Legislation & Policy

A hearing by Senate Republicans on New York City’s public campaign financing system was overshadowed by protests, as government reform groups and other members of the public were denied entry, and noisy protests ensued.
 
The Senate GOP sent out notices that there would be a public hearing on what the Republicans say are the “abuses” in New York City’s public campaign finance system.
 

The leader of the Senate Republicans says he regrets the way gun control legislation was rapidly approved earlier this year, and he hopes that the end of the session won’t  repeat what he now says was a mistake.
 
Senate GOP Leader Dean Skelos says the hasty manner in which New York’s strict new gun control laws were passed during the first full day of the legislative session this year was “wrong,” and he hopes not to repeat that when deciding key end of session issues like siting casinos or approving an anti corruption package.
 

Republicans in the State Senate plan to hold hearings Tuesday, May 7th, on what they say are abuses in New York City’s public campaign finance system.  
 
The Senate GOP is against a proposal by Governor Cuomo and other Democrats to expand public campaign financing to statewide races. Republicans will hold a hearing that they say will examine “the abuses within New York City's taxpayer funded political campaign system and the implications for state taxpayers if the system were to be expanded statewide”.
 

A key component of Governor Cuomo’s 2013 agenda appears in jeopardy, as the governor concedes he does not currently have enough votes in the State Senate to bring an abortion rights bill he has championed to the floor.
 
State Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos says a bill to put into state law the abortion rights protections in the federal Roe v Wade decision won’t be voted on in the State Senate.
 
“We’re  not going to put in on the floor,” Skelos said. “In my opinion and the opinion of my conference, that bill is not moving.”