Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that local Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro is opposed to the immigration bill that Republicans negotiated. Former President Donald Trump is against the bill because he wants to run campaigning on the issue, and has changed the minds of many Republicans in the House of Representatives about the legislation. Molinaro said, “The Senate bill includes provisions I can support like funding for law enforcement, but it faces an uncertain path forward in the Senate because it doesn’t close the border.... That’s why I’m calling for an immediate conference meeting with the House, Senate, and White House to develop a real bipartisan solution. We must secure the border and I have always been ready to work to get it done.” Molinaro represents the 19th Congressional District, while Democrat Pat Ryan represents the 18th District and supports the bill. Ryan said that some Republicans in the House, “are working as puppets for Trump.... That is a disservice to the American people." Kathryn Garcia, director of New York's Operations and Infrastructure complained about Molinaro and other New York Republicans standing in the way of improving the immigration situation. Garcia said, “During your time serving in the majority of the House of Representatives, the State of New York has faced an unprecedented humanitarian crisis as more than 170,000 migrants and asylum seekers have arrived in our State.... Governor [Kathy] Hochul has worked for nearly two years with New York City to manage this crisis, investing nearly $2 billion in State funds to date. Meanwhile, you and your colleagues have taken no action to help address this national crisis, and in fact waited until this past week to even reach out to our Administration and express your concerns.” Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

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Raga Justin reports for the Times Union that a French advertising agency is giving New York a $20 million payout because of the role they played in the opioid crisis. In all, Publicis Health LLC, a French subsidiary of the larger Publicis Groupe, will pay $350 million to states involved in an opioid settlement. A press release from the office of Attorney General Letitia James said Publicis was a major marketing force behind Purdue Pharma, one of the largest companies manufacturing opioids that were marketed to physicians and prescribed to millions of patients. The company said of the payout, “This settlement, in which the attorneys general recognized Publicis Health’s ‘good faith and responsible corporate citizenship’, is in no way an admission of wrongdoing or liability.... We will, if need be, defend ourselves against any litigation that this agreement does not resolve.” Overall, New York has received about $2.7 billion because of litigation related to the opioid crisis. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Kevin Frey reports for New York State of Politics that on Jan. 31 the House of Representatives boosted the the Child Tax Credit.in a 357-to-70 vote, the rare kind where all four upper Hudson Valley representatives voted the same way. Both Republicans Elise Stefanik and Marc Molinaro, and Democrats Paul Tonko and Pat Ryan, all voted for the "Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act" bill that still needs to get through the Senate to get a signature from the president. The new enhancement would cover 887,000 New York children under 17 years old who are currently left out of the full $2,000 credit. The story says that when the Child Tax Credit went into effect during the first year of President Joe Biden's administrationm the child poverty rate was nearly cut in half. Then it lapsed at the end of 2021, and child poverty skyrocketed. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Sara Rizzo reports for News10 that the Brownies Recreational Dispensary will open Tuesday, February 6 at noon on Central Avenue in Colonie in Albany County, the latest local cannabis store top open. In Catskill, meanwhile, Cassie Abel reports for HudsonValley360.com that on Route 9W near where there used to be a Pizza Hut, Catskill Roots and The Green Hut are competing for a state license. There is also another state applicant for a Main St. location. Catskill's village planning board has approved the Catskill Roots proposal, but that approval is pending the state license. Almost three years after cannabis was legalized in New York, there are still no local retail stores in Greene or Columbia counties.

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Tiffany Greenwaldt-Simon reports in HudsonValley360.com that the estate of a woman who died last year after falling on Paddock Place filed a lawsuit against the Hudson City School District, City of Hudson, Hudson City Police Department, and the Hudson City School District Board of Education on Jan. 23. Deborah Denine Greene was found unresponsive and stuck between the bars of a wrought-iron fence on Jan. 13, 2023, near the Montgomery C. Smith Elementary School. Greene is believed to have fallen, possibly from a medical condition, and became trapped in the iron fence. She died at the scene after emergency workers used a battering ram to bend the bars on the fence to remove her. But the lawsuit alleges that Green’s head and neck were negligently removed from the fence, and that the school district, city, board and police department, were negligent in their responsibility to maintain the sidewalk and fence. Lawyers for the estate, John Morgan and Michael Ricchiuto, said, “We are seeking justice on behalf of our client.... A family has lost a beloved mother and grandmother, and they never want to see another person injured by the allegedly dangerous conditions and fence on this elementary school property.” Employees from the Greenport Rescue Squad, Hudson Police, and Hudson Fire Department responded to the incident. Representatives for the school system and the police department did not immediately respond with a comment for this story, and Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson said that he was not allowed to comment on any pending litigation. Read the full story in HudsonValley360.com.

