Senate Republicans say Assembly is coddling murderers
ALBANY, N.Y. The state Senate’s Republican majority says Assembly Democrats are acting to “coddle murderers” after the Assembly effectively ended an effort to revive New York’s death penalty.
Charles Carrier, spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, says Assembly Democrats have decided that life without parole is the appropriate maximum penalty […]

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Assembly committee blocks bill to stop `double dipping’ — Newsday.com
ALBANY, N.Y. — Public employees will continue to be eligible to collect twice for the same injury, costing taxpayers millions of dollars each year.
An Assembly committee this week stopped a bill that would have given municipalities the right to have jury awards for the lost future […]

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“This flag, which we honor and under which we serve, is the emblem of our unity, our power, our thought and purpose as a nation. It has no other character than that which we give it from generation to generation… Though silent, it speaks to us—speaks to us of the past, of the men and […]

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Where the pork goes
Legislative leaders make an end-run around the call for transparency for member items
A job description for the two leaders of the state Legislature, not that they’d be inclined to commit themselves to such a written document, would surely include the word lawmakers. Yet when it comes to public accountability for […]

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‘Pork’ spending draws new scrutiny — Page 1 — TimesUnion.com
Lawmakers’ use of funds for pet projects said to be subject of Soares inquiry
ALBANY — Albany County District Attorney David Soares’ office has begun an inquiry into the use of discretionary funds known as member items by lawmakers, according to a law enforcement source.
Soares is conducting […]

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Legislature crafts ‘governor-proof’ tax rebate
ALBANY — Blocked by the governor from mailing out property-tax refunds, legislators said Monday they’ve found a way around the governor: create a new rebate.
If it goes into law, lawmakers say the average homeowner outside New York would benefit $250, under their new plan. Senior citizens would get an average $365 […]

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Buffalo News - Erie County lawmakers propose term limits
Three Erie County legislators are pushing for term limits - three four-year terms for every county lawmaker.
“The term would go from two years to four years, kind of as the carrot, so people don’t have to concentrate on campaigning all the time, and it would diminish the […]

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Critics say businesses profit from workers’ comp status quo
There are 11 lawyers in Peter J. Walsh’s Albany firm, and they handle almost no legal work other than workers’ compensation cases.
The law allows insurers, employers and workers to challenge benefits rulings that they do not agree with. Walsh said that is fair, considering how much […]

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Democrat & Chronicle: Editorials
Crunch time
Finally, lawmakers can be expected to become productive
(June 12, 2006) — As usual for this time of year in Albany as the legislative session winds down, it’s crunch time.
Second only to the flurry of activity around the April 1 deadline for adopting a new state budget, the next week represents the […]

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INSIGHT
“That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him […]

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