Matthew Hamilton is reporting at Capitol Confidential state Assembly Republican Minority Leader Brian Kolb became the first Republican to formally announce a 2018 gubernatorial bid, December 12. Kolb of Canandaigua, Ontario County, was first elected to the Assembly in 2000. his voting record on headline-making policies are conservative: he voted against same-sex marriage legislation in 2011; has been a fierce critic of the SAFE Act gun-control law; and has called the minimum wage increase and paid family leave program “two crushing mandates” for small businesses. Kolb did propose the elimination of the state personal income tax for lower brackets and the creation of a training wage lower than the state minimum wage for youth with no prior job experience. Kolb has undergone little scrutiny during his time in Albany, however, in 2004, a lawsuit centering on then-Speaker Sheldon Silver’s handling of sexual harassment sought documents concerning complaints against Kolb and another member. Kolb told the Daily News this week, “there’s been rumors out there for years,” but “I’ve been a strong and ethical leader.” Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.