I’ve always been a dog person and couldn’t imagine life without my lovable yellow lab. That’s why I’m pleased to report that just recently, a measure I cosponsored to allow municipalities to regulate pet dealers was signed into law. It will give local governments the authority to enact stronger measures to protect the well-being of animals.
This past week, Governor Cuomo presented his 2014 State of the State address. For the first thirty minutes of the approximately one-and-a-half hour speech, the Governor reviewed what he saw as successes during his first three years in office. During this part of his speech, his main point was that state government, which has often been labeled by the media as dysfunctional, is now working again thanks namely to his leadership.
Along with a New Year come a number of new laws for New York State. As the calendar page turned to 2014, a number of new measures went into effect, many of them aimed at providing much-needed tax relief that will create new opportunities to enable businesses and taxpayers to succeed.
The Governor recently signed a number of bills into law. I wanted to take some time this week to make you aware of a few new ones that will or have recently become effective.
The New Year is a time for resolutions, and according to recent statistics roughly 45 percent of Americans usually make them. However, of those who make resolutions, only 8 percent actually stick to them.
The Tax Relief Commission issued its final report this month. The commission was established by the Governor and was charged with providing recommendations to cut $2 billion in state taxes over three years. Included in its final report were property tax relief recommendations that the Governor will consider.
This past election, voters were asked to authorize that our State Constitution be amended to allow for the construction of up to seven casinos in New York State. Voters approved the measure by a 57% to 43% margin. It was one of the most controversial referendums in recent history. Not only was the measure itself controversial, but the language explaining the referendum was also controversial.
Between the shopping, baking, wrapping and seemingly endless to-do lists that are so characteristic of the holidays, often times, there is little time to remember to get in the spirit of the season and enjoy this time of year before it’s over. While the holidays can be a lot of fun, the busyness can cause many people lose sight of the true meaning of the season.
On any given week, tens of thousands of unsolicited checks end up in New York residents’ mailboxes, making these checks easy targets for criminals looking to capitalize on someone else’s line of credit. Last month, the Governor signed a bill into law that will put the onus on those issuing checks if they are lost or get into the wrong hands.
Here in Upstate New York, winter can be one of the prettiest times of the year.
However, it can also be one of the most dangerous, especially for our seniors.
From influenza to falls, older members of our population are particularly vulnerable to winter-weather related ailments and accidents. Luckily, there are a number of steps that can be taken to increase safety as the mercury plunges.
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