Posts by Lucas Santiago

The New York State Attorney’s Office is proposing a set of rules aimed at preventing price gouging. The rules define gouging as “any price increase over 10% during an abnormal disruption in the market.” According to the Times Union, New Jersey, California, and 8 other states already follow the 10 percent threshold definition. The office…

According to a report by AARP, New York’s elder care facilities are routinely going uninspected. the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is responsible for inspecting nursing homes and assisted living facilities to safeguard against abuse and neglect. The report says the oversight office has regularly failed to check on elderly residents in the state. The report…

Democratic state lawmakers questioned officials at a hearing about whether Governor Hochul’s proposed budget provides sufficient funding for workers who care for New York’s most vulnerable residents. According to the Times Union, Hochul’s state budget includes a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for workers in state-funded nonprofit programs providing human services to New Yorkers. The lawmakers highlighted…

Three Named to Prosecutorial Watchdog After two years of delays, Governor Hochul has named 3 of 4 potential nominees to the state’s Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct. The commission has been inactive since former Governor Cuomo resigned. He signed legislation creating the commission shortly before he left office. According to the Times Union, the commission is…

Tompkins Provides Incentive to First Responders At its meeting last week, the Tompkins County legislature approved a measure giving a tax break to volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers who own real estate. According to the Ithaca Voice, the move is aimed to boost Ithaca’s emergency service volunteer rates, which have dwindled over recent years as…

Zeldin Hints at Potential Senate Run Against Senator Gillibrand On Monday, Republican Lee Zeldin, declined to rule out a potential senate seat bid against Senator Kristin Gillibrand. Zeldin, a former New York State Senator and Congressman, narrowly lost the New York’s gubernatorial race to Kathy Hochul in November. According to the Times Union, he appeared…

Governor Hochul Faces New Obstacles for Proposed State Bail Reforms Governor Hochul is facing pushback from progressives and public defenders against her proposed reforms to state bail laws. At the same time, she’s contending with pressure from Republicans and prosecutors over perceived increases in crime. According to the Times Union, Hochul’s proposed changes would remove…

Tompkins County Hiring Homeless Services Coordinator In its effort to address homelessness, Tompkins County is hiring a Homeless Services Coordinator. A 2022 study reported that the county has the third highest rate of homelessness in the state. It also pointed to slow progress toward the county’s goal of adding 100 beds of supportive housing. The…