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New York State of Politics reports that New York Assembly Republicans spoke out Jan. 31 at the state Capitol against the possibility of five prison closures in the state this year. Gov. Kathy Hochul's new budget proposal would allow the state to close up to five correctional facilities with 90 days notice. Republican Assemblyperson Chris Tague, who represents Greene and Schoharie counties, said. "These proposed actions will only worsen the safety and security of our communities, other inmates, corrections and civilian employees that work and live within our prison system." The closures could also save $77 million in the 2025 fiscal year and $128 million the following year, according to the state Division of Budget. State officials say that since there are fewer prisoners now, they need fewer prisons. But that means fewer jobs. Randi DiAntonio, vice president of the New York State Public Employees Federation, said, "Staffing is a problem in every agency across the state, but instead of proposing closures, why don't we propose ways to bolster recruitments and retention?" Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Mid-Hudson News reports about the June Democrat primary election between incumbent Assemblyperson Didi Barrett and Claire Cousin, a City of Hudson representative on the Columbia County Board of Supervisors. Cousin has been a longtime critic of Barrett's lack of action on affordable housing issues, and wants the votes from the 106th Assembly District to move to the left. Cousin said, “I’m running to be an organizer in office, who will work with people inside and outside of Albany to pass transformative legislation on housing, climate and education.... I am a working-class person, a tenant, a local legislator, I’m a mother of three kids who live in this district and who are growing up in this district.” In a recent story about being endorsed by Columbia County Democratic Party Chair Sam Hodge and Dutchess County Democratic Party Committee Chair Michael Dupree, Barrett said, “Addressing the affordable housing crisis is one of my highest priorities." Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Porcupine Soup reports that electrical trades, education careers, and firefighting courses will be added to Questar III BOCES Career and Technical Education programs for the 2024-2025 school year. Questar III BOCES Associate Superintendent Dr. James Niedermeier. said, “We’re constantly listening to what our local job market is seeking.” Questar III already offers an EMT program, and the firefighting class will be a one-year complementary program that that. Questar III is also discussing the cosmetology, criminal justice, and culinary arts by adding additional sections. Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

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Dan Clark in the Times Union looks into what would happen if former President Donald Trump picks Rep. Elise Stefanik as his vice-presidential candidate. Stefanik, who represents Rensselaer County and the rest of the 21st Congressional District, would be the first nominee for vice president from New York since former Buffalo-area Rep. Jack Kemp was picked by Bob Dole in 1996. And local Republican leaders would get to hand-pick her replacement in Congress. Martin Connor, who’s considered one of the state’s top election attorneys, said, “Someone nominated for an office who is later nominated for a different office may decline the first office." Stefanik would first have to win her June 25 primary election to be the Republican nominee in her district. Jill Lochner, who has worked in early childhood development, announced a run for the Republican nomination last year, but Stefanik is the incumbent. Then, Trump could announce Stefanik as VP anytime, but she wouldn’t officially become the party’s nominee until July, when the Republican National Convention is scheduled for Milwaukee. After her running for vice-president is filed with New York State, Stefanik would have until “not later than the third day after the filing” to formally decline her nomination for Congress. Then, a majority of the members of the local Republican committees in each county of Stefanik's district would meet and vote on a new Republican nominee for the 21st Congressional District. Of course, all this is based on Trump picking Stefanik, which may be a long shot, as he recently publicly mispronounced her last name. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Breanna Fuss reports for New York State of Politics that New York's Farm Bureau's top priorities for 2024 include the switch to electric power, producer responsibilities, funding, and getting food into New York schools. The Farm Bureau wants New York to expand the Nourish New York and Healthy School Meals for All programs where pantries and food banks and school breakfasts and lunches are full of locally-grown food. The bureau also wants legislation that would allow direct-to-consumer shipping for all New York-produced farm beverages, including beer, cider and spirits. The Farm Bureau is pushing back against going fully electric until, they say, there are reliable battery-powered tractors and machinery for farms. David Fisher, president of the New York Farm Bureau, said, "We just need a common sense reliable energy policy and not go too far, too fast.... We must get this right for the sake of food production." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Michael Ryan from the Mountain Eagle reports that the Town of Windham will consider a dog park at the Windham Path, along State Route 23, with a Feb. 1 public hearing. Town Supervisor Thomas Hoyt said, “This is something that has been on a backburner for a year or so.... There were other things going on back then, like the new ambulance building, and now interest is being shown again." Now the town has a full proposal that includes a walking path around the perimeter, shade trees, drinking fountains, lighting, and agility equipment. Hoyt said an unnamed private group is raising money for the park, but said a combination of funding sources could emerge. Initial estimates for the park are between $37,700 to $50,900. Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

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Click above to download or play the "Better Weather." Produced by Joe Demanso of the Catskill Makers Syndicate.

Diane Valden reports in The Upstater that Columbia Memorial Health is asking for donations to provide health care in southeastern Columbia County. Columbia Memorial Health’s Copake Rapid Care Center at 283 Mountain View Road is currently closed, but there have been local calls to get it open again. Ancram Town Board member Amy Gold said at the Jan. 18 board meeting that Columbia Memorial Health had collected $125,000 in donations so far to get the rapid care center open. A recent fundraising letter from Columbia Memorial Health said, “A critical component of our fundraising initiative is to reopen Copake Rapid Care in 2024.” The only healthcare facility for miles around has been closed since late 2022. Columbia Memorial Health is also asking the towns of Ancram, Copake, Hillsdale, Taghkanic, and Gallatin to each contribute $25,000 toward reopening the facility. CMH spokesperson Bill Van Slyke would not say when, or if, the facility will reopen, saying instead that, “CMH remains committed to reopening the service and our fundraising efforts continue in that regard.” Read more about this story in The Upstater.

