Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics under legislation proposed by state lawmakers and the good-government organization Common Cause, disgraced ex-officeholders could face restrictions on the use of their campaign funds once out of office. The bill would apply to former officials who are impeached and removed from office, convicted of a crime while in office, or resign following the release of findings pointing to criminal conduct. If signed into law the measure would prohibit the use of campaign funds by the former official for political purposes and require them to close out the account within two years. At a news conference on May 10, in Albany, the lawmakers backing the bill — state Senator Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblymember Phil Steck — named former Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the most recent example of a former official that would be impacted by the law. Cuomo has accessed millions of dollars he raised while in office to fund TV ads meant to refute the sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct allegations leveled against him. "New Yorkers donate to candidates with the expectation that they will act with integrity and uphold the public trust should they assume office," Biaggi said. "When elected officials violate that trust, they should not be able to influence our politics with funds previously raised. ..." Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi in a statement called the proposal unconstitutional. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Radio Insight reports that since President Donald Trump signed the 2020 PIRATE Act, the Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau has begun to send warning letters not just to folks they believe are operating pirate radio stations, but also to the owners of the properties the FCC believes are hosting the broadcasts. Four real estate owners getting the letters now have ten days to respond to the FCC that they are addressing the issue. Edwin and Joyce Pitt of Baltimore, MD; Maria V. Hernandez of Kissimmee, FL; Richard Manson of Philadelphia, PA; and Kent and Deanna Coppinger of the Jefferson RV Park in Summerville, OR got the letters that read, in part, “You are hereby notified and warned that the FCC may issue a fine of up to $2,000,000 if ... we determine that you have continued to permit any individual or entity to engage in pirate radio broadcasting the property that you own or manage." The new law Trump signed includes draconian $2 million fines for pirate radio operators, or property owners. It was co-sponsored by Rep. Paul Tonko, who represents Albany County and much of the Capitol District, where there has not been any pirate radio activity reported in many years. While there has not been any local pirate radio activity to get Tonko's attention, he did receive $7,000 in donations during the 2016 campaign from the National Association of Broadcasters, a virulent anti-pirate radio organization. But Inside Radio reports that the new law so far is toothless. The COVID-19 pandemic limited field work by FCC agents, and the FCC says it does not have the manpower to fully implement all of the 2020 PIRATE Act's mandates. And they also say they don't have the money to hire new agents. "President Biden’s proposed spending plan for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 would increase the FCC’s budget by 4.3 percent in the coming year.... Under the Biden proposal, the Enforcement Bureau would receive an increase of $5 million to implement the new law and to hire the 15 new employees," Inside Radio reports. David Goren, a pirate radio expert who runs pirateradiomap.com, says that the FCC's new giant fines may be working, or pirates may be changing channels and locations. Goren told Columbia Journalism Review last year that, "Recently the FCC sent notices to three stations in Queens, to landlords. There is a station in Queens that I’m able to hear in Brooklyn, probably six miles away, this Ecuadorean station. They were on the air when the notices came out, and they were on the air for several days after, but now they’re no longer on that frequency, so they may have felt some pressure to shut down and move."

Today's daily news update.

Patricia R. Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman that Democratic Chairwoman Kelleigh McKenzie said the committee to fill vacancies for the 19th Congressional District filed a “certificate of substitution” for Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan with the state Board of Elections on May 9. The move will allow Ryan to replace Rep. Antonio Delgado on the ballot for the NY-19 Congressional District. Delgado was just named Lieutenant Governor by Gov. Kathy Hochul, but has not officially resigned, and has not said exactly when he will leave that office. Delgado, a Democrat, was going to face Republican Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro this November. Ryan’s filing gives him the right to replace Delgado on the ballot. Daniel Torres, a spokesperson for the Democrat said, “Today papers were filed in Albany as part of a technical procedure to ensure that County Executive Ryan has as many options as possible as he continues to discuss with his family and neighbors about a potential candidacy for Congress.” Torres also said Ryan “has received support from residents all over upstate New York who are inspired by his record of service and who are fearful of Washington extremism taking over this seat.” Ryan is expected to announce a decision later this week. Saugerties-based state Senator Michelle Hinchey said last week that she is not running for the Congressional seat, but for re-election. What the 19th Congressional District is remains up in the air, as a court threw out redistricting maps Democrats in Albany drew as gerrymandered. Read more about this story at the Daily Freeman.

