This Week in Albany

Week ending December 9, 2016

Economic Development

This week, Governor Cuomo announced over $700 million in “economic development” funding that will be distributed as part of the annual Regional Economic Development Council process.

While the State continues to spend billions on programs with a questionable return on investment, CSEA will continue to fight to ensure that New York properly funds the services that our communities depend on.

At a Glance

The State Senate and Assembly have been discussing the possibility of holding a special session next week to address a number of issues, including possibly the first pay raise for legislators since 1999. Governor Cuomo has publicly released a list of reforms he would like to see taken up if the legislature does hold a special session, but no session has been officially called yet.

Federal Update

Congress has been working to reach an agreement on a continuing resolution to keep the government funded until April 28. The bill generally maintains current government funding, with additions including $872 million for healthcare measures and $170 million to deal with water contamination issues.

At the time of this writing, the bill had passed the House but faced a potential roadb

lock in the Senate. Several Senate Democrats have said that they will not vote for the bill unless it contains a longer-term extension of healthcare and retirement benefits for miners whose benefit fund is running out of money.

Current funding for the government expires on Saturday.

In other federal news, President-elect Donald Trump announced Andrew Puzder as his choice for secretary of Labor. Puzder, who is the CEO of a fast-food company that includes Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., has a long record of opposing provisions to help workers. Puzder is skeptical of raising the minimum wage, opposes the Obama administration’s efforts to expand eligibility for overtime pay, has criticized paid sick leave policies, and supports increased automation in his industry.

Constitutional Convention Poll

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