Joseph Spector reports in Politico that on Feb. 22 the state Department of Labor adopted farm labor overtime regulations, so farmworkers will eventually get paid overtime the same way that grocery store workers do. But farmworkers won't get overtime after 40 hours a week until 2032. Currently, farmworkers in New York do not get overtime pay until working 60 hours in a week. On Jan. 1, that changes to after 56 hours of work in a week. Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said in a statement that, “By implementing a gradual transition, we are giving farmers time to make the appropriate adjustments. These new regulations advance New York State’s continued commitment to workers while protecting our farms.” Read more about this story in Politico.

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Mid-Hudson News reports that the Dutchess County Democratic Committee holds its convention on Feb. 23 and will endorse Marist College professor Tommy Zurhellen to run against Republican Sue Serino for Dutchess County Executive, according to several committee members. Zurhellen, a 53-year-old Navy veteran, is an author and also serves as an advisor on veterans issues to Democrat Rep. Pat Ryan. In 2019 Zurhellen walked across America, averaging 22 miles per day, to draw attention to the rate of veteran suicides, which is 22 per day in the United States. Zurhellen also served as Commander of VFW Post 170 in Poughkeepsie and partnered with Hudson River Housing to develop VetZero a program to help veterans with homelessness issues. Zurhellen did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Republican Sue Serino already announced she is running for the same post, and was endorsed by the former Dutchess County Executive, Marc Molinaro. Read the full story at Mid-Hudson News reports.

Steve Hughes reports in the Times Union that the Town of Berne in Albany County held a public hearing on a proposed law that would allow ATVs and other off-road vehicles on some of the town’s roads. It was an occasionally testy two-hour public hearing that included former town Supervisor Kevin Crosier being escorted from the building by Albany County sheriff's deputies. Dozens of town residents expressed opposition to the proposal at the meeting. The hearing was delayed and moved to the Berne-Knox-Westerlo high school auditorium in anticipation of a large turnout, and more than 100 people attended. Berne wants to create a series of trails across private land, like the system snowmobilers use, for off-road vehicles, which would be allowed on a few town roads to link the trails. Town Supervisor Dennis Palow, a first-term Republican, began the meeting shouting at Kevin Crosier, a Democrat who was town supervisor for more than a dozen years before being voted out in 2017. Palow interrupted Crosier and then ordered deputies to remove Crosier from the hearing, drawing boos from the crowd. “I came here as a private citizen to speak and you saw what happened,” he said. “I just, it's absolutely amazing. What do you think this says about the way the town board runs?” Most speakers at the hearing were opposed to the new law. Some said ATV owners currently. trespass and damage lawns, fields, and crops in the town. Others objected to the lack of an environmental review for the proposal, and that the town did not have the list of proposed roads approved by the county. Attorney Jeffrey Baker promised a lawsuit on behalf of several town residents if the board approved the law. Josh Duell was one of about six people speaking in favor of the proposed law, saying, “We're a bunch of families, not criminals.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Porcupine Soup reports that the National Bank of Coxsackie is opening a new lending and administrative office in Latham. The bank now has eight locations in Albany, Greene, and Schoharie counties. The new location is at 1003 New Loudon Road. “We are excited for this opportunity to support our local businesses and enhance our market visibility and employment opportunities,” said bank President and Chief Executive Officer John A. Balli. Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

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Brendan J. Lyons reports in the Times Union that many New York police agencies are still fighting the release of some disciplinary files, even after the state changed the law to make the information available to citizens. It has been almost three years since New York repealed a statute that for more than four decades blocked the public scrutiny of police disciplinary records. The New York Civil Liberties Union is involved in lawsuits seeking the information from the State Police, state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and numerous other law enforcement agencies across the state. In many cases, police departments invoke a provision in the state Freedom of Information Law about how the release of open or unfounded complaints would result in an "unwarranted invasion of personal privacy" for the officers involved. But when the legislature repealed the 44-year-old statute in the wake of George Floyd's murder, they clearly wanted most police records to be made public. Assemblyperson Daniel J. O'Donnell, for instance, says it "was not my intent" to have unfounded, unsubstantiated or pending disciplinary complaints against police officers withheld on privacy grounds. In Rensselaer County recently, State Supreme Court Justice Richard J. McNally, Jr. ordered the city of Troy to turn over many police disciplinary records to the NYCLU, including records of unsubstantiated and unfounded complaints. And a state appellate court in western New York recently overturned two lower court decisions which would have allowed the Rochester and Syracuse police departments to issue blanket denials for police records sought by the NYCLU. And last year, a judge dismissed a case filed by the state troopers' union to keep most police records hidden. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Heather Bellow at The Berkshire Eagle reports that Great Barrington wants to help residents that need affordable housing, but does not have the money to do so. The Town Board is now considering a “real estate transfer fee” to help their affordable housing fund. Critics worry that could drive home prices up even further. The Town Board is also considering a tax break for landlords who rent for affordable rates year-round. Both the Select Board and Planning Board, in a joint session last week, voted unanimously to have the town research and consider these proposals. Board members are looking at several options, such as a fee of between 0.5 percent and 2 percent that could be split by the buyer and seller or paid by either. Or the fee could be applied only to sales of houses that are possibly 150 percent above the median sale price for single-family homes, or over $1 million. Board members still need to work out rates and exemptions to the possible fee. Whatever is raised would go to the town's Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which aids residents with housing in a variety of ways, including with making down payments. Read the full story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Nick Reisman at New York State of Politics reports that there is a bill in Albany to restore the Tappan Zee Bridge name on the crossing over the Hudson River that was renamed for the late former Gov. Mario Cuomo by his son, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, several years ago. On Feb. 21, current Gov. Kathy Hochul would not say whether she would sign the bill or not. "Mario Cuomo was an extraordinary governor and if the bill passes the Legislature, I would certainly look at anything that passes," Hochul said on Feb. 21. "It is too premature." Hochul said she is more concerned with the $227 billion state budget proposal that needs to be finalized by the end of March. "I've got a whole budget that needs my undivided attention," she said. The Tappan Zee name references both the Native Americans who lived in the area of the bridge, as well as the Dutch immigrants who settled there. Read the full story at New York State of Politics.

