will eventually lead the board to declare invalid the 25 districts that were passed by the county legislature back in December,” said Legislator Dan Farfaglia.

The plaintiffs allege that towns were “intentionally and illegally split.” POST

Weekly Address: Fixing our Immigration System and Expanding Trade in Latin America

President Obama describes the incredible opportunities to create middle-class jobs in America by deepening our economic ties and expanding trade in Latin America and discusses a recent Senate bill that takes commonsense steps to fix our broken immigration system.

Oswego Democratic Caucus Members of the Legislature file Suit over Redistricting

Reapportionment Lawsuit Copy

Governor Cuomo Continues Work to Reduce Public Corruption and Reform Electoral Process by Proposing New Reforms to Strengthen State’s Democracy

Albany, NY (April 30, 2013)
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today expanded on recent proposals to reduce public corruption and strengthen the state’s democracy by unveiling a series of new proposals and reforms to increase voter participation and make it easier for new candidates with fresh ideas to run for elected office in New York State.

The Governor's proposed reforms include simplifying the ballot, allowing sixteen and seventeen year olds to pre-register to vote, expanding access to the ballot for candidates, and allowing greater flexibility for affidavit ballots to be counted.

Today’s announcement builds on the reforms proposed this session. In his State of the State presentation, the Governor announced his strong support for early voting and other reforms to our election system. Several weeks ago, the Governor proposed giving prosecutors better tools to prosecute and tougher criminal penalties for those who commit crimes of government corruption. The Governor then proposed several new reforms to better enforce violations of the Election Law and to prevent individuals from buying their way to the ballot.

“For too many years, New York State has lagged behind other states and been in the Dark Ages when it comes to our process for electing candidates to public office,” Governor Cuomo said. “Over the past days we have taken major steps to restore the public’s trust in government and reform our outdated election system to give New York voters a louder and clearer voice in selecting their representatives. Today we are building on our recent efforts by announcing common sense reforms to our electoral process that will increase voter registration and turnout and strengthen our state’s democracy so the people of New York will be better able to participate in our state’s government.”

Dick Dadey, Executive Director of Citizens Union, said, "The recent corruption scandals have underscored the dire need for greater accountability of our elected officials in state government. Ultimately the best form of accountability comes from voters at the ballot box. The governor’s proposals today better enable the voters to ensure honest, accountable government by making it easier for New Yorkers to vote, easier to register through pre-registration of 16 and 17-year olds, easing restrictions on counting affidavit ballots and extending deadlines for registration.”

Sally Robinson, President of the League of Women Voters of New York State, said, "The League welcomes these proposed changes in the election law as important steps in enabling New Yorkers to fully exercise their right to vote. It is critical for the future of accountable government in this state that we make voting more accessible and thereby increase voter participation in New York. These steps are needed more than ever at a time when there is a serious loss of confidence by the public in their government. These reforms, as well as comprehensive campaign finance reform, will help to return the state government to its citizens."

Lawrence Norden, Deputy Director, Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said, "After Hurricane Sandy strained voters and poll workers last November, we all recognize that change to our election system is vital. Making voting more accessible, ballots easier to understand, and pre-registering 16 and 17 year olds will give more New Yorkers more opportunities to make their voices heard at the ballot box. The governor’s proposals are a great start, and we look forward to working with him and the legislature to further strengthen our democracy."

Pre-Registration of Sixteen and Seventeen Year Olds
New York currently ranks 47th in the nation in voter registration, with less than 64% of eligible residents registered to vote, and voter registration among young people is much lower than for other age groups. Under the Governor’s proposal today, sixteen and seventeen year olds would be allowed to “pre-register” to vote at school and at the DMV. Upon turning 18, those who are pre-registered will have their information verified, and will be automatically registered to vote.
Several states, including California and Maryland, have pre-registration, and this common sense proposal will allow young people to engage in the electoral process earlier and develop routine voting habits. It will also allow voter registration to occur at driving schools and high schools where such prospective voters spend their time.

