Governor David A. Paterson today announced that he has acted on 92 bills, signing 66 bills into law and issuing 26 vetoes.

Among the bills signed by Governor Paterson is the Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Policy Act, which establishes Smart Growth criteria in State law, requires several State agencies to create Smart Growth Advisory Committees that would evaluate public infrastructure investments based on the Smart Growth criteria, and requires such infrastructure investments, to the extent practicable, to meet the criteria.

Governor Paterson also signed into law A.2563-A/S.6177-A, which requires employers who provide funeral leave for family members of a deceased person to provide the same leave to same-sex committed partners.

Additionally, Governor Paterson has signed into law the Construction Industry Fair Play Act, which creates a clear litmus test to distinguish the difference between a worker and an independent contractor. It also provides a method to clearly define which business on a construction project is responsible for which workers. Finally, for the first time in State history, it imposes monetary and criminal penalties specifically for the act of employee misclassification on construction projects.

Hudson A. Wilkin writes in a letter to the editor on Pressconnects.com - “The New York state Department of Conservation must allow the natural gas companies to use hydraulic fracturing to obtain the natural gas. Everything mankind has ever done has had both benefits and risks, and this time the benefits outweigh the risks. The DEC and those who are against hydrofracking want to have a 100 percent risk-free situation before they will allow the use of hydrofracking, which is impossible.

If the DEC allows hydrofracking, natural gas companies will hire hundreds of employees, who will spend their income in New York. The services that these people and their families will use, and the goods they will buy, will require other businesses to hire more people so they can meet increased demand for their products and services. With the increase in sales, more sales tax money will be collected by villages, cities, towns, counties and the state, which will reduce the amount of property and income taxes that have to be paid.

These newly employed people will be paying village, city, town, county, school, property, state and federal taxes; since more people are paying taxes, the burden is more spread out, and each taxpayer will be required to pay a smaller portion of the total taxes owed each year.”

To read more click here.

Daily News columnist William Hammond reminds readers that if they want things to change in Albany, to show up at the voting booth on primary day.

New Yorkers itching to clean house in Albany, be forewarned: The moment to act is coming sooner than you think.

Voters who wait until Election Day in November to vent fury at their notoriously dysfunctional and corruption-riddled state government are liable to miss the boat - especially if they’re Democrats living in New York City.

As a practical matter, the last, best chance to dislodge deadwood state legislators from seats in the five boroughs will be the Democratic primaries on Sept. 14.

That’s just two weeks from today, folks.

Mark your calendars in red. Figure out where your polling place is. Look up the names of your local senator and Assembly member. And exercise that voting finger.

Because Sept. 14 is the election that really counts when it comes to bringing much-needed change to state government, especially the Legislature.”

To read the rest of Bill’s column click here.

Daina Costello writes on LoHud.com - “…it’s not the wind, rain or heat that farmer Bob Stuart says could compromise the legacy of his farm. No, instead it’s the politicians looking to impose regulations on an industry they don’t understand, he says.

“They sit in their air-conditioned offices and they make laws. They have no idea what it’s like to pick tomatoes in 90-degree heat, and they have no idea what it’s like to prune in 15 degrees,” said Stuart, clothes chalky with dried dirt from the fields. “You can live without politicians, but you can’t live without food.”

Heeding similar outrage from farmers throughout New York, the state Senate this month narrowly defeated a labor bill that farmers said would put have them out of business and driven up food costs.

The legislaton, known as the Omnibus Farmworker Labor Bill, sought to secure greater protections for agricultural workers, many of whom are migrants.

The bill sought to guarantee workers 24 consecutive hours of rest every seven days, time-and-a-half overtime pay and the right to collective bargaining on farms that make more than $650,000 in gross income over the year.

The 31-28 vote was the bill’s second Senate defeat, yet advocates say the fight is not over yet.”

To read more click here.

The New York Post reports - “A Buffalo judge sided with Gov. Paterson yesterday and refused to block the state from taxing cigarettes sold on Indian reservations to non-Native Americans.

Paterson wants to start taxing the previously tariff-free tobacco starting tomorrow, but local tribes have mounted a vigorous campaign to stop the taxes, which they consider an attack on their sovereignty.

Lawyers for the Seneca Indian Nation argued that the state didn’t properly implement rules outlining how the taxes would be imposed.”

To read more click here.

Unshackle Upstate, a coalition representing more than 70,000 employers with 1.5 million workers, released today its rankings of all 212 state legislators.

