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With budget negotions in a bit of a tangle and new deals floated every day, one policy that hasn't recieved much attention is the DREAM Act that would give undocumented youth tuition assistance to attend college. 

So far it seems that Speaker Sheldon Silver is fighting a losing battle to push for some sort of funding for the program to be included in the budget. 

Sen. Jose Peralta has continually called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to make The DREAM Act part of his budget and to lead on the issue but so far it hasn't worked.

Cuomo has been quiet on the issue and a spokesman told the Gazette last week that Cuomo supports the federal DREAM Act but is considering proposals on the state level. 

The DREAM Act could be dealt with outside of the budget, but most insiders think that budget negotiations gives proponents the strongest hand to negotiate. 

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There is no budget deal to report as of this afternoon, but there are a few "tentative" ones the table — or at least floating around the halls of the Capitol. 

The first deal would see the state's minimum wage incrementally increased to $9 an hour by 2016. That deal has some mainstream Senate Democrats rankled. Sen. Mike Gianaris told Susan Arbetter of The Capitol Pressroom that Senate Republicans who cut a deal with the Independent Democratic Conference have "outsize" influence in negotiations and that the deal is "half a loaf." 

Sen. David Valesky of the Independent Democratic Conference responded in a statement accusing Gianaris of the "type of absolutism that prevented progress in the past." 

Now there is word of a deal on marijuana laws. The New York City Council would be allowed to make possesion of small amounts of marijuana in public a ticketable offense rather than an arrestable offense under proposed legislation.

Some upstate legislators are upset that the measure would only impact New York City. 

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Assemblyman William Boyland has been indicted on federal wire fraud on charges he falsely filed per diem reimbursement requests for travel while he was actually meeting with undercover FBI agents.

Federal authorities announced the charges earlier today. 

Boyland beat pay-to-play charges in November 2011 but recent testimony by a former staffer has seen a return of Boyland's legal woes. 

Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office decided to withold future per diem payments from Boyland in February after examining his requests.

Here is a statement from DiNapoli's office of Boyland's new indictment: 

My office's examination of Mr. Boyland's expenses found a blatant pattern of abuse. The actions of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Loretta E. Lynch and the U.S. Department of Justice sends a clear message that elected officials who try to enrich themselves and break the public trust will be held accountable. The Office of State Comptroller will continue to cooperate with law enforcement officials in this serious matter.
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Legislators say they expect to vote on a state budget by next week making for an extra-early budget. Of course lots could happen between then and now but legislative leaders continue to meet today and have hashed out their spending targets.

The joint budget conference announced they have agreed to $550 million in "table target" spending. Other targets include $60 million for health spending,  $70 million for higher education, $40 million for mental hygiene and $35 million for human services. 

Other parts of the budget remain elusive. It is unclear whether casino siting and a minimum wage increase will be in the budget. Advocates have swamped Albany online and in the Twitterverse targeting Sens. Dean Skelos and Jeff Klein to raise the minimum wage. Cuomo supports a $8.75 hike, while the Assembly has passed a $9 hike. The Senate budget supports an unspecified wage hike that would be phased in in installments. 

A number of advocates have been focusing on Klein specifically because he and the Independent Democrats joined with Republicans to create a coalition while saying they support a minimum wage hike. Republicans have been vocal in their opposition to a wage hike. 

“The time for excuses is over. Given the tremendous support by voters, community, faith, labor and business leaders, the minimum wage should have been increased last year," said Mark Dunlea of Hunger Action in a statement. "A majority of State Senators want to join the Assembly in raising the minimum wage to $9 an hour, with indexing. Sen. Klein has to show that his power arrangement agreement is something more than a charade to thwart the democratic will of voters and to distribute patronage to the minority Republicans and their IDC enabler." 

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo's Office of New American's has debuted 27 "opportunity centers" that will provide English language training, prepare immigrants for citizenship tests, provide job opportunities, training and access to capital.

There is also a toll-free, multilingual hotline at (800) 566-7636 to guide immigrants to services. 

“By establishing the Office for New Americans, we are helping our state live up to the promise of the Lady in our Harbor and ensure that New York remains a land of opportunity for all," Cuomo said in a statement. "New York state and city were built by the working hands of immigrants who traveled thousands of miles to pursue the limitless possibilities of the American Dream. The Office for New Americans builds on this promise and will help harness the strong work ethic and energy of our immigrants so we can reinvigorate our economy, create jobs and reconnect to our state’s rich history of opportunity." 