Improving Ballot Access to Help Bring Fresh Ideas and Talent into Elected Office
Current New York State law has unduly burdensome requirements for the number of signatures a candidate is required to collect—known as “petitioning”— to appear on the ballot. These requirements often benefit incumbents, because incumbents have the operation and resources to collect signatures as well as sophisticated knowledge of the rules. In addition, new talent is often deterred from attempting to run for office because of the time and money required to collect the mandated number of signatures, and because of the threat of drawn-out court battles regarding ballot access.

The Governor’s proposal would reduce by the number of signatures required to appear on the ballot for all state offices to make those requirements match the proportional requirements for Congressional offices. For example, current state law requires that for any state senate race, a candidate must collect signatures from five percent of enrolled voters in a given party in that senate district or 1000 signatures, whichever is lower. In practice, this means that candidates must gather a minimum of 1000 signatures – and many more than that to withstand court challenges from other candidates. Under the Governor’s proposal that number would be reduced to no more than 550 signatures. Similar reductions would be made for other state offices. Reducing this requirement will reduce the barriers to entry for public office, and give New York voters greater choices on Election Day.

The Governor also proposes removing the requirement that a signatory to a petition outside New York City must include his or her town or city with the signature. Under the Governor’s proposal all signers would need to only include their county of residence in addition to their street address. This is currently the requirement inside New York City, which would be extended statewide.

Ballot Simplification
New York State’s ballots are overly complicated and hard to understand, leading to voter confusion and contributing to long lines on Election Day. The Governor’s proposal, which employs best practices in ballot design, would make sure the ballots used in elections are simple and easy to understand.

• Under the proposal, the state board of election would be required to disseminate a standardized template to counties before a statewide election. The ballot would, among other changes:
• Display candidates’ names in clear, readable text using initial capitalization, which is more readable than the current “all caps” approach;
• Have reduced clutter near candidates’ names (including removal of various symbols required by statute), increasing legibility for voters and decreasing the likelihood of scanner error; and
• Position fill-in ovals directly next to candidates’ names on the left, dramatically reducing ambiguity and confusion.

The new ballot would also be required to contain much clearer, shorter instructions for voters. In addition, in counties where ballots are required to be in languages besides English, ballots would only be allowed to have two languages, and poll workers must be trained to ensure that each voter receives a ballot in the appropriate language. This reform would allow the font size to be much larger on these ballots to make it easier for elderly and other voters to vote, and to reduce wait times and long lines on Election Day.

Modernizing Affidavit Ballot Process to be More Convenient for Voters
Under current New York law, if a voter goes to a polling site and their name does not appear on the voter list, under certain circumstances, that voter may vote by affidavit ballot. For that affidavit ballot to be counted, however, a voter must be in the correct election district.
Under the Governor’s proposal, a voter who casts an affidavit ballot on election day shall have their votes counted for the offices for which they are eligible to vote if they vote in the right county, even if not in the right election district. This proposal will ensure that more New Yorkers have their votes counted and that a greater number of people participate in the electoral process. At the same time, this reform would ensure that no voters are allowed to vote for offices for which they are not eligible to vote.

Expanded Voter Registration Period to Increase Electoral Participation
In 2012, New York ranked 44th in the nation in voter turnout, with only 53.6% of the voting eligible population turning out to the polls during the presidential election. One reason for this abysmal record of voter participation is the extensive set of barriers New York State law contains to such participation. For example, current law closes the voter registration lists twenty-five days before primary and general elections. As a result, an unregistered voter who becomes interested in an election as long as 24 days before an election is unable to participate. Under the Governor’s proposal, the voter registration lists would be closed only 10 days before Election Day rather than 25 days, allowing a greater window of opportunity for voters to register to vote.

###

Weekly Address: Time to Replace the Sequester with a Balanced Approach to Deficit Reduction

President Obama says that because Republicans in Congress allowed a series of harmful, automatic budget cuts—called the sequester—to take effect, important programs like Head Start are now forced to reduce their services. After travelers were stuck for hours in airports and on planes this past week, members of Congress passed a temporary band-aid measure to stop the cuts that impact airlines — but they must do more to stop cuts to vital services for the American people. That’s why it’s time for a balanced approach to deficit reduction that makes smarter cuts and reforms in the tax code while creating jobs and strengthening the middle class.

