New York NOW

State of Compensated Surrogacy in New York

On this episode of New York Now, we welcome award-winning journalist Ray Suarez to our ranks as host. He will be with us as interim host for the next several weeks.Join us for an in-depth look at the issue of compensated surrogacy. Governor Cuomo made a big push at the end of last session to get it through after the Senate approved it, but it fell flat in the Assembly. It’s likely to come up again in January.
At the Reporters Roundtable, Jesse McKinley of the New York Times and Anna Gronewald of Politco NY join us to analyze this week’s news.Join us this week on your local PBS station.

A Discussion on North Country Politics

Learn about the severe overcrowding of the Adirondacks with longtime Mountain Lake PBS journalist Thom Hallock. We'll also analyze why environmental groups are criticizing President Donald Trump's administration, the big election just north of the border next week and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik's shift more to the right in 2019.
 
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Safety Reforms Planned One Year After Tragic Schoharie Limo Crash

Senate minority leader Charles Schumer joined Congressional representatives Paul Tonko and Antonio Delgado to announce legislation pushing for limo safety, one year after the deadly Schoharie limo crash. New York now's Jessica Bloustein Marshall reports.

Early Voting Comes to New York

One of the big legislative accomplishments for Democrats this session was getting early voting passed. New York now joins 38 other states in giving their residents this option. 
So how will it work?  Laura Bierman of the League of Women Voters of New York State sits down with our Karen DeWitt to help explain.
Also,Jimmy Vielkind of the Wall Street Journal joins us to analyze the week's news. 
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Rural Areas Still Struggling To Get Broadband Access

A joint legislative hearing took place in Albany this month to examine the status of broadband in rural areas across New York. What they heard is there's still a lot of work to do. Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara (D-Rotterdam), one of the co-chairs of the hearing, discusses what issues are standing in the way of getting a more universal coverage.
 
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Ban on Flavored E-Cigs

New York made national headlines this week becoming the first state to ban flavored e-cigarettes.  We'll hear arguments for and against the move from Governor Cuomo, Health Commissioner Howard Zucker and a vape shop owner in Schenectady.  Mike Gormley of Newsday and Shannon Young of Politico help us analyze the week's news at the Reporters Roundtable.
Also, we head to the North Country where local community members, not state or federal government officials, have restored the grounds of a forgotten burial ground.Visit nynow.org for more

Senator Tedisco: New License Plates a "Highway Heist"

The news that starting April 2020 residents would have to pay a new $25 fee when they register their car, plus an extra $20 if they want to keep the same number, overshadowed the new plate design. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have hammered Governor Cuomo over the news. Capital Region State Senator Jim Tedisco stops by this week to decry what he calls a "highway heist" by the governor.
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Back to School Issues

Tim Kremer, the longtime executive director at the New York State School Boards Association, joins us in-studio as we look back at bills passed and signed into into law during the year and how it will affect students going forward. We'll look at everything from the "Red Flag" Law to busses that will eventually be equipped with stop-arm technology.
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New York State Bar Association on 2020 Agenda

This week Hank Greenberg, the president of the New York State Bar Association, talks about the organization's priorities including legislation that could help rural communities attract and keep lawyers.
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Langworthy's plan for a GOP comeback in New York

The Grand Old Party here in New York is coming off a rough 2018 that saw them lose control of the state senate, as well as a number of important congressional seats. This, of course, is on top of the fact that a Republican hasn't won a statewide race since 2002.
Earlier this summer there was a change in leadership as longtime chairman Ed Cox was officially replaced by Nick Langworthy.  Our Karen DeWitt sat down with the Western New Yorker this week to discuss the party's plan heading into an important 2020 election year.
 
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