Cuomo noted at a cabinet meeting on Monday that the creating of the opportunity centers shows that New York's policy toward immigrants is opposite of many states that want to drive immigrants away.

New York Secretary of State Cesar Perales echoed Cuomo' sentiments.  “Providing access to English language training and other services is vital for the full participation of New Americans in our State’s civic and economic life," he said. 

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State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has joined with 37 other states in agreeing to a settlement with Google for its unauthorized collecting of personal data from unsecured wireless networks across the country.

The attorney general's office said today that Google collected and stored text messages, photos, passwords and web use history without telling consumers.  

As part of the settlement, Google has agreed to destroy the information, train employees how not to violate consumer privacy and pay a $7 million fine to the states affected by the charges. Google is valued at over $265 billion.

New York will recieve $192,000 as part of the settlement.

“Consumers have a right to protect their vital personal and financial information from improper and unwanted use by corporations like Google,”  Schneiderman said in a statement. “This settlement addresses privacy issues and protects the rights of people whose information was collected without their permission. My office will continue to hold corporations accountable for violating the rights of New Yorkers.”

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Today both houses of the state legislature are expected to vote on their budgets. The one-house budgets are representations of the priorities of the parties that control either house. 

The Assembly budget contains funding for the DREAM Act as well as a minimum wage increase and interestingly enough $2 million in funding for the state's spinal cord injury research board that we have written about a few times

The Senate budget allocates $8.5 in funding for the spinal cord program. 

The program set up a board that distributed grants to spinal cord researchers across the state. It lead to substantial research in dealing with spinal cord injuries and drew researchers to the state. It was funded by a surcharge on moving violations issued by state police. The surcharge still exists but Gov. David Paterson cut funding for spinal cord research and directed all the funds to the state's general fund. 

This year supporters of the research held a conference in Albany to draw attention to the kinds of breakthroughs the program had led to and it drew a lot of attention. 

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled Open.ny.gov, a transparency site dedicated to hosting data from state agencies as well as localities and the federal government. Cuomo showed off the site at a cabinet meeting this morning. The move comes at the start of Sunshine Week . 

“Open.ny.gov creates unprecedented transparency across all levels of government and gives the people user-friendly access to vast quantities of information on our State,” Cuomo said in a a statement.  “This new website will dramatically increase public access to one of our most valuable assets – data. As it expands and evolves over time, Open.ny.gov will spark innovation, improve efficiency, promote accountability, and bring the people back into government.”

Cuomo issued an executive order directing state agencies to review and catalogue data that they collect and make it available to the public on the website. The state Office of Information Technology Services will consult with agencies on how to post the information. 

City and county government are also taking part in the site and have made their data available. 

For more on the state of open data in New York State, check out today's feature. 

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Sen. Jose Peralta wants action on legislation that would give young undocumented New Yorkers tuition assistance.

He is filing a motion to force the legislation out of committee in the Senate and has written Gov. Andrew Cuomo asking him to make the DREAM Act part of his budget. 

"Under your stewardship, New York has blazed a trail on several of the great issues of our time," Peralta wrote in a letter to Cuomo today. "By passing the DREAM Act, we can take another such monumental step."

"The Fiscal Policy Institute has calculated that bachelor's degree holders pay an additional $3,900 in annual state taxes, meaning that TAP funding for the undocumented would more than pay for itself within six years on average," Peralta continued.

The Assembly has added $25 million for funding the DREAM Act to their budget plan. The deadline for a budget is April 1. 

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The state Assembly voted yesterday for a 24-month moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, apparently emboldened by Gov. Andrew Cuomo's decision to hold off on allowing the natural gas drilling process in New York state.

In a statement defending the bill, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said a moratorium was necessary to allow for sufficient time to thoroughly study the issue. “We need to better understand the broad impacts to our environment, our economy, and the health and safety of all who work and live in New York before the Department of Environmental Conservation makes its decision," he said. 

The Assembly bill also requires a health impact assessment to be carried out using a model recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.

Assemblyman Kevin Cahill of Ulster County lauded the move: “It became evident during our budget hearings that the review currently being done by the New York State Department of Health is inadequate for the protection of New Yorkers. This legislation will create New York-centered studies, taking into account our unique geology and water resources and also capitalize on the experience in other states.”