Reapportionment lawsuit expected to be filed Monday

A press conference is scheduled for Monday at 3:30 p.m. at Fulton city hall to announce the filing of a lawsuit against Oswego County over its recently adopted reapportionment plan.
Approximately 10 Oswego County residents are taking the county to court over the manner in which new legislative district lines were drawn.

Buffalo-based attorney Frank Housh said recently that he is representing the plaintiff’s in the case. “There is no question in my mind that the redistricting itself failed to meet the legal requirements,” Housh said.

Among the allegations that the county failed to take into consideration include the formula accounting for prisoners and that there are towns that were split that should not have been, he said.
“Those are the first two issues that we believe are illegal,” he said.

The third cause of action is related to the manner in which the Republican majority proceeded with re-drawing the district lines.  POST

Cuomo Takes The Bully Pulpit

Gov. Andrew Cuomo Tuesday morning in a radio interview called for what he described as “clarity” on a number of contentious issues.

Cuomo said he wants votes on public financing, his anti-corruption proposals and a measure that would strengthen abortion laws.

Oh, and lawmakers shouldn’t use the excuse of not having silly things like details to ask for more time to study the issue or not hold a vote.

In all, Cuomo used his 30 minutes on The Capitol Pressroom to assume the bully pulpit and apply some public pressure on the Legislature and specifically the Independent Democratic Conference in the Senate.

Cuomo openly questioned whether the coalition of Republicans and (now) four independent Democrats was a good set up for “progressive” politics if they failed to act on his version of the reproductive health act.

There’s a flip side to taking this approach. Broadly speaking, the governor tends to have more leverage over the Legislature during the budget negotiations. The spending plan for 2013-14 is now in place and the playing field in Albany is becoming a bit more level. Yes, Cuomo still has the wheel, but now others are trying to shove him aside to pilot the plane.

Then there’s the issue of political capital and Cuomo has expended a considerable amount of it in part due to the January gun control law.

Consider that Cuomo is also already framing this legislative session as a productive one, what with the gun law and the budget passing well in advance of the April 1 deadline.

But the governor is in danger of reaching the fatigue factor with both voters and the Legislature. His poll numbers took a hit after gun control, but he remains popular and, barring unforeseen events and a viable Republican opponent that could beat him (the political equivalent of a unicorn at this point), Cuomo will likely win re-election.

Still, some lawmakers are quietly grumbling that after more than two years of Cuomo’s administration their issues and voices aren’t being heard. They don’t necessarily want Albany to be a debating society, either, but would like to have some impact on how business is conducted at the Capitol.

Repost. http://capitaltonightny.ynn.com/2013/04/cuomo-takes-the-bully-pulpit/

Unemployment Rates

Unemployment Rates	March 13	Feb. 13	March 12
Jefferson	11.5	12.2	11.6
Lewis	12.3	13.2	12.0
St. Lawrence	10.8	11.4	11.3
Oswego	11.2	12.2	11.6
New York State	8.1	8.8	8.7

Weekly Address: America Stands with the City of Boston

Poll: Republican Party out of touch

A large majority of adults say the Republican Party is out of touch with average Americans, according to a new poll.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Tuesday found that 70 percent of those surveyed say the GOP is out of touch with “the concerns of most people in the United States today,” while 23 percent say that the party is in touch.

They also say the Democratic Party is out of touch, but by a closer margin of 51 to 43 percent. President Barack Obama is in touch with those concerns, said 51 percent of those surveyed, while 46 percent said that he is not.

As the Senate looks to tackle gun control issues, 55 percent of those surveyed said it is “possible to make gun laws without interfering with gun rights,” while 38 percent said such measures “always interfere with the right to own guns.” Eighty-six percent of those surveyed said they would support background checks conducted on those purchasing guns at gun shows and online.

The survey of 1,003 adults was conducted April 11-14 and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.5 percentage points.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/poll-republicans-democrats-out-of-touch-90132.html#ixzz2QfDtMjsM

Governor Cuomo Unveils Series of Proposals to Help Prevent Public Corruption

Albany, NY (April 16, 2013)

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today unveiled a series of proposals and reforms to strengthen New York State's electoral process and help prevent public corruption.

The Governor's proposed reforms would empower a new, independent enforcement unit at the State Board of Elections that would be authorized to investigate possible violations of election laws. The unit would have the authority to act independently of the Board of Elections, and not require Board approval to investigate violations.

