Friday, May 18, 2012
County executive says law is legally flawed and is not necessary.
Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino today vetoed a bill he said purports to guarantee women access to certain reproductive health clinics but is legally flawed and unnecessary. “The legislation is unnecessary, unfair and unconstitutional on its face, all of which put the public at risk,” said Astorino in his message to the Board of Legislators. “My veto is a principled attempt to spare our residents of these harmful consequences.” Legislators approved the bill on May 7 by a 10-7 vote. It was opposed by a coalition of pro-life and pro-choice legislators. It would take 12 votes to override the veto. “At a time when your Honorable Board has failed to act on $80 million in pending and much needed capital projects and has failed to …
Small shop owners in Greenwich gird for extending their work week to stay competitive.
For the first time since Prohibition, this coming Sunday marks the first time Connecticut residents will be able to buy alcohol in local package stores. And the owners of smaller mom-and-pop stores say the bill signed into law earlier this week by Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy is forcing them to work additional hours in order to remain competitive with other local stores and those stores just across the border in Port Chester. At many stores on the CT-NY border in Greenwich, signs announcing Sunday business hours are becoming as common place as sales signs for beer, wine and alcohol sales specials. The new law allows booze sales from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. But that's not to say the operators of those stores are pleased with Malloy …
The public duked it out at Thursday night's long and heated forum surrounding the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's annual assessment of Indian Point.
Eleven thousand jobs created by a power plant. Eighteen million lives affected in the New York metro area by its demise. Those were the main numbers the protestors – of which there were many at Thursday night's annual public hearing on Indian Point – were throwing around. The protestors were louder, or least more organized, than the pro-nuclear folks. They were also more colorful. There were the Raging Grannies with their purposely frumpy clothes and song (a gimmick, admitted one, but anything to get the message heard). Some Japanese people wore hazmat suits emblazoned with red nuclear symbols, a powerful reminder of the Fukushima disaster and the fact that Japan's gone fully non-nuclear since. As of two weeks ago, the country closed its…
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Congresswoman Nita Lowey released a statement today blasting House Republicans for approving a reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act she says will strip protections from victims of domestic and sexual violence.
Calling a House reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) "unacceptable", Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) today blasted the GOP for approving a bill she says will strip rights away from same-sex partners, immigrants and Native Americans who are victims of domestic and sexual abuse. The House version of the bill passed 225-205 Wednesday, mostly along party lines. Lowey said in a statement she prefers the Senate version of the bill, which was approved by a 68-31 vote on April 26. That bill, Lowey said, provides the same protections victims have received since the VAMA was first approved in 1994. The bill has been renewed several times since then with bi-partison support, but Lowey said the Republican-backed …
A roundup of Hudson Valley headlines for Thursday, May 17, 2012
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Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Jim Dreves re-elected in Tuesday's voting.
- SCHOOLS
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Wednesday, May 16
To The Editor: Thank you to all the residents of the Port Chester-Rye UFSD who came out to support our 2012-2013 budget. It passed by a nearly 2-1 margin, and proves, once again, that our residents support quality education as long as the Board gives proper consideration to the ability of the taxpayers to fund District needs. I also appreciate and am humbled by the overwhelming support I received for another term on your Board. It means a great deal to me to know that what I have accomplished over the past 21 years is appreciated by so many District residents. Thank you! Now, however, the hard work begins! The next several years (under the Tax Cap) will be VERY difficult. My goal is to do everything possible to preserve our quality …
The Child-Parent Security Act would update NY law.
- GOVERNMENT
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Wednesday, May 16
Assembly member Amy R. Paulin (D-88th A.D.), chair of the Children and Families Committee, is introducing The Child-Parent Security Act to update New York law to make it easier to establish parentage in cases of assisted reproductive technology. It will allow gestational carrier agreements, contracts which are currently unenforceable in New York. “Allowing gestational surrogacy will give hope and opportunity to women and men facing the heartbreak of infertility,” said Paulin. “The bill also includes a process for obtaining a ‘Judgment of Parentage’ to be issued prior to birth which would allow hospitals to put the intended parents’ names on the child’s birth certificate – instead of having to go to court after the fact," Paulin said. "New …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Budget easily passes. Corbia wins school board seat.
UPDATE: Port Chester School Board President Blanca Lopez has been ousted in today's election. Port Chester school district voters today easily appoved the $81.3 million budget plan for 2012-2013, but they ousted school board President Blanca Lopez in a race that was decided by less than 100 votes. In the three-person race for two school board seats, which included incumbent Jim Dreves was re-elected. Challenger Tom Corbia, a retired Port Chester teacher ended as the winner in the race against Lopez. With 101 absentee ballots to be counted, Corbia was head of Lopez by 82 votes. With all the votes counted, Corbia won with 910 votes. Lopez finished with 814 votes. The budget cuts 13.5 reading support positions to close a gap that came with …
Latimer: Bill creates a revenue source for environmental projects.
A bill adding funding to the state’s Enviornmental Protection Fund, sponsored by Assemblyman George Latimer, D-Rye, passed the Assembly Monday. The bill went through by a vote of 111-0, a unanimous, bi-partisan endorsement of Latimer's legislation that ensures a separate funding stream for essential environmental projects statewide, including flood mitigation projects for ravaged areas. Environmental Advocates of New York - a statewide environmental group that monitors state legislation — identified the bill as a "Super Bill," one of the highest priority among all proposed legislation. The bill would provide a net increase in resources allocated to the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) used to fund major environmental projects statewide…
Blanca Lopez is one of three candidates up for two open spots on the school board in Tuesday's election.
Blanca Lopez just finished serving her first term on the Port Chester School Board, the most recent year as its president, and now she’s seeking re-election. “I want to reach out into the community with as many people as possible,” she said. “I am accessible, I am a hard worker and I love to attend different events in the schools to monitor how things are going.” Lopez is one of three candidates for two open spots on the school board, along with fellow current board member Jim Dreves and Tom Corbia, a retired teacher who spent 40 years in the district. The school board and budget vote is on Tuesday. Heading into the election, Lopez said she thinks one of the biggest issues the board faces moving forward is dealing with the 2 percent tax …
Suzanne
12:48 am on Saturday, May 19, 2012
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