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Apr. 21, 2024 By Ethan Stark-Miller Albany lawmakers finally passed the state budget on Saturday, a plan that contained a two-year extension of mayoral control of New York City public schools, a deal to boost housing supply and some tenant safeguards. Gov. Kathy Hochul took a victory lap Saturday afternoon over the passage of…
Apr. 12, 2024 By Anthony Medina On Thursday, Apr. 11, the Senate approved legislation that significantly enhances protections for pets and animals, coinciding with Animal Cruelty Prevention Month. The bill now awaits Governor Kathy Hochul’s signature. Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., who represents New York Senate District 15, received the approval of his legislation S.6796A,...
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Apr. 3, 2024 By Anthony Medina A coalition of legal and licensed cannabis dispensary owners have come together to urge New York State officials to take swift legislative action against unlicensed weed shops. The dispensary owners have joined forces and penned a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul, State Sen. Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly...
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Mar. 26, 2024 By Czarinna Andres Queens Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas is spearheading a campaign, alongside a coalition of business, public health, and agricultural advocacy groups, urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to increase the minimum benefit of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to $100 in New York’s fiscal year 2025 budget. The coalition’s push follows the Senate’s budget proposal for a minimum benefit of $50 per month and is made up of notable entities such as the Business Council, Instacart, the New York State Association for Rural Health, AARP, American Farmland Trust and the National Supermarket Association. This initiative is rooted...
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Mar. 19, 2024 By Barbara Russo In a historic move for women’s healthcare in New York state, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a standing order Tuesday allowing pharmacists to provide over-the-counter hormonal contraceptive medication to patients.
Mar. 12, 2024 By Ben Brachfeld State lawmakers proposed spending $90 million this year to improve bus service frequency and expand the scope of the MTA's free bus pilot in the Assembly and Senate "one-house" budgets released on Tuesday. The budget proposals, in response to Gov. Kathy Hochul's executive spending plan, allocate $45 million…
Mar. 10, 2024 By Ben Brachfeld The National Guard soldiers checking the bags of subway straphangers are no longer carrying long guns on duty, a spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul has confirmed.
Feb. 13, 2024 By Ethan Marshall Queens residents and elected officials, including New York State Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams, gathered in Flushing to watch the parade celebrating the Year of the Dragon on Lunar New Year Saturday. The event which is hosted and organized by the Flushing Chinese Business Association along with many other local groups, sees thousands of attendees each year. Hochul expressed a commitment towards making the holiday a state-wide celebration. “We want everyone from Asian backgrounds to feel included and welcomed,” Hochul said. This sentiment was reinforced by many of the...
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Jan. 30, 2024 By Aidan Graham Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday signed the “Rape is Rape Act,” a bill sponsored by Queens Assembly Member Catalina Cruz that expands the criminal code to include more forms of sexual violence. “Today is about the survivors. It’s about aligning the letter of the law with the pain in...
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Dec. 19, 2023 By Rachel Butler The leaders of a coalition of 14 eastern Queens civic associations announced their opposition last week to the Creedmoor Development plan that Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled Dec. 6 The group argues that the plan, which calls for 2,873 apartments spread across the sprawling Creedmoor Psychiatric Center site, includes residential buildings...
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