In addition, the Governor’s proposed reforms would help prevent corruption, expand voter choice, and open primaries to more candidates by eliminating the “Wilson-Pakula” requirement that a candidate must obtain the approval of party leaders to compete for the nomination of a political party in which the candidate is not enrolled. The proposed reforms would also increase voter choice and participation in elections by allowing voters to change their party registration and vote in that party’s primary in the same year.

Last week, the Governor proposed new criminal penalties to increase government integrity. Additional reform proposals will be proposed.

“Our state’s election system must promote a fair, democratic process that ensures that voices of New York’s voters are heard loud and clear and voters have real choices in an election,” Governor Cuomo said. “The reforms we are proposing today will help prevent corruption and strengthen our democracy by ensuring that candidates need not bankroll their way on to other parties’ ballots and giving voters the ability to change their party registration and vote in a primary in the same year. Further, today we are taking action where the Board of Elections has failed to act, and empowering a new enforcement unit with real teeth so the people of New York can have confidence in our electoral process."


Independent Enforcement Unit at Board of Elections

The State Board of Elections' ineffective structure, consisting of four commissioners who are evenly appointed by each major party, leads to gridlock and rarely produces any serious investigations of election law violations. The Governor’s proposal would provide a new, independent investigative unit that would supersede the Board's inability to enforce and prosecute violations of election law.

Under the Governor’s proposal, the new independent enforcement unit would have the following key features:

• The Chief Election Enforcement Counsel would be selected by the Governor and require Senate confirmation. The Chief Election Enforcement Counsel would have sole authority over personnel decisions within the unit and would be required to hire based on merit rather than partisanship.
• The Chief Election Enforcement Counsel would be granted authority to investigate fully and prosecute both civil and criminal cases involving violations of the election laws, with subpoena power. The State Board of Elections does not currently have the authority to prosecute criminal violations, but instead must refer such matters to a district attorney.
• The Board of Elections would not have the authority to direct the new Chief Election Enforcement Counsel to cease an investigation, but could vote to direct him or her to begin such an investigation. Once the investigation has been completed and the Counsel’s findings presented to the Board, the Board could vote by majority vote not to bring a civil or criminal proceeding if the evidence demonstrated that a violation did not occur. However, if the Board failed to take a vote within 90 days, or was deadlocked, the Chief Election Enforcement Counsel could proceed to bring such a proceeding.
• The new unit would include a substantial investigative staff and attorneys to investigate and enforce the laws.

Elimination of the Wilson-Pakula Requirement

As a result of the Wilson-Pakula Act of 1947, candidates seeking to run on another party's line must obtain the permission of the leaders of that party. This requirement has led to both actual corruption and the appearance of corruption as candidates have used the promise of contributions and fundraising efforts to persuade party leaders to grant such permission.

Under the Governor’s proposal today, the Wilson-Pakula requirement would be eliminated so that candidates would have to collect signatures rather than seek the permission of party leaders in order to compete for the nomination of a political party in which they are not enrolled. This change would not only lessen corruption, but also give voters greater choices in elections to vote for candidates who may not be members of their party.

Allow Candidates and Voters to Change Party Enrollment in Timely Manner

The Governor’s proposal would change party enrollment deadlines to reduce corruption and expand voter choice and participation in elections. New York’s current party enrollment laws are unnecessarily burdensome and out of sync with similar laws in most other states. Currently, if a voter or candidate decides to register with a political party, their registration is not valid until the next general election year, preventing voters from participating in the primaries of the party they wish to join for a full year. This requirement effectively bars potential candidates from enrolling in the political party whose line they want to run on during the year of the upcoming election, and instead requires them to have to seek the approval of party officials to secure the line through a Wilson-Pakula certificate.

The Governor’s proposal would end this requirement and instead ensure that a voter’s party registration would take effect three months after the application is received by the Board of Elections, removing a real incentive for corruption that comes with this need to gain approval of party officials. The proposal would also allow voters to have much greater flexibility to enroll anew or to switch their enrollment shortly before an election where their vote will actually count, rather than waiting until after the election. As a result, it is expected that many more voters will vote in New York’s elections to express their views in both nominating and general election contests.