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Steve Hughes reports in the Times Union that the head of the Albany County Sheriff's Office business office was arraigned Feb. 21 and charged with grand larceny and forgery after allegedly taking more than $68,000 from the department's federal forfeiture funds account. John Cox also allegedly forged Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple's name to cover up his larceny. Federal auditors and Albany County Comptroller Susan Rizzo both audited Cox and Apple's use of the forfeiture funds, which is how the alleged fraud was discovered. Auditors are still looking, but have already discovered at least $68,858 in missing funds over the past two years. Apple said Cox came clean to him last week, allegedly saying, "I let you down, I took the check." Cox was removed from duty, and could not be reached for comment. Apple has contacted the FBI to look into the matter because of the federal funds involved. Forfeiture funds are supposed to be used for criminal investigations, training, and prosecutions. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

The Daily Freeman reports that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $150 million for mixed-use housing and infrastructure projects across the Mid-Hudson region on Feb. 21. Hochul is calling it the Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund with money over the next five years for mixed-use housing and infrastructure projects to help with all the newcomers moving to the area since the beginning of the pandemic. Hochul said in a press release that, “The new Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund will help to ensure that the region can continue to serve as a destination for families, workers, businesses, and tourists by helping to address the housing shortage, creating an equitable housing supply, and growing local infrastructure where communities need it most.” More than 33,000 new residents have moved into the Mid-Hudson Valley in the past two year, but regional housing stock availability was at less than one percent last year. The money is bing split with$75 million for mixed-use housing projects and $75 million for infrastructure projects. Hochul made the affordable housing crisis one of her main points in her "State of the State" speech and her new budget proposal. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that a state Supreme Court judge in Suffolk County ruled Feb. 21 that the state's judiciary are entitled to a full floor vote in the state Senate. Republicans took Democrats in the state Senate to court after they voted down a judicial nominee of Gov. Kathy Hochul's in committee. Typically, anything voted down in a legislative committee does not get a floor vote. But Justice Thomas Whelan said Justice Hector LaSalle should have gotten a floor vote as the nominee for the chief judge of the state Court of Appeals. Democrats did give the nomination a floor vote this week, hoping to make the lawsuit moot. But Republicans continued with their lawsuit after the full Senate voted down LaSalle's nomination. Hochul is now choosing from a list of seven candidates for chief judge to make a new nomination to the state Senate. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

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Raymond Pignone reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Greene County sales tax revenues rose 12 percent in January compared to a year before, and 18.5 percent in Columbia County. “I point the finger at inflation,” Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden said. “If we’re all paying more, it’s going to show an increase in the amount of sales tax we collect.” Local sales tax collections in New York State increased by 9.2 percent in January over a year ago, according to a report released Feb. 17 by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. He said, “Consumer spending and a strong labor market have buoyed sales tax growth even as prices remain elevated. But local governments should budget cautiously as this growth may level off sooner than they expect.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Andrea Macko reports in Porcupine Soup the Save-A-Lot distribution center in Coxsackie closes later this month, with 30 employees out of work. State Senator Michelle Hinchey and Columbia/Greene Workforce New York are setting up a job fair for the unemployed workers. The distribution center has been open since 2003 in the Greene Business & Technology Park along State Route 9W, and once employed 105 people. Save-A-Lot is transitioning from a discount grocery store chain to a wholesale supplier for independently owned stores. Greene County Industrial Development Agency Executive Director April Ernst said she has already received several inquiries about the space. “I’m not sure if they are going to lease it or sell it, but it’s not going to sit vacant very long,” she said. “In Greene County we don’t have a lot of empty warehouses, so when leads do come in this will be our only one.” Read the full story in Porcupine Soup.

The Troy Record reports that Rep. Paul Tonko recently announced $20,403,104 in new federal funding for transit agencies in the Capital Region. The money comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and by Congressional passage of the FY 2023 omnibus spending bill, which Tonko voted for. Tonko said, “Every day in our Capital Region, public transit connects thousands of hardworking people to their jobs, their schools, their hospitals, and their communities as a whole.” The Democrat represents Albany County and much of the rest of the Capital Region in the 20th Congressional District. Read more about this story in the Troy Record.

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Brendan J. Lyons reports in the Times Union that the Federal Bureau of Invesitgation has joined a criminal investigation into the New York state troopers Police Benevolent Association. Last month members of the State Police Special Investigations Unit executed search warrants at the PBA's Albany headquarters and the nearby offices of the Signal 30 Benefit Fund, and also seized the mobile phone of Thomas H. Mungeer, the PBA's former president. Mungeer stepped down as president last October. The union subcontracted some of its national work to a limited liability company formed by Mungeer, which is part of the investigation. Read more about this story in the Times Union.