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posticon Clean Energy Economy Employed Nearly 159,000 Workers in 2018

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The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced that New York's rapidly growing clean energy economy employed nearly 159,000 workers in 2018, according to the state's 2019 Clean Energy Industry Report. Since 2016, New York's clean energy economy saw 8.9 percent employment growth, more than double the growth of the state's overall economy. Today's announcement supports Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's Green New Deal, the nation-leading clean energy and jobs agenda putting New York on a path to a carbon-neutral economy.

"Under Governor Cuomo, New York has staked out a clear global leadership position in advancing a plan to combat climate change and advance clean energy, and this report demonstrates that those efforts are already paying off," said NYSERDA President and CEO Alicia Barton. "The clean energy industry is adding high-quality jobs at more than twice the rate of the overall economy, and New York is quickly beginning to outpace the rest of the country in becoming a global hub for clean technology businesses. By continuing to invest in New York's clean energy businesses and workers, the Governor is providing exactly the kind of leadership we need today to build the thriving clean energy economy of tomorrow."

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posticon NY and CT Partner on E-Cigarettes And Legal Cannabis Program

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Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Governor Ned Lamont today announced a strategic partnership between New York and Connecticut to develop a uniform regional approach to policies on e-cigarettes and legal cannabis. On October 17, officials from law enforcement, state health officials and policy makers representing both states will hold a summit to develop guidelines and principles that will benefit the two states' vaping oversight and cannabis legalization and help keep New York and Connecticut residents safe.

"We are serious in this state about legalizing recreational use of marijuana, but it has to be done right. At the same time the federal government has refused to step up during this vaping crisis, so it is up to the states to develop policies that will help keep people safe," Cuomo said. "Policies governing vaping products and recreational marijuana will require regional symmetry because it makes little sense for one state to do something if a neighboring state has a totally different policy - without coordination, you end up incentivizing people to drive over the border to buy a different or cheaper product. I thank Governor Lamont for working together on this issue and look forward to advancing this conversation during the upcoming summit."

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posticon Reed Praises Seneca Nation, Cuomo For I-90 Fix Agreement

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Washington, DC - Congressman Tom Reed praised the Seneca Nation and Governor Cuomo for coming to an agreement to fix the crumbling Seneca Nation portion of I-90 to guarantee the safety of the traveling public.

"Fixing the road is the right thing to do for the safety of the travelling public," Reed said. "We were happy to lead the public outcry over the road conditions for the hardworking people we care about and represent, and we will continue to be your voice in both Albany and Washington, D.C."

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posticon County Legislature Highlights

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New Five-Year Contract Approved to Benefit Indigent Representation
The Legislature, by unanimous vote (Legislator Henry Granison and Leslyn McBean-Clairborne were excused), approved a five-year performance-based contract awarded to the Tompkins County Assigned Counsel Department by the New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services. Over the five-year period, the contract will provide more than $2.5 million to support programming and representation through Assigned Counsel; its focus: to improve the ability of the office to ensure quality mandated representation to its clients. The contract is the first step in the State of New York's expansion of the Hurrell Haring Settlement (initially affecting only five New York target counties) to all counties in New York State; the goal is to seek to remedy a decades-old imbalance in support to mandated representation in the state and to address issues of lack of resources to ensure the quality of mandated representation in New York.

The first-year allocation is nearly $170,000, with increases each year in the areas of quality improvement and caseload relief. "The focus in implementation of the contract will be on increased training for attorneys, increased supervision, monitoring and support to the attorneys, the use of support or expert services by the attorney in the case, and the buildup of supports for trial and client support," Supervising Attorney Lance Salisbury states in briefing materials submitted to the Legislature. "In addition, we are looking at potential collaborative efforts with surrounding counties that will strengthen our support services to attorneys and potentially allow us to bu8ild and strengthen our panel of attorneys."

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posticon NY Partners With Ireland And Denmark To Improve Power Grids

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Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced Monday that New York State is pursuing partnerships with Ireland and Denmark by signing two separate memorandums of understanding that will lead to improved electric infrastructure and the advancement of more renewable energy sources, including offshore wind. The agreements were announced during Climate Week and will advance both New York's nation-leading plan to combat climate change and the Governor's Green New Deal agenda. This summer, Cuomo signed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which mandates New York's power be 100 percent clean and carbon-free by 2040.

"New York is committed to innovation and will benefit greatly from these partnerships with two of our key international partners. Jointly pursuing our shared goals will help bring new clean energy resources onto our next-generation electric grids," Cuomo said. "These collaborations will enable New York State to remain at the forefront of technological advancement and economic development as we shape an energy future that will benefit all New Yorkers by lowering costs and reducing our carbon footprint."

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posticon State To Crack Down On Underage Drinking In October

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Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced last Friday a statewide effort to crack down on underage drinking during the month of October. The New York State Liquor Authority and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, along with local law enforcement agencies, will conduct underage drinking checks at licensed retailers suspected of selling alcohol to minors, including bars, restaurants, liquor stores and grocery stores. The SLA will visit 500 locations, assisted at some locations by DMV investigators and at others by local law enforcement.

"I am proud of the work our State agencies and law enforcement officials have done to protect New York's youth from the dangers of underage drinking," Cuomo said. "These continued statewide enforcement sweeps add to our success in keeping our roadways safe, protecting our youth and holding those who enable underage drinking responsible."