Michelle Del Rey reports in the Times Union that environmental activists in New York are consistently insisting that the state turn completely to electric power, rather than burning fossil fuels, to slow global warming and attempt to save the planet. Many environmental groups, for instance, are opposing a new anti-pollution bill from Democrats Carrie Woerner and Kevin S. Parker aimed to lower the intensity of on-road transportation by 20 percent by 2030. “There is a right way to fund our climate law and a wrong way,” said Peter Iwanowicz, executive director of Environmental Advocates NY. “Regressive policies like this that also continue pollution hotspots are clearly the wrong way.” The New York City Environmental Justice Alliance said, “This policy focuses only on the carbon intensity of a fuel rather than taking into account the overall greenhouse gas emissions and resulting co-pollution. By proposing the use of fuels for transportation rather than electrification, this policy would continue to incentivize the combustion of fuels other than fossil gas, which still contribute to climate change and result in severe health impacts, particularly in disadvantaged communities where pollution is concentrated.” Buildings account for 32 percent of the New York's climate-heating greenhouse gas emissions, and legislators earlier this year considered banning fossil fuels in new buildings. Washington state recently became the first in the country to mandate that newly constructed buildings be outfitted with all-electric space heating and hot water systems, as more of the country moves away from fossil fuels. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

It’s time for us to show up in force for Roe v. Wade. That’s why we’re marching all across the country for abortion rights next week.

Join us on Saturday, 5/14. Find an event near you here:https://t.co/4jMWM3qXwV

— Women's March (@womensmarch) May 9, 2022

There are marches planned May 14 in Hudson, Albany, Kingston, and cities across the country after the leak of the Supreme Court decision to overturn the Roe vs. Wade case later this year. The Women's March has held massive rallies after President Donald Trump was elected, and around some of his nominations for Supreme Court justices. "It’s time for us to show up in force for Roe v. Wade. That’s why we’re marching all across the country for abortion rights next week," the group Tweeted. The Hudson event is from 1-2 p.m. May 14 at the Planned Parenthood Health Center, 804 Columbia St. The Kingston event is from 11 a.m. until noon at Academy Green Park, 238 Clinton Ave. In Albany, organizers have not said where the rally will be, but that it will be from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Today's daily news update.