New York’s current party enrollment statutes are far more restrictive to voters than any other state in the nation. The vast majority of states either do not even track voters’ party enrollment, or they allow voters to vote in any party primary, or they allow voters to easily change their enrollment to vote in current elections. Of the other states that have advance deadlines for party enrollment like New York, only three other states have party affiliation deadlines in advance of the registration deadline for all voters and none of those deadlines are more than six months before Election Day. Only New York State makes a voter’s (or candidate’s) enrollment change effective only after election day regardless of when the application is submitted.

###

Louisville Courier-Journal: McConnell Tape Contents Are "Despicable" and the "Real Story"

In a blistering editorial on Sunday, the Louisville Courier-Journal, the largest newspaper in Kentucky, weighed in on the controversy kicked up by the Mother Jones article disclosing a tape that captured Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell and his campaign aides at a private strategy session laughing about using actor/activist Ashley Judd's past struggles with depression and her religious views as political ammunition, should Judd challenge McConnell for his seat. The newspaper derided the super-PAC that reportedly was connected to the tape, but it unloaded on McConnell, who is up for reelection next year:

The contents of the audio are as despicable as they are damaging, leaving Mr. McConnell unable to defend them. Instead, he blustered he was the victim of "Watergate style" bugging by left-leaning enemies and demanded an FBI investigation.

Full Post 

Mitch McConnell Hit With Ethics Complaint Over Leaked Ashley Judd Tape

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been hit with an ethics complaint after a leaked tape revealed he was discussing with aides how to take on potential opponent Ashley Judd.

The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has asked the Senate ethics committee and the FBI to investigate whether McConnell was having a discussion about potential Judd weaknesses -- including her mental health and religion -- on government time.

“Using taxpayer-funded resources to pay staffers to dig up dirt on political opponents isn’t just an ethics violation, it’s a federal crime,” said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan. “As Sen.
McConnell requested, the FBI is investigating the recording. A thorough and fair investigation necessitates the bureau also inquire into whether Sen. McConnell himself violated the law.”

Mother Jones first reported on the leaked tape, which was reportedly recorded at a Feb. 2 meeting. Shortly after the leak, the McConnell campaign said it was working with the FBI.

"Obviously a recording device of some kind was placed in Senator McConnell's campaign office without consent," McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton said in a statement.

Benton went on to slam the recordings as "Gestapo kind of scare tactics" during an interview on Mike Huckabee's radio show.

"We’re not going to stand for it," Benton said. POST

Boosting Cuomo’s Agenda, State Dems Plan Issue Advocacy Campaign

The state Democratic Committee this afternoon announced a broad effort to push a variety of policy goals ranging from gun control, immigration reform and economic growth with a focus on both the state and federal level.

A television ad featuring gun control advocates Jim and Sarah Brady calling for new gun control legislation to pass in Washington is set to air first.

It was not made clear when the first ad will air or how much the party plans to lay out for the issue campaign.
That ad is sure to raise eyebrows, considering that the state party apparatus is essentially controlled by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has strictly focused on New York issues in order to downplay the notion he’s seeking the presidency in 2016.

Cuomo has counted the January gun control law among his major accomplishments since taking office.
The timing of the announcement was also somewhat unusual: Friday at 4:30 p.m.

The effort will be helmed by Peter Kauffman, the former communications director for ex-Gov. David Paterson and a former aide to Hillary Clinton.

“This is an important time with so many pressing issues facing our state and nation. Now is the time for the New York State Party to be rebuilt in the modern age of advocacy,” Capel said in a statement.

Aside from gun control, the campaign will also focus on job creation through “progressive approaches” along with education and immigration reform. Each issue will have its own subcommittee within the state Democratic Party.

The party says there will be a focus on social media along with the more traditional TV ad.

Cuomo has used the state party this year more than he has during his first two years in office with an extensive advertising campaign in order to highlight his 2013-14 state budget. The reliance on the state committee came after the Committee to Save New York, an independent entity that was aligned with the governor’s fiscal agenda, has not been reactivated this year to lobby the state. POST

Weekly Address: The President’s Plan to Create Jobs and Cut the Deficit

President Obama tells the American people about the budget he is sending to Congress, which makes the tough choices required to grow our economy and shrink our deficits.

