Andrew Cuomo

The New York State Legislature has been more active during the first few days of the session than it has in many years.

On Monday, both houses of the Legislature got together and approved matching bills to expand voting in the state beyond just Election Day to 11 full days.

On Tuesday, they extended rights in employment and housing to transgender New Yorkers. The bills are now being sent to Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign or veto.

The New York State Legislature for the first time granted civil rights to transgender New Yorkers. And on a busy day at the State Capitol, Gov. Andrew Cuomo also released his $175 billion budget plan. 

The Democratic-led New York State Legislature is set for a big week.

Action is planned on Monday to implement early voting in the state, and on Tuesday to grant more civil rights to transgender New Yorkers. Gov. Andrew Cuomo also will release his budget proposal.

Now that Democrats control the New York State Senate and Assembly, party leaders and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo have promised to push forward a progressive agenda. And the progressive groups that helped elect that majority say they are going to ensure that promise was more than just campaign rhetoric.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is set to release details of a plan to make recreational marijuana legal in New York state when he outlines his budget proposal later this month. Even the governor concedes, though, that there are many unanswered questions about how to proceed.

Democratic state legislators are beginning the New Year with some resentment towards Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo over a deal that gives them a big raise – but comes with several strings attached.

In March 2018, Cuomo and the legislature agreed to set up a pay commission to examine the salaries of Senators, Assemblymembers, and the Governor, who had not seen a raise in 20 years.

The deal permitted the commission to have the final say on whether pay would go up, so lawmakers would not be required to cast a potentially unpopular vote to raise their own salaries.

On Jan. 9, Democrats will officially take over the state Senate for only the third time in more than a century.

They expect to act quickly on a number of measures that have been bottled up in the chamber for years — but there could be some friction between them and the state’s Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo began his third term in office with a speech at the historic site of Ellis Island Tuesday evening, where the ancestors of millions of Americans arrived as immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries. He focused much of his speech not on state issues, but instead on what he sees as the nation’s problems, and said New York will lead the fight against them.

Minimum wage workers across New York State are getting a raise. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it shows government can make a difference in people's lives, but central New York businesses are mixed on its impact.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo begins his third term in office January 1 with a planned address on Ellis Island, the site of major immigration to the United States during the 20th Century. The governor’s next years in office will likely be spent seeking a more progressive agenda than he has in the past.

Religious and progressive groups say they will press Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature to adopt what they call a "moral" state budget in 2019. The groups brought their views to the Capitol just before Christmas. 

The Rev. Peter Cook with the New York State Council of Churches said the new legislative session should focus on the higher goals of fighting poverty and racism, protecting the environment and strengthening democracy. 

When Gov. Andrew Cuomo laid out his 2019 agenda earlier this week, he promised that a bill protecting abortion rights for New York’s women would become law by the end of January. Supporters say they are pleased that the measure may finally move, but they also say it’s not time to be complacent.

Some newly elected state Senate Democrats want New York to adopt a single-payer health care system, but that may put them at odds with other Democratic Senators who do not want to raise taxes.

The state’s mayors are moving away from a state aid program for localities that they say has not been well-funded in recent years and trying a new way to get the governor’s and the Legislature’s attention as the 2019 state budget season approaches. 

For decades, mayors have received state aid for their cities through the Aid and Incentives to Municipalities program, or AIM. But funding has been flat in recent years, even though cities’ expenses have been steadily growing, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo tried to hold the line on state spending increases.

More than $60 million in renovations to Syracuse’s Hancock International Airport has been completed. The project is meant to improve the traveler experience and the region's image.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo cut the ribbon in the redesigned terminal with new interior and exterior signage, more natural light and kiosks. Gone is the outside concrete canopy, replaced with a new façade and two glass pedestrian bridges. Cuomo said airports are key for driving tourism and new businesses.

One of the major party candidates in the New York race for governor has issued a "civility challenge," asking his opponents to refrain from all negative ads and attacks from now until Election Day.

After weeks of wrangling, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his Republican opponent, Marc Molinaro, have agreed to a televised debate at 7 p.m. Tuesday on CBS2 in New York City. But not everyone is satisfied.