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Patricia Doxsey is reporting for the Daily Freeman the state police last week renewed efforts to locate Audrey Herron, the Greene County resident who disappeared nearly 20 years ago after finishing her shift as a nurse at the Columbia-Greene Long Term Health Care Center in Catskill. Acting on a tip, the state police at Catskill and the New York State Police Underwater Recovery Team searched Maurer’s Lake and Potuck Reservoir, both located on Schoharie Turnpike in Earlton, as well as a portion of the Catskill Creek in South Cairo. However, it was a dead end. No evidence or information was developed from the search. The last time the 31-year-old mother of three was seen, she was walking toward her 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee at about 11 p.m. on August 29, 2002. After her disappearance, police and volunteers conducted ground searches by retracing her possible routes home to Freehold, covering roughly 120 miles of roads and trails. They were unable to locate Herron or her vehicle. Herron was described at the time of her disappearance as white, five feet tall and 105 pounds with hazel eyes and light brown hair. She last was seen wearing green medical scrubs and a blue turtleneck top. Anyone with information regarding Herron’s disappearance is asked to call the state police in Catskill at (518) 622-8600. Read more in the Daily Freeman.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics that advocates for proposed statewide tenant protection measures meant to make it harder for landlords to raise rent and move forward with evictions reported on May 9, the legislation would not negatively impact New York's housing supply. Those opposed to the legislation argue the report is misleading and would hurt small property owners. The Good Cause Eviction law is meant to prevent landlords from forcing tenants, who are unable to pay an unreasonable increase in rent, from their homes. The debate over affordable housing policy in New York has resurfaced as lawmakers head into the end of the legislative session on June 2. Lawmakers are debating the extension and potential changes to tax abatements in addition to the push for a good cause law. The report, released by the Pratt Center for Community Development and Community Service Society of New York, reviewed the effect of a Good Cause law in New Jersey that has been on the books for nearly 50 years. The law, the report found, did not have an impact on the pace of building in the Garden State. However, the Community Housing Improvement Program, a trade association that represents the owners of more than 4,000 apartment buildings in New York City, called the report misleading, and said the New Jersey law was not an accurate point of comparison. A spokesperson for the group said the report lacks any credibility. Read the full story in nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Noah Eckstein is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Hudson school district officials learned last week the afterschool program has lost its primary source of financial support, effective at the end of the current academic year. Superintendent Lisamarie Spindler said she does not want this news to cause alarm because school officials are confident additional funding in the form of grants will be identified to keep the program running. “We need time to plan, shift funding and communicate,” Spindler said. “The afterschool program is an integral part of our school and community. We intend to preserve and enhance our program.” The Hudson Bluehawk Nation Afterschool Program is in its 15th year and is open to students from kindergarten to 8th grade. It has been sponsored for years by a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, a program associated with the U.S. Department of Education, but the grant expires on June 30. Spindler said she plans to "maximize grant funds" from the American Rescue Plan to secure planned summer programming. The district is requesting that concerned community members reach out to elected officials and urge them to support afterschool programs. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Radio Today reports that London's Resonance FM celebrates 20 years of broadcasting this month as one of the world's most creative radio stations. Around the world Resonance FM is known for its radio art, and in England it is known one of the first stations in an experimental program to allow community radio there. “Resonance delivers Arts and Culture on-air through performance, audio arts projects and the wildest cultural conversation anywhere on radio,” said Helen Boaden, former Director of BBC Radio. The station has aired shows such as "Shut Your Eyes to Art" which was a talk show broadcasting from the Tate Modern museum with blindfolded participants who have never met, and are given no topic of conversation. Resonance FM also airs several shows that are also on WGXC, including the field-recordings-as-composition show "Framework," and "Radia," where a show from one of a network of art-interested radio stations around the world contribute an episode each week. Resonance FM has been called “The best radio station in London” by The Guardian and “The UK’s most creative independent radio station” by the Daily Telegraph.

Today's daily news update.