Gov. Cuomo Visits Oswego Today

Gov. Andrew Cuomo will continue his budget roadshow, holding a ceremonial signing at 11 a.m. at SUNY Oswego’s Sheldon Hall, Washington Boulevard and Sheldon Avenue, Oswego.

Unemployment Rates February 2013

Unemployment Rates	Feb 13	Jan 13	Feb 12
Jefferson	12.3	12.3	12.1
Lewis	13.0	12.9	12.4
St. Lawrence	11.4	12.1	11.5
Oswego	12.2	12.6	12.4
New York State	8.8	9.3	9.1

Cuomo: New York's economy is creating jobs, cutting taxes

BY ANDREW M. CUOMO

For too many years New York's anti-business culture was legendary, with chief executives laughing in response to my initial pleas for them to move their business to our state.

Now we are working to create a new New York that is pro-growth and where business and government can work together in a productive partnership to grow our economy and create jobs.

The state budget which just passed is yet another installment in that transformation plan. The foundation of this year's budget is rooted in policies and reforms specifically designed to stimulate New York's economy. This agenda realizes that creating jobs is facilitated by cutting taxes and incentivizing growth.

However, in this environment tax cuts can only happen in tandem with controlled spending by state and local governments. New York State has successfully controlled spending for three years in a row. After decades of increases at exorbitant rates, the legislature and I have held the growth in state spending below 2 percent.

State spending control has been matched by local-government spending control, resulting from our property tax cap -- which also caps growth at 2 percent. Other structural spending reforms, such as our Tier VI pension plan, and renegotiating our employee labor contracts to freeze wages for three years, have improved the short- and long-term fiscal health of the state. These spending controls have allowed us to cut taxes.

Last year we cut taxes on middle class families with incomes between -- $40,000-$300,000-- to their lowest rates in 60 years. This year we passed another tax cut for the middle class by including in the budget a new child care-credit of $350 for middle-class families so they will have more money in their pockets.

New in this year's budget is a series of tax cuts focused on small business and manufacturing companies. We also passed job-creating tax credits that incentivize the hiring of our veterans and city youth in distressed areas.

While some taxes stay the same and some go down, over the next two years the state is seeing a net cut in taxes. However, some complain that taxes are still too high. They are right. Some people would like to see the "millionaire's tax," which was set to expire at the end of next year, eliminated. We have already been able to eliminate it for 99 percent of the New Yorkers who were paying it.

However the plain fact is that revenue has still not recovered. The extension doesn't take place until 2015, the year our financial projections show a $5-billion budget gap. By extending this tax, which generates $2 billion, the state addresses the future gap.

The result is that the fiscal planning of the state is greatly improved. Standard & Poor's recently gave the state a positive outlook, and enacting a long-term credible financial plan is essential. Of course, two years is a lot of time given our economic ups and downs. I am sure there will be a lot discussion and debate -- including by my Tax Commission report -- between now and then about how best to allocate those revenues. But our fiscal house is in order.

In addition to controlling government costs and reducing taxes, the state is working to partner with business by removing obstacles and developing new incentives to grow our economy and create jobs. Building on tax cuts for small businesses and manufacturers, we are investing in our successful regional economic development councils, launching new innovation hot spots to incubate more high-tech business, starting a $50-million New York State venture capital fund to bring to market the extraordinary innovations crafted at our research universities, and promoting tourism in upstate New York. We are also reforming our costly workers' compensation and unemployment insurance programs, saving New York State businesses $1.3 billion.

Most important, state government is functioning. This budget is the third in a row -- balanced and on time -- a 30-year record.

There is still more to do. You don't correct decades of misdirection overnight, but the progress we have made is inarguable. Efficiency, effectiveness and consumer confidence in state government are up; corruption and dysfunction are down, and the gridlock has been defeated.

Our efforts are achieving results: We have created more than 300,000 new private sector jobs -- setting a record with 17 consecutive months of job growth. Today New York has more private sector jobs than ever before and the best is yet to be.

Andrew M. Cuomo is governor of New York.

 

Weekly Address: President Obama Offers Easter and Passover Greetings

Assembly starts giving final OK to $135B NY budget

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- New York's Assembly has started final legislative approval of the $135 billion state budget.