The Independent Oil and Gas Association and the Business Council both issued statements condemning the Assembly's action. “The proposed moratorium on future natural gas development in upstate New York is seriously ill-informed and ignores science and the experience in other states, and demonstrates continued disregard for farmers, landowners and small businesses in the Southern Tier,” said IOGA Executive Director Brad Gill.

But opponents of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, say the gas industry simply doesn’t have its heart in the fight because the market demand is not simply there.

“I think the industry is focusing on development in other places,” said Kate Sinding of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “Gas prices are so low that there is just not so much pressure to get into the ground in New York. We are seeing frustration from landowners who are threatening lawsuits but not sure it is practical for the industry right now.”

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Looking for some fisticuffs this afternoon? Too bad! But the next best thing is taking place in the New York Senate where the body is debating legalizing mixed martial arts.

Sen. Joseph Griffo is answering the questions of Sen. Liz Krueger about the finer points of choking out an opponent. Krueger is also concerned about neo-Nazis being involved in MMA. 

The Ultimate Fighting Championships, which is the largest MMA organization, has been lobbying hard for five years to get New York to sanction the sport; most other states have already done so. The UFC donated over $105,000 to Cuomo in his first 18 months in office. 

The UFC has high hopes that this will be the year they get to hold an event in the state, since a number of the biggest opponents of the sport in the Assembly have retired and it also has a pending lawsuit that claims the state ban on MMA is unconstitutional. 

The UFC claims its events will bring millions in revenue and tourism dollars to the state, and has commited to holding events not only in the city but in upstate and western New York. 

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Assembly Republicans are expressing their dissaproval with Speaker Sheldon Silver's legislation that will increase the minimum wage to $9 an hour at a hearing this afternoon. 

Assemblyman Al Graf just got finished noting that this specific bill has no sponsor in the Senate and that it is basically a one-house bill. "All this amounts to is a nice little press release," Graf said. Democratic Keith Wright is the bill's sponsor in the Assembly. 

Silver decided to bring the wage increase to a vote today as negotiations over a minimum wage increase continue between the Senate, Governor and Assembly.

Senate Republicans have acknowledged an increase is likely but they want to pair it with tax cuts. 

Meanwhile, the breakaway Independent Senate Democrats support a wage hike as well.

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A member of a dissident faction of Senate Democrats has introduced legislation that would put a a 24-month moratorium on the form of natural gas drilling known as hydraulic fracturing, pending the outcome of major health studies into the practice. 

Sen. David Carlucci, who is a member of the Independent Democratic Conference representing Rockland and Westchester counties, announced Tuesday that he had introduced the bill.

“A quick buck is not worth the long-term debt that our children will have to live with if we get this decision wrong," Carlucci said in a statement. "Rushing to judgment without all of the facts is a recipe for a disaster, particularly involving a hydrofracking process that lacks transparency and accountability, and has appeared to pose significant harmful health effects towards populations surrounding the Marcellus Shale. I cannot in good conscience support any measure that does not first fully evaluate all related scientific data, and that is precisely what we are advocating for here today. Let’s get the facts at our disposal before we launch into unchartered territory.” 

Sen. Jeff Klein had similar reservations: "As I've said before, I have serious concerns about the process. These studies will provide the Department of Health with a much clearer sense of whether or not hydrofracking can ever be conducted safely."

A release from Carlucci's office notes that three major studies into hydrofracking are ongoing: One on the impacts on drinking water resources by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; a Geisinger Health System of Pennsylvania study on the health histories of hundreds of thousands of people who live near natural gas wells on the Marcellus Shale that covers parts of New York as well as Pennsylvania; and a study of health impacts led by academic researchers. 

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The Office of State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is making it easy for New Yorkers to track what the state is spending on Hurricane Sandy relief.

DiNapoli ordered all storm expenditures to be expedited and is keeping a very prominent list on his webpage of all the contracts that have been approved, how much money was spent, what it was for and who was contracted.

You can check out the database here. If you see anything interesting, don't hesitate to let us know in the comments section or over social media.  

