Politics

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is again pressing for a ban on flavored tobacco-based vaping products, saying he hopes a law is passed in the next month.

A proposal in the State Senate to rollback part of the state’s recently-enacted bail reforms produced an angry backlash from supporters of the law, which  took effect January 1st and ended most forms of cash bail for non-violent crimes in New York.

New York’s Attorney General has now filed papers in a lawsuit against the federal government for preventing  New Yorkers from enrolling or re-enrolling in the federal government's Trusted Traveler Programs, aimed at making border crossings faster and easier.

State officials are reacting to the news that the federal Department of Homeland Security is ending an expedited travel pass known as Global Entry for New Yorkers crossing into Canada or Mexico or arriving home to an airport from a foreign country.

With impeachment still hovering, Democratic Congressman Brian Higgins acknowledged the atmosphere was "a little tense" as President Trump delivered his State of the Union in front of Congress. As for the substance of the speech, Higgins says it failed "to rise above what has occurred over the last several months and outline an ambitious agenda and challenge Congress to work with him." 

Erie County Conservatives have made the struggle for Chris Collins' old congressional district even more tangled, choosing Beth Parlato as the party choice for the seat.

A bill in the state Legislature to ban the sale of some animals, including puppies and kittens, at pet stores is gaining support.

From Des Moines to Council Bluffs, a group of students from Daemen College spent six days in Iowa to study the intense campaigning leading up to today's Iowa Caucuses. Leading their itinerary was Jay Wendland, associate professor of political science. Dr. Wendland says the group was able to attend several events and form a variety of opinions on most of the Democratic Party's Presidential candidates.

Democrat Nate McMurray will take another shot at Congress. After narrowly losing to Chris Collins in 2018, McMurray says he's ready to challenge Republican State Senator Chris Jacobs in a special election for New York's 27th Congressional seat. Erie County Democrats endorsed McMurray last night. This morning, he expressed confidence to WBFO. "I know this place. I know these people."

A lack of information on how Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to cut billions out of state-funded health care programs led to some tense moments at a legislative budget hearing Wednesday.

Backers of legalizing the adult use of recreational marijuana in New York rallied at the Capitol on Tuesday, but some key differences among lawmakers might hold up passage.

The often-lengthy state budget hearings began Monday at the Capitol as legislators heard testimony on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s spending plan and how to close a $6 billion gap. The process, however, was assailed by both the left and the right.

State Sen. Chris Jacobs was endorsed by county Republican leaders Saturday as their candidate to run in this spring's special election in the 27th congressional district.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is announcing that an additional $10 million will be in his new state budget to help with the 2020 national census and to make sure that as many New Yorkers as possible are counted.

Chris Collins will learn his fate Friday afternoon in a Manhattan courtroom. 

Perhaps no one but U.S. District Court Judge Vernon Broderick knows what Collins’ sentence will be, but hundreds of pages of court documents filed over the last week and a half may provide some insight.

Over the last two decades, eight different politicians have held the seat in New York's 60th Senate district. As Geoff Kelly points out, Republicans and Democrats have struggled to stay in the seat, though some have used the post to jump to other offices. Byron Brown was the senator before turning his sights on Buffalo's City Hall. Now, Chris Jacobs is leaving the senate as he seeks a spot in Washington as the congressman for New York's 27th District. Kelly speculates on who will next serve a district where a moderate approach to politics seems necessary.

Tonight on WNED-TV, Frontline will air the final segment of its  