The Assembly is expected to be in session at least through the evening Thursday to pass the huge budget bills totaling thousands of pages.

Assembly Republicans also plan to debate most of the issues. They are also expected to introduce what are called "hostile amendments."

In Albany, hostile amendments are proposed by the minority party to make clear their opposition to legislation crafted by the majority party. Hostile amendments are quickly rejected by the majority, but the required debate can be lengthy.

The Senate finished approving the budget bills in an overnight session that ended at 4 a.m. Wednesday.

The budget already approved by Gov. Andrew Cuomo is due by midnight Sunday.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NY_NY_BUDGET_ASSEMBLY_NYOL-?SITE=NYMID&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Senate GOP To Blame For Next NYC Speeding Death

Mayor Bloomberg today lit into the Senate Republicans for refusing to authorize installing up to 40 cameras in school zones to catch speeding drivers.

The Assembly supported a plan to fine speeders $25 to $100 when caught by the cameras, but the idea has now failed to pass muster with both houses of the Legislature for the third straight year.

During his Q-and-A with reporters in NYC earlier today, Bloomberg singled out several members of the GOP conference – including his onetime ally Simcha Felder, a former Democratic NYC councilman from Brooklyn who is caucusing with the Republicans – for killing the measure, and said the next death of a child struck by a speeding driver will be on their heads.

The mayor called the Senate’s rejection of the bill “reckless” and “negligent,” and accused legislators of engaging in hypocrisy by rejecting the speed cameras while also approving increased surcharges for speeders as part of the 2013-14 budget.

Post. http://capitaltonightny.ynn.com/2013/03/bloomberg-senate-gop-to-blame-for-next-nyc-speeding-death/

Weekly Address: Helping Protect Our Kids by Reducing Gun Violence

NY State Senate & Assembly Scratch Saturday Sessions, Will Return Sunday For Budget Votes

State lawmakers are getting an extra day away from Albany courtesy of the slow pace of budget negotiations.

Because so few budget bills have been printed, the Senate and Assembly have cancelled their plans to hold session Saturday afternoon and have re-scheduled them for Sunday. The Senate is expected to gavel in at 3 p.m. Sunday and the Assembly is planning to get started around 4 p.m.

The delay means lawmakers will almost certainly be in Albany on Monday to continue voting and may, depending how quickly the final negotiations conclude, have to return to the Capitol  later in the week – after first two days of Passover -  to complete their budget work.

GOP Changes

Three weeks in, sequester impacts growing

Three weeks after sequestration officially became the law of the land, debate over the issue has slowed to a trickle: The Obama administration has conceded that the across-the-board budget cuts are likely here for awhile, and Republicans are split over whether or not that's a good thing or a bad thing. But even as the long-term economic impacts of sequestration remain murky, its day-to-day impacts are becoming increasingly evident.

Below, CBSNews.com rounds up a handful of sequestration's impacts to date, from widespread staff furlough notices, to canceled White House visitor tours, to a reduction in early education opportunities for low-income kids.

Furloughs

Because the government mandates that federal employees receive a month's notice before being furloughed, none of the planned furloughs have yet gone into effect. But across the federal government, thousands of workers have been notified that their hours - and their pay - are being cut.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued furlough notices to approximately 2,000 employees, who will be required to take up to 11 days of unpaid leave between April 7 and September 30.

The Department of Defense sends out its first furlough notices Friday. A spokeswoman for the department said last month nearly all 800,000 civilian employees would be furloughed one day per week.

Furlough notices have been sent out at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), proposing furloughs of 13 days or less for employees over the next seven months as a result of sequestration.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will furlough 6,200 food inspectors for 11 days this summer, starting in July, according to the Iowa Farmer Today. The USDA says that would disrupt meat exports to the tune of $8 billion. A spending bill passed in the Senate Wednesday would provide $55 million to the USDA through September to help avoid these furloughs. The money will be allocated if the House passes the bill today and then gets signed into law by the president.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has also scheduled its furloughs, according to Fox News Latino, which reports that all 60,000 full-time employees will be furloughed for no more than 14 days starting on April 21.

