Tagged: Capitol Bureau

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.

Lawmakers in Albany tried to carry on business in the wake of one of the worst scandals in recent decades, that has overshadowed most other news coming out of the Capitol.  Much of this week’s legislative session has been cancelled, but politicians who were in town insisted that their agendas are not being derailed.

In the State Senate, two members have been indicted, and a former Senator was sentenced to a year in jail in recent weeks, while six other Senators are potentially under federal investigation.