Tagged: Capitol Bureau

One day after the state’s powerful Assembly Speaker admitted “glaring failures” in his handling of a sexual abuse case, the Albany establishment seemed to be moving on, with the usual round of press conferences, bill passage, and leaders meetings.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver attended a top level  meeting with Governor Cuomo and Senate leaders on casino gambling ,  and oversaw passage of a one house bill on the Dream Act, to help children of undocumented immigrants get funding for college.

Voters in New York go to the polls on May 21st  to approve new school budgets. The State School Boards Association finds that many school districts are living within the limits imposed by a property tax cap enacted two years ago.

The School Board Association’s Tim Kremer says a survey of the state’s school districts finds that the vast majority are budgeting within the strictures of the tax cap, and as a result,  93% expect their budgets to be approved by voters.

Governor Cuomo is calling on Assemblyman Vito Lopez, the subject of a scathing ethics commission report on sexual harassment, to resign from office or be expelled.

Cuomo, calling Lopez’s sexual harassment of at least four women, as portrayed in the state ethics report, “disturbing” and “ugly” and he says the Assemblyman should immediately resign, or the rest of the Assembly should move to get rid of him.

“The reaction from the legislature should be zero tolerance,” Cuomo said. “If he doesn’t resign, he should be expelled.”

A report from the state ethics commission on the sexual harassment allegations against Assemblyman Vito Lopez has finally been released.  It’s conclusions have New York’s  National Organization for Women calling for a vote of no confidence against the still serving Assemblyman, and the Republicans calling for Silver to resign.

Governor Cuomo outlined his proposal for a new local government restructuring board to help financially distressed communities deal with long term budget problems.

Cuomo offered more details of his previously announced plan to set up a restructuring board to help local governments on the brink of insolvency.