Chris Bragg reports for the Times Union that New York’s ethics oversight commission, the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, countersued ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo May 6, to get him to pay back $5.1 million Cuomo made from a book deal in his last year in office. The Joint Commission on Public Ethics ordered the repayment in March, saying Cuomo misused government resources to produce the 2020 book “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic." Cuomo has refused to return any of the money, and now the two sides are suing each other. Cuomo filed a lawsuit against JCOPE's order in early April in state Supreme Court. JCOPE also plans to depose Cuomo on June 22. Cuomo has not disputed using state workers to help with his book, but claims that the state employees were just "volunteering." But when requesting approval from JCOPE to write the book, Cuomo's government lawyer told the JCOPE staffer, Martin Levine that state employees would not work on the book. JCOPE lawyers were in court May 6, trying to convince a judge to dismiss Cuomo's lawsuit. “It is, as JCOPE’s motion explains, a naked attempt by a former governor to use a federal civil rights statute to stop the hearing in state administrative proceeding concerning the potential violation of ethics laws by a then-public servant,” wrote attorneys at the law firm Hogan Lovells, which is representing JCOPE. “For many reasons, Cuomo’s cause of action should be dismissed with prejudice.” Cuomo spokesperson Richard Azzopardi said May 9 that JCOPE, "is wasting taxpayer money in a feeble attempt to settle political scores." Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that the unveiling last week of the Supreme Court's ruling striking down Roe vs. Wade allows individual states to ban abortion. But in New York's legislature, there aren't nearly enough votes to stop the medical procedure here. New York lawmakers are considering bills to to strengthen access to abortion services for women from other parts of the country. "We're having a lot of discussions among the conference as well as at high levels over what exactly it will be -- will it be an omnibus bill or a package of bills," said Senate Health Committee Chairman Gustavo Rivera. "I can assure you before this legislative session is done New York is going to do a lot to make sure we can further strengthen the rights of people to receive safe and legal abortions." Gov. Kathy Hochul has suggested creating a fund for out-of-state residents, and increasing telehealth services, for example. Lawmakers are also considering state constitutional amendments to make it more difficult to stop abortions in the state. "All this is under discussion. I'll underline there's a recognition that this is a four-alarm fire," Rivera said. "When the inevitable happens and Roe becomes a thing of the past, we want to make sure New York is a bulwark for that right." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Dick Lindsay reports in The Berkshire Eagle that voters in Lee, in Western Massachusetts, vote May 16 about whether to rescind an agreement that includes a toxic landfill with up to one million cubic yards of PCB-contaminated sediment from the Housatonic River. But it is a non-binding referendum, so the landfill may be filled with toxic chemicals despite the vote. The election also asks voters if they want to return to an open town meeting format and whether Lee should end the surcharge on assessed property values that was instituted four years ago to pay down water infrastructure debt. And Anne Langlais, Gordon Bailey, and Robert Wright are all seeking the Select Board seat being vacated by Patricia Carlino who decided against a re-election bid after 24 years on the board. Read more about this story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Today's daily news update.

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Pete DeMola is reporting for the Times Union Gov. Kathy Hochul tested positive for COVID-19 on May 8. She made the announcement on Twitter. “Thankfully, I’m vaccinated and boosted, and I’m asymptomatic,” Hochul wrote. “I’ll be isolating and working remotely this week. A reminder to all New Yorkers: get vaccinated and boosted, get tested, and stay home if you don’t feel well.” The governor's diagnosis comes as multiple high-profile politicians have contracted the virus in recent weeks, including New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Vice President Kamala Harris. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Ted Remsnyder is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Katie Oldakowski, Director of Greene County's Mobile Crisis Assessment Team, presented an update on the team's operations to the Greene County Legislature's Health Services Committee last week. The Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties team was established to provide crisis services to both counties with eight hours per day set aside for each. The team includes 19 staff members, including five full-time employees. It has served 3,162 individual Greene County residents since the start of the program in 2015. Oldakowski told the legislature that the team has been dispatched in Greene County 2,503 times in the past seven years. When funding through the Greene and Columbia County HEALing Communities initiative expired at the end of 2021, both counties agreed to step in and each chipped in $170,000 to fund the program annually. Oldakowski said the primary services provided include prevention, crisis intervention and hospital discharge follow-up. She said, “When you look at the total budget and you look at all of the services that we provide, MCAT focuses on prevention before someone is in a crisis and we want to link them to services and make sure that they have the resources that they need. Doctors, health insurance, whatever it is, we’re going to make sure that they get connected to where they need to go. ...” The team has received 97,448 phone calls from residents in distress in almost seven years and has a 93 percent diversion rate for unnecessary hospitalization and a 99 percent diversion rate from police intervention for the calls they respond to. Greene County Mental Health Center Director Jason Fredenberg said the team provides a needed addition to his agency’s staff. "...My entire staff felt the difference when they came into town,” Fredenberg told lawmakers. In 2019, the team provided Greene County with $636,900 in estimated cost savings by diverting police interventions, ambulance transportation and psychiatric emergency department visits. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.