Here is an accounting of last month's contracts: 

02/22/2013 Cascade Water Services Inc. OGS $175,000 Clean HVAC duct systems, South Beach PC
02/21/2013 WW Grainger DHSES $299,192 Generators, heaters & accessories
02/19/2013 Imperial Restrooms, Inc. DHSES $221,244 Rent portable shower trailers & water tanks
02/13/2013 Teledyne Paradise Datacom, LLC DHSES $66,046 Satellite Modems
02/13/2013 Standard Textile Corp DHSES $89,200 Pillows
02/13/2013 CDW Governement DHSES $71,515 Cameras, ink, printer & accessories
02/13/2013 Audio Video Corp DHSES $146,144 Wireless video system
02/12/2013 Garner Environmental Services DHSES $1,007,087 Pumps and Hoses
02/12/2013 Skyworks LLC DHSES $245,240 Light towers
02/12/2013 Jeres Hardware DHSES $315,029 Generators
02/11/2013 One Power Solutions DHSES $334,107 Mobile water purification unit
02/11/2013 Stone Industries DHSES $235,500 Toilet rentals
02/07/2013 Certified Stainless Service DHSES $137,600 Potable water transport vehicle
02/07/2013 Innotech Products DHSES $70,234 Heater meals
02/07/2013 Innotech Products DHSES $161,302 Heater meals
02/07/2013 WW Grainger DHSES $74,880 Chainsaws
02/07/2013 The Sandbagger Corp. DHSES $51,910 Motorized auger w/chutes, sandbags
02/07/2013 Jeres Hardware DHSES $283,814 Generators
02/07/2013 Jeres Hardware DHSES $132,176 Generators
02/07/2013 Airgas Carbonic DHSES $116,013 Dry ice
02/06/2013 Imperial Restrooms, Inc. DHSES $545,693 Rentals of shower trailers, water tanks & generators
02/04/2013 RRS Construction Corp. OGS $300,000 Restore sewer plant services - Jones Beach SP
02/04/2013 Square One Construction Services Inc. OGS $300,000 Repair building structures - Belmont Lake SP
02/04/2013 Square One Construction Services Inc. OGS $100,000 Repair greenhouse, replace glass - Planting Fields Arboretum
02/04/2013 N/A DMNA $572,234 Emergency payroll, 313 employees, Jan 9 - Jan 22, 2013

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo touted the contributions of New York women in the fight for equality as he opened a new exhibition in the War Room of the State Capitol. 

“New York’s women have always been trailblazers in the pursuit of equality and justice in our nation,” Cuomo said. “As the birthplace of the women’s rights movement in 1848, it is important that we continue that tradition by working toward achieving women’s equality in all areas of our society. Through organizing efforts, governmental action or shattering glass ceilings in professions historically dominated by men, the women featured in this exhibit represent the very best of our State’s tradition of national leadership in advancing equality and economic justice. I encourage all New Yorkers to visit this exhibit at the Capitol and share in the recognition of these extraordinary women.”

Cuomo is pushing a 10-point legislative agenda called the Women's Equality Act that looks to end pay discrimination, protect pregnancy leave, strengthen laws against human trafficking, enact a zero-tolerance policy against sexual harassment and — perhaps most controversially — take abortion out of the criminal code and make it part of the state's public health code. Supporters and detractors say it will take some stigma away from abortion. It is unclear how Cuomo will get the entire package through the Republican-controlled Senate but public relations will certainly be part of it. 

The exhibit in the capitol honors the following women:

· Lavinia Wright, co-leader of the first garment workers’ strike
· Louise Mitchell, co-leader of the first garment workers’ strike
· Jane Hunt, Seneca Falls Convention organizer
· Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, only woman to earn a Congressional Medal of Honor
· Belva Ann Lockwood, pioneering female attorney and political activist
· Rose Schneiderman, Triangle Shirtwaist Factory workers’ advocate
· Belle Moskowitz, social reform activist and advisor to Governor Al Smith
· Frances Perkins, first female member of the U.S. Cabinet, served as Secretary of Labor under Presidents Roosevelt and Truman
· Eleanor Roosevelt, influential First Lady and Human Rights activist
· Pauline Newman, organizer of the women’s labor movement in New York
· Kate Mullaney, founder of the Collar Laundry Union in Troy, New York
· Luisa Moreno, immigrant workers’ rights advocate
· Mary McLeod Bethune, African American community rights activist