Military-related cuts

The Department of Defense cites a generally "insidious degradation" of the entire department's capabilities as a result of sequestration, but according to reports, some programs have already taken a hit:

Earlier this month, the Army announced it would be suspending a tuition assistance program for soldiers enrolling in classes as a result of sequester cuts. According to USA Today, 250,000 troops will subsequently be denied tuition for enrollment. The Marine Corps, too, has cut its program. However, a spending bill passed by the Senate Wednesday would, if approved by the House today, restore funding for this program through the end of September.
Scholarships for the children of troops who were slain in combat have also been slashed as a result of sequestration, according to ABC News. Going forward, the so-called Iraq and Afghanistan War Grants will be reduced by 37.8 percent.

According to Maryland's Fort Stewart Patch, the Army's community outreach efforts have slowed down dramatically at Fort Meade, a military installation in Maryland. The Fort Stewart Patch reports that aerial demonstrations and military open houses will be put on hold as of April 1, and the Army Parachute Team will stop performing publicly for the remainder of the fiscal year.

The Air Force Thunderbirds, the Nevada-based air demonstration squadron of the United States Air Force, is also grounded as of April 1.

House members will also be banned from using military aircraft for trips, according to House Speaker John Boehner.
Unemployment

Some are notifying unemployment claimants that Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) will be cut beginning in. In Pennsylvania, for example, EUC payments will be reduced by 10.7 percent.

Education

While many of sequestration's impacts won't effect education until the next fiscal year, Head Start programs - which provide early education opportunities for lower-income kids - have started reducing their services all across the country:

According to the Indiana Journal Gazette, "At least two Indiana Head Start programs have resorted to a random drawing to determine which three-dozen preschool students will be removed from the education program for low-income families," for purposes of managing budget cuts.
In Pennsylvania, the funding cuts have limited in the amount of food and supplies Head Start programs are able to provide, and curbed their abilities to buy fuel for buses and transportation, according to the Pennsylvania Daily Review.

Head Start programs in Florida and Tennessee have reported similar transportation cuts.

Post. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57575472/three-weeks-in-sequester-impacts-growing/

News Shorts

New York’s annual minimum wage would rise to $9 an hour over three years under a tentative deal struck by the governor and legislative leaders.

State Budget Deal.  A deal is expected today, which needs to occur if bills are going to be printed and aged in time for passage by the end of the week.  Also expected in the final budget deal: An early extension of the 2011 tax reform deal (AKA the millionaire’s tax) and additional school aid.

Top Assembly Republicans are not planning to take action against Steve Katz, who was charged with marijuana possession on Thursday. (GNS)

Hillary Clinton endorsed same-sex marriage, which a new poll found is increasingly acceptable to young people. (WP)

Today is the 10-year anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. (WP)

County headed to court over Republican legislative reapportionment

Approximately ten Oswego County residents are taking the County of Oswego to court over the manner in which new legislative district lines were drawn.

Buffalo-based attorney Frank Housh said Wednesday that the lawsuit is expected to be filed within the next few weeks. He noted that he is waiting for the final district lines to be drawn by the county Board of Elections so that the paperwork can be filed.

“There is no question in my mind that the redistricting itself failed to meet the legal requirements,” Housh said.

Among the allegations are that the county failed to take into consideration the formula accounting for prisoners and that there are towns that were split that should not have been.

“Those are the first two issues that we believe are illegal,” he said.

The third cause of action is related to the manner in which the Republican majority proceeded with re-drawing the district lines. Housh alleged that the county legislature used a “blatantly political modus process to marginalize the Democrats. The way they did it was to deny or ignore all public comment.”

The reapportionment has been a controversial issue since the maps were passed late last year. Legislature Chairman Fred Beardsley established a committee to complete the reapportionment maps. Legislator Dan Farfaglia, a member of the committee, frequently complained that his input was not taken.

The lawsuit will allege that Beardsley and the Republican majority gerrymandered the districts to the disadvantage of the Democrat legislators.  POST

Unhappy Meal

Weekly Address: Time to Create the Energy Security Trust

President Obama discusses the need to harness American energy in order to reduce our dependence on oil and make the United States a magnet for new jobs. He highlights his all-of-the-above approach to American energy -- including a proposal to establish an Energy Security Trust, which invests in research that will help shift our cars and trucks off of oil.