Porcupine Soup reports that the Catskill school district is getting $1,050,000 to reduce acts of bullying, violence, and hate. The Catskill Central School District is one of 44 school districts in New York getting money through the Stronger Connections Grant Program. Catskill Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dan Wilson was pleased the district won the grant and said, “I am confident that Catskill CSD will continue to serve as a model for other districts in fostering safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments." Catskill was the only district in Greene County to win the funding while, across the Hudson Rover, Hudson schools received $1,908,000 in the same grant program. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

New York State of Politics reports that on Feb. 2 Albany Judge Anne M. Nardacci rejected a challenge to New York state’s cannabis licensing program from two California applicants who claimed it unconstitutionally discriminated against out-of-state residents. The judge said the Commerce Clause does not apply to commerce that the federal government considers illegal, such as cannabis. New York State Attorney General Letitia James said, "This is an important victory in our efforts to ensure that disproportionately impacted communities are given their fair share in the legal cannabis industry." New York has rules prioritizing businesses from within the state, and also those with owners impacted by former cannabis policies. Lawsuits, bureaucratic issues, and political grandstanding is to blame for New York’s slow retail rollout of cannabis stores, with only a few open almost three years after legalization. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

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Tiffany Greenwaldt- Simon reports at HudsonValley360.com that the Columbia County Board of Supervisors’ County Government Committee wants to spend up to $350,000 to replace security cameras at several county buildings. The security cameras would be replaced at would include security camera replacements in Hudson at the Columbia County Courthouse at 401 Union St.; the Department of Social Services, 25 Railroad Ave.; the Columbia County Department of Health, 325 Columbia St.; the Columbia County Department of Motor Vehicles, 560 Warren St.; the Columbia County Treasurer’s office, 15 N 6th St.; Columbia County offices at 401 State St.; the Columbia County Solid Waste Department, 51 Newman Road; and 11 Warren St., recently purchased from Galvan Foundation. The new cameras would also read license plates and and include facial recognition readers. Michael Chameides, Hudson’s 3rd Ward supervisor, asked for more privacy guarantees, saying, “What you’re describing is not binding, that’s why I want a policy.... I can then go to my constituents and say ‘we’re putting up these cameras, it’s about security, and it’s still about your privacy." Then the board approved buying the equipment with. Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chair Matt Murell, recommending that the cameras do not go live until the board creates a privacy policy. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Brendan J. Lyons reports in the Times Union that Gov. Kathy Hochul's appointment, Steven G. James, started as superintendent of the State Police on Jan. 31, and immediately replaced many of the agency's top leaders. Lt. Col. Christopher R. West, an assistant deputy superintendent, was named first deputy superintendent. James also appointed seven new deputy superintendents, including in the professional standards bureau, field command, Bureau of Criminal Investigation, employee relations, and counter-terrorism unit. He cleared out Col. Daniel J. Cooney, a deputy superintendent of field command; Col. Robert C. Gregory, who had been deputy superintendent for administration; Col. George K. Nohai, deputy superintendent of employee relations; and Lt. Col. Jennifer H. Gottstine, an assistant superintendent of employee relations to make way for the new hires. Hochul said of her appointment, “This will be our opportunity to lead a new generation.... There’s very few who have the experience Steven brings to this (job).” Read the full story in the Times Union.

Abbi Stanley reports for News10 that Catskill High School students, Madison Mudge, 11th grade, and Molly Osswald, 12th grade, will give vocal performances later this month at Carnegie Hall in Manhattan for the 2024 High School Honors Performance Series. Osswald performs with the mixed choir directed by Dr. Jeffrey Ames from Belmont University, and Mudge performs with the treble choir directed by Matthew Brady from the University of Miami. Both students also participated in the program last year. The two performances are open to the public on February 10. Tickets are available through the Carnegie Hall box office. Read more about this story at the News10 website.

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Tiffany Greenwaldt- Simon reports at HudsonValley360.com that a free vending machine that dispenses overdose-reversal medication, and fentanyl and xylazine test strips began operation in Hudson on Jan. 31, the first of its kind in the Twin Counties. The Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene, Medication for Addiction Treatment and Electronic Referrals, and Catholic Charities Care Coordination Services placed the machine at at 713 Union St. in Hudson. Candace Ellis, executive director of Catholic Charities Care Coordination Services, said, “People who use drugs deserve access, they deserve support, and they deserve kindness as we work to negate the risks associated with drug use.... A lot of the drugs that are in the drug supply right now are adulterated with other substances including fentanyl and xylazine. We want to be able to protect our clients and the community." To use the machine, individuals have to enter an authentication code found on the outside of the machine, their birth year, and their ZIP code. The items are free and up to three items can be dispensed at a time. In Columbia County last year 51 people overdosed with 37 hospitalizations and eight deaths. In Greene County, there were 81 overdoses in 2023. Full disclosure: The Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene produces the youth program "Clubhouse Radio" on WGXC. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that Rep. Pat Ryan raised $3,147,028 in campaign money in 2023. Federal Elections Commission reports show Ryan, a Democrat representing the 18th District, had $2,121,915 on hand as of Jan. 1. By contrast, Republican Alison Esposito, a retired New York City police officer and unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor in 2022, had no filing for the year by the Jan. 31 deadline, according to the Federal Elections Commission, after she announced her campaign for the Republican nomination for the 18th District in October. The other Republican in the 18th District primary election is Lovleynn Gwinn, a New York City real estate broker who is an Asian Pacific Islander from Hawaii, who raised $14,033 last year and spent $9,240. In the 19th Congressional District, incumbent Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro is running for his second term and raised $2,196,509 in 2023 and has $1,618,916 left over as of Jan. 1. Democrat Josh Riley, who lost to Molinaro in 2022, raised $2,057,381 last year and has $1,468,507 on hand. Democrat Daniel Buttermann is also running, but did not file any financial reports for 2023. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Today is Groundhog's Day and the most famous four-footed meteorologist Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow this morning at Gobbler’s Knob in Pennsylvania. That, legend has it, means an early spring is on its way. CBS News reports that the groundhog in that town has been right 39 percent of the time going back to his first recorded prediction in 1887. Human meteorologists predict that locals will see their own shadows for the first time in almost two weeks, as the sun comes out this weekend.

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