They have two goals for these legislative scorecards. Primarily, Unshackle Upstate wants to provide all New Yorkers with a thorough informational tool that clearly demonstrates which elected officials have acted in the best interest of the taxpayers of this state and which ones have not. Secondly, we want to encourage all elected officials to embrace our agenda of reducing taxes, fees and assessments; cutting state and local spending; reducing state borrowing and curtailing mandates.

To see your local legislator’s score click here.

The November elections will be critical to shaping the future of our state. We hope that you find the information on your Senators and Assembly Members valuable when you’re considering who to support on Election Day.

The Business Council joins Unshackle Upstate in the belief that for those elected officials that scored well, you should consider keeping them in office. For those that did not, ask them why they did not support the taxpayers of the state of New York and then ask yourself if you should support them. We encourages you to challenge our elected officials to defend the interest of taxpayers…or get a new job!

Jimy Vielkind of the Times Union reports - ” A month after an independent counsel concluded Gov. David Paterson and several members of his administration made “errors of judgment” in contact they had with a woman pursuing domestic violence charges against a gubernatorial aide, Paterson said no disciplinary action is planned against any of his aides.

The report, by former Court of Appeals Chief Judge Judith Kaye, documented contacts by Clemmie Harris, a special assistant to Paterson, and published details of a confrontation between David Johnson and Sherr-una Booker. Johnson is facing criminal charges stemming from that incident.”

To read more click here.

In an e-letter sent out to many New Yorkers today, Governor Patterson introduces a new health insurance product that he say help New York comply with federal healthcare reform.

” My Fellow New Yorkers,

I am writing to you today to let you know about a new temporary statewide insurance option for uninsured legal residents who have medical conditions. This new plan, called the NY Bridge Plan, is New York’s version of the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan that was created under federal health care reform. The NY Bridge Plan is a valuable product of health care reform in that it provides health insurance coverage at a lower price than other options currently available in the individual market. Through the NY Bridge Plan, premiums will be $362/month for residents of upstate counties and $421/month for residents of downstate counties. A list of upstate and downstate counties is available in the NY Bridge Plan brochure.

Health insurance coverage is essential to having access to care. Through this program, more New Yorkers who need medical care will be able to receive it. The NY Bridge Plan covers a broad range of services, including primary and specialty care, inpatient and outpatient hospital care, and prescription drugs, as well as assistance from professional nurses and caseworkers to help members manage chronic conditions and maintain overall health. Coverage for a pre-existing condition begins right away, with no waiting period. Eligibility for this program is not based on income. To be eligible to apply, individuals must:

· Be a legal U.S. resident;
· Be a resident of New York State;
· Have a pre-existing medical condition;
· and not have had health care coverage for the last six months.

Applications are available now. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis. If the NY Bridge Plan reaches capacity, a waiting list will be established. Coverage will be effective October 1, 2010, and will be available until January 2014, when more health insurance coverage options become available through a new Health Insurance Exchange.

More information on the NY Bridge Plan, including the application and brochure, is available through www.healthcarereform.ny.gov. I encourage you to apply for this program if you are eligible, and to also help us spread the word about this new health insurance option to your uninsured family and friends.

Best,

David A. Paterson
Governor of New York State

Joseph Spector writes in the Democrat and Chronicle - “The average salary for county government employees in New York was $44,817 in the 2009-10 fiscal year, led by the $69,607 average in Westchester County, a report from the Empire Center for New York State Policy recently found.

The highest paid city employees outside New York City were also in Westchester, one of the nation’s most expensive places to live. The city of Yonkers, with 993 employees, led the state with an average pay of $71,659.

The report from the fiscally conservative group also found disparities in pay between upstate and downstate governments. The data did not include New York City.

The report is “an attempt to let people know where their money is going and ask questions about it,” said Lise Bang-Jensen, a senior policy analyst for the Empire Center, which posts public employees’ salaries online at www.seethroughny.net.”

To read more click here.

LoHud.com is providing access to a database that will show how much tax-payer money is being spent on travel and other per-diem expenses.

For example:Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow, D-Mount Vernon, has spent $182,559 in per-diem and travel expenses over the last decade, which is the highest amount among the members of the Lower Hudson Valley state delegation. In the state senate, Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson, D-Mount Vernon, led the local delegation with $154,267 in travel and per-diem expenses.

To see how much money your local legislator has spent click here.