Karen DeWitt

The Cuomo Administration has announced two developments that could delay the start of hydro fracking in New York, and is leaving supporters and opponents with many unanswered questions.

A report by the Cuomo Admisntration on the death of 21 horses at a New York racing course concludes that half of the deaths could have been prevented .  

The Republican State Senator who lost a primary after voting for gay marriage is dropping out of the race. Senator Roy McDonald says he won’t campaign on the Independence Party line in the general election and will instead back his former primary opponent.  

Senator McDonald, in a statement, says he’s decided not to continue campaigning on the Independence Party line for the November vote. McDonald narrowly lost a GOP primary following his decision to vote yes to help get gay marriage approved in New York last year.

Governor Cuomo has crossed party lines and offered a political endorsement to Republican Senator Roy McDonald, who lost a primary this month after voting to support same sex marriage.

The New York State Comptroller says he’ll institute an early warning system for the state’s many municipalities that are in financial trouble, to try to help turn them around before things get even worse.

The Comptroller’s office routinely audits local governments around the state, and has already determined that hundreds are in financial trouble, with more than 300 running deficits, and over 100 without enough cash on hand to pay their current bills.  

Both pro and anti gay marriage forces are claiming victory after a split primary result in two key Senate races. Meanwhile, Governor Cuomo says two pro same sex marriage Republican Senators who survived primary challengers were targeted by “extremists” within the GOP.

Nearly two weeks after the September 13th primary, Senator Stephen Saland of the Hudson Valley has been declared the winner in his GOP primary, where his opponent made an issue of the Senator’s swing vote on same sex marriage.   

Governor Cuomo says he supports his Administration’s internal health review on hydrofracking in New York, and he says it could even hasten the gas drilling process in the state, should fracking ultimately be approved.

One day after a statement by Governor Cuomo’s environmental commissioner that he is rejecting calls for an independent health analysis of hydro- fracking, there are more questions than answers. Commissioner Joe Martens says he’ll conduct an internal health review instead.

Governor Cuomo’s environmental commissioner is rejecting calls by environmentalists for an independent health impact study on hydro fracking. But  Environmental Commissioner Joe Martens, says the State’s Health commissioner has agreed to conduct a review.

Governor Cuomo defended the concept of a proposed 45% truck toll hike on the New York Thruway, saying  that without it, the authority could suffer a bond rating downgrade at a critical time.