Some area state lawmakers say they would prefer Governor Andrew Cuomo keep the traditional method of delivering the annual State of the State address.
Cuomo's office announced on Monday that this year, instead of a general address to the state legislature and other officials in Albany, Cuomo would deliver a series of six regional addresses during the week of January 9th.
Assembly Minority leader Brian Kolb, a Republican from Canandaigua, feels the traditional method works better and sets a more respectful tone.
“This is supposed to be an analysis of where our state is, which includes all three branches of government, and I do think it’s wrong for the governor not to have an official presentation to the legislature, to the judiciary, and to all the state agencies at the beginning of the new year,” Kolb told WXXI News.
Assemblyman Harry Bronson, a Democrat from Rochester, also would rather see Cuomo do the traditional Albany speech. He notes that lawmakers are supposed to be in session the week of January 9th, and he is concerned about scheduling conflicts if there is a regional presentation he'd like to attend.
“Having six different ones across various regions in the state, I believe causes some logistical problems and being able to fulfill the intent and the spirit of the constitution, which is to deliver it to the legislature.”
Bronson says he's fine with regional speeches to follow the initial speech, but believes the main address should be in Albany.
One of the regional speeches will be in Western New York, but there's no word yet what city it will be located in.