New York State of Politics reports that Gov. Kathy Hochul on Jan. 30 signed a bill for New York to expand its legal definition of rape to include various forms of nonconsensual sexual contact. Hochul said, “The problem is, rape is very difficult to prosecute.... Physical technicalities confuse jurors and humiliate survivors and create a legal gray area that defendants exploit.” The current definition of rape as vaginal penetration by a penis will broaden under the new law to include nonconsensual anal, oral, and vaginal sexual contact. The new law will apply to sexual assaults committed on or after Sept. 1. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup that Purcell Scheu Palmer, founder of the Catwalk Institute, died on January 12 at her home in Catskill following a long illness. She was 84, and founded the residency program with her basketball playing husband James Palmer at their Catskill estate overlooking the Hudson River in 2004. Over 700 painters, sculptors, poets, writers, musicians, and filmmakers used the facility over the years. Palmer was a board member of the Thomas Cole National Historic Site in Catskill and Close Encounters With Music in Great Barrington, and a founding member of the Scholars Ball at Columbia-Greene Community College. She volunteered on the Advisory Board of the Rhyerson and Burnham Libraries at the Art Institute of Chicago and with the Chicago Architecture Foundation. There will be a private memorial service for Palmer in early June. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

From WOOC: "Advocates and lawmakers gathered at the New York State Capitol on Jan. 29 to rally for free school meals for every student in the state. Expanded federal guidelines require that at least 25 percent of a school’s students need to be eligible for free or reduced meals in order for the school to provide free meals to everyone." Local state Sen. Michelle Hinchey was among those backing the efforts to expand the free meal program.

From WOOC: "Legislation is pending in the NYS Legislature to implement climate education in our public school systems. Emily Fano with the National Wildlife Federation in NYC and Associate Professor Alexa Schindel of SUNY Buffalo talk with WOOC's Mark Dunlea about the need for such education and what the bill seeks to accomplish."

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Molly Burke reports in the Times Union that former Rep. Liz Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, this week pointed out Rep. Elise Stefanik's reversal of opinion on the events of Jan. 6, 2021. On that day, Stefanik called the attempted coup a “tragic day for America.” Stefanik, who represents Rensselaer County and the rest of the 21st Congressional District, also originally condemned the “dangerous violence and destruction that occurred today at the United States Capitol.” She also called for the prosecution of "perpetrators of this un-American violence and destruction." But now she calls those perpetrators "hostages." Stefanik has also said recently that “baseless witchhunt investigations” into the actions of those who stormed the U.S. Capitol were threats to democracy. Stefanik has also complained about the prosecution of criminals who attempted to overthrow a fair election, calling it the “weaponization of the federal government.” Cheney pointed to Stefanik’s original statement as a “rare moment of honesty,” and said, "One day she will have to explain how and why she morphed into a total crackpot.” In her book, “Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning,” which was released in December, Cheney wrote that Stefanik was once a “reasonable and thoughtful” member of Congress, but that “she had undergone a dramatic transition into a Trump sycophant over the past 18 months.” Stefanik’s spokesperson, Alex DeGrasse, said, “On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Liz Cheney is spending her Saturday morning having a mental breakdown looking at archives of years old press releases.... Liz is lashing out as usual because she hates that the American people sent her packing and she will never hold any elected office again.” Read more about this story in the Times Union

Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup about a massive redevelopment of the Blackhead Mountain Lodge & Country Club in Round Top that is going before the Cairo Planning Board. The proposal would include approximately 126 units, a 91,500-square-foot main lodge, tennis courts, pools, a restaurant, bar, helipad, and 288 parking spaces on 102.31 acres. The proposal is from RCBG JV Manager, LLC of San Francisco, CA, and real estate and hotel developers Donald Chick and R Henry Courtemanche of California are named within the numerous documents submitted to the town. The Massmaann family ran the property as a family business for five generations, but sold it last year. It previously included an 18-hole golf course, 22 lodging rooms, a restaurant, and club house, but the golf course is not included in the redevelopment plans. The proposal says the project will result in an increase in traffic, but "we expect the existing traffic control at the area intersections (stop signs) will be adequate in managing future volumes.” Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

David Robinson reports in the Poughkeepskie Journal that New York’s slow rollout of adult-use cannabis retail stores may be further delayed with a new lawsuit alleging the state is discriminating against white men in its licensing of stores. An Onondaga County-based company, Valencia Ag, filed an anti-discrimination lawsuit in federal court last week, claiming in part that state laws and regulators unjustly favor non-white races and ethnicities in awarding cannabis business licenses. When legislators legalized recreational cannabis in 2021, they prioritized business licenses for those harmed by prior decades of racially biased enforcement of cannabis prohibition. The application process for retail licenses is now open to all applicants, but New York continues to favor social and economic equity when considering licenses. Valencia Ag wants unspecified damages, and is currently paying $2,000 per month to lease business space while it waits to get a license. Read more about this story in the Poughkeepskie Journal.

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