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Gun Advocates Swarm Capitol 

The Capitol in Albany was swarmed by an estimated 5,000 gun advocates yesterday in a rally organized to protest Gov. Andrew Cuomo's New York Safe Act. The SAFE Act that expanded the definition of assault weapons, banned clips with 7 or more bullets and increased penalties for illegal gun possesion was championed by Cuomo after the shootings in Newtown, Conn.The predominantly male audience carried signs that compared Cuomo to Hitler and chanted "Cuomo's got to go." Many protesters traveled for miles from across the state. Cuomo and legislative leaders have said they do not plan any major changes to the Safe Act besides a few technical corrections. However, one Republican Senator Kathy Marchione has introduced a bill that would repeal most of the SAFE act. The repeal is unlikely to ever come to a vote as Senate Republican leadership supports the SAFE act. The New York Rifle and Pistol Association which organized the protest is working on a legal challenge to the SAFE Act that it plans to file next week.


Other Stories We're Following

Fare Hikes on MTA Commuter Rails Take Effect Today (NY 1)

New State Education Standards Could Cost City Big (NY Times)

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The South Bronx district represented by Congressman Jose Serrano has the highest rate of hunger in the country. 

That's accoridng to the The Food Research and Action Center, which says Serrano's district has the highest rate of food instability and hunger out of any other congressional district. The rate is 36.3 percent.

One in six Americans (or 18.2 percent) report not being able to afford enough food, the FRAC study concluded. New York Sate has a rate of 18.8 percent food instability, while New York City as a whole performs better at 16.6 percent. 

Mark Dunlea of Hunger Action Network, which released a statement on the report, says the study shows that more work needs to be done nationally and on the state level to increase incomes and support programs that provide food to the needy. 

Hunger Action recently released a survey that showed a third of participants in emergency food programs have a job but make too little to provide enough food for their families. 

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Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to see the state adopt the city's ban on large sugary beverages, but that isn't Gov. Andrew Cuomo to-do list. 

During a press conference this afternoon, Cuomo bluntly responded to a quesiton about the drinks ban saying: "We're not considering it. I haven't really studied it ether." 

It seems a bit of a switch for Cuomo, who had positive things to say about the ban in June 2011. 

"Obesity is a major problem that we desperately need to address,” Cuomo said on former Gov. David Paterson's now-cancelled radio show in June 2011. “So I don’t see that this can do any harm.”

The soda industry wants to do its best to make sure the restriction on the sale of large sugary beverages does not move beyond New York City. 

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Former Green Party presidential candidate and consumer advocate Ralph Nader has some advice for Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The governor has said he has no "Plan B" for paying for Hurricane Sandy relief if congress doesn't come through, but Nader suggests Cuomo stop refunding the stock transfer tax that he says would net the state $16 billion in revenue.

Here is Nader's letter to Cuomo: 

 

Dear Governor Cuomo,

The people of New York are working to recover from the devastation left in Hurricane Sandy’s wake. But as you know, much remains to be done. While some tragic losses can’t be mended, we can – and should – do our best to rebuild, to limit the suffering inflicted and the displacement endured, and to do our best to prevent such destruction from natural disasters in the future.

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Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh wanted to be very clear, "We are not distinguishing between conference," when asked how many Republicans support a package of eight bills that would strenghten New York's gun laws. Kavanagh says he hopes many more legislators will sign on to support the bills in the coming week.s 

Kavanagh led a press conference today unveiling an eight-point-plan to reduce gun violence in New York State. A group of over sixty legislators signed on to the plan in a letter that was sent to all the legislative leaders today. But so far the list looks heavily Democratic — in fact no Senate Republicans have signed the letter, nor have any members of the Independent Democratic Conference. Kavanagh was quick to point out that the letter was only recently sent out and that they continue to add more legislators to their ranks.

Sen. Jeff Klein's office just released a statement from the Senator: 

The IDC wholeheartedly supports swift, meaningful action that will reform and strengthen our state’s gun laws. There’s a lot that we need to do. But at the top of our list is the immediate closure of inexplicable loopholes that put dangerous weapons in the hands of individuals who should never be allowed near a weapon.

I asked IDC spokesman Eric Soufer on Thursday of last week what gun legislation the group supported and he replied that both Klein and Sen. Diane Savino supported microstamping. Soufer has yet to respond to queries made about whether Klein has seen the proposed package of 8 bills and whether he supports it. 

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