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posticon SUNY Offers In-State Tuition For Bahamas Students

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Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the State University of New York to offer in-state tuition for the 2019-20 academic year to students from the Bahamas who have been displaced by Hurricanes Dorian. SUNY's Board of Trustees also encouraged the Boards of Trustees of its 30 community colleges and the statutory colleges at Cornell University and Alfred Ceramics to take similar action.

"In New York, we know all too well about the life-shattering damage a hurricane and other extreme weather can leave behind," Cuomo said. "We will stand with our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean at this difficult time and send much more than thoughts and prayers to the Bahamas."

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posticon New Party Enrollment Deadline Takes Effect Immediately

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Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation (S.6532A/A.8228B) expediting party enrollment changes to make it easier for voters to participate in the upcoming primary elections. Until now, changes to party enrollment did not take effect until after the November general election, requiring voters to wait as long as a year for changes to take effect. The new law will remove the October 11 deadline and give voters until February 14 to make changes to party enrollment and still vote in the April presidential and June congressional and state primaries. The change will go into effect immediately.

"While the federal administration continues to look for new ways to disenfranchise voters across the country, in New York we are making monumental changes to break down more barriers to the ballot box and encourage more people to exercise this fundamental right," Cuomo said. "This measure will make it easier for New Yorkers to have their voices heard in presidential, congressional and state primaries, which builds upon the many reforms we've made to strengthen New York's election system and increase voter access once and for all."

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posticon Village Warns of Impending Airbnb Law

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After another public hearing session Amy Friend withdrew her application for a special permit to use her home for small group events.  She had hoped for permission to allow events up to 50 people but the Village of Lansing Planning Board said that would be a commercial use in a residential zone, and would therefore not be allowed.  Airbnb guests who had already held parties at the home spawned complaints from neighbors at a number of previous Planning Board meetings.  That is leading to new legislation that will specifically define and regulate 'short term rentals', the term used to describe to Airbnb and similar rentals.  Planning Board members cautioned Friend that more complaints could result in stricter constraints on such rentals or even jeopardize Airbnb's right to operate at all in the Village.

"The result of the fact that you have had parties at your house and that your neighbors have complained about it is that the entire Village is shortly going to have legislation not allowing that," warned planning board member Carolyn Greenwald. "So if you wait a year the answer is definitely no.  And there might not even be Airbnb allowed, depending on how mad people are.  So I would definitely not let anybody have a party between now and when that legislation passes.  Because it's going to harm everybody's Airbnb, not just yours."

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posticon Crossbows to be Allowed for Village Deer Population Management

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Village of Lansing Trustees Monday set a public hearing date for an amendment to the Village firearm and bow safety law that will allow approved hunters in its deer population control program to use crossbows.  The amendment is in response to a request by the program's leader, Dr.Bernd Blossey, in August, arguing that some  of the hunters in the program are aging and finding it more difficult to use compound bows.  Mayor Donald Hartill said he supports the amendment as a way to keep responsible, qualified hunters in the program.

"We have a group of hunters who are becoming more aged," Hartill said. "A 75 pound pull on a compound bow might be a little difficult.  Crossbows are a way of enabling that continuation.  We're in a fortunate situation here where we have a good group of hunters that are continuing to be interested (in participating in the Village deer population control project).  It's important that we continue to manage the deer population."

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posticon Mitrano Launches Second Bid for House Seat

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Corning, NY - Declaring that "something shifted in the last several years," Democrat Tracy Mitrano officially launched her second bid to represent New York's 23rd Congressional District. She formally announced her intention at an event in Corning Thursday (September 12) evening.

Politicians "who used to represent the center of American politics have become puppets to big moneyed corporate interests," said Mitrano, who is looking to unseat incumbent Republican Tom Reed. "In their pursuit of profit they do not care about our environment, all-consuming debt, separating children from their parents at the border, polluting the beautiful resources of our planet, predatory interest rates, failing infrastructure, the farmers in this district under water, literally and figuratively, the onerous tax burden on the middle class or the working poor who can't make ends meet."

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posticon Parents Protected From Adoption Prohibition

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Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation (S.3999/A.460) Monday prohibiting New York State courts from denying child adoptions to petitioners who are already a legally-recognized parent solely on that basis. The bill protects parents whose names were not on the birth certificate, same-sex couples, and parents who had a child through surrogacy from being denied an adoption when the parent petitioning is already recognized as the child's parent.

"All parents deserve the same rights and the same recognition under the law - period - and it's unconscionable that this isn't the case in every corner of this nation," Cuomo said. "These new protections will help ensure that all families are treated with fairness and equality and that no parent encounters unreasonable barriers in a court of law."

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posticon Cornell University Joins Consortium To Purchase Renewable Energy

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Cornell University is a leader in the creation and operation of the NY Higher Education Large Scale Renewable Energy (NY HE LSRE) consortium of 20 public and private higher education institutions for the purchase of large-scale aggregated renewable energy. The consortium represents one of the state's largest aggregated purchases of renewable energy to date.

As part of the commitment to reaching carbon neutrality by 2035, Cornell is pursuing the goal powering the Ithaca campus with 100 percent renewable electricity by leveraging the aggregate purchasing power of the consortium.

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