New York NOW

Lawsuit over Adirondack snowmobiling trails continues

The state has been in the process of making community connector trails for snowmobiling in the central and southeastern part of the park, but an injunction was put in place a few years ago that halted the proposed 27-mile stretch. Now the question is how big does a tree have to be in order to be spared for such a project?
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New NYRA President Dave O'Rourke

This week at the historic racecourse, meet Dave O'Rourke, the new President and CEO of the New York Racing Association. NYRA's leadership in the last decade has had its share of issues. O'Rourke replaces Christopher Kay who resigned amid reports that he used NYRA employees to do maintenance work at his Saratoga Springs home.
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Gillibrand Looks to Revive Struggling Presidential Campaign

Catch up with Presidential candidate Senator Kirsten Gillibrand this week in the all-important state of New Hampshire, which is always the first primary for presidential candidates. She spent seven days in the Granite State, where she is also polling at less than one percent, visiting all ten counties in hopes of boosting her candidacy.
 
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McCall Reflects on Historic Career

H. Carl McCall was the first African-American elected to a statewide office when he ran for comptroller and the first to be nominated by a major party for governor. This weekend on the program, he looks back on his time in Albany as a politician, his battle with Andrew Cuomo for the party's gubernatorial nod in 2002, and growing up on welfare in Boston in the 1940's.
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Lawmakers Leave Albany

It took an extra day, but the state legislative session has officially ended for 2019.
This week Jon Campbell of the USA Today Network joins us to analyze what was approved in the final days and what got left out and why. Visit New York NOW online for more. 

Abandoned cemeteries becoming a fiscal issue for towns

Have you ever been driving along and seen an old and what looks like an abandoned cemetery?  Have you ever wondered who's responsible?  There's a good chance it's your local town and it's becoming an increasing problem for many municipalities.
Our feature story this week looks at the problem and what communities are facing from a financial perspective to upkeep these hallowed grounds.
Also, an expanded Reporters Roundtable featuring Josefa Velasquez of The City, Jimmy Vielkind of the Wall Street Journal and Karen DeWitt from New York State Public Radio analyze a wild week of news. 
Join us on your local PBS station this weekend.

A 180 on Town Halls in NY19 and NY22

Former Congress members John Faso and Claudia Tenney were not fans of town halls, which in the past for some representatives across the country could turn into viral videos that were unflattering.
When their opponents, Anthony Brindisi and Antonio Delgado, beat them in 2018 the new members said they hold more of them. So far in 2019, they're living up to the promise. 
We traveled to Herkimer County in Central New York and the Schoharie Valley to see how the Congressmen are making use of the town halls and what questions they are facing from constituents.
Learn more: nynow.org 

Single-Payer Hearings Start in Albany

This week, examine the first hearing for the New York Health Act, legislation that would create a state-run, single-payer health care system. Also, the Business Council ruffled some feathers with Republicans for supporting a bill that would allow undocumented immigrants to obtain a standard driver's license. Finally, will Andrew Cuomo really run for a fourth term? He says that's the plan.
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Trump's Tax Returns, New GOP Leadership

The legislature was once again in the national spotlight this week as the State Assembly followed the State Senate's lead and passed legislation that would enable Congress to access President Donald Trump's tax returns. Just as all of this was happening, there was a ceremonial changing of the guard in the New York Republican Party as Nick Langworthy took over for longtime leader Ed Cox.
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Assemblywoman Cruz on Licensing Undocumented Immigrants

The question over whether to let undocumented immigrants get a driver's license has been debated for over a decade in Albany.  You might remember the topic caused a bump in the 2008 presidential campaign for Hillary Clinton.  Now in 2019, after the issue was mostly on the back burner because of a Republican majority in the Senate, it's again at the forefront. 
This week we sit down with freshman Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz.  She was the first DREAMer ever elected to the chamber and says there are no more excuses for not getting this passed in Albany with a Democrats controlling the legislature.
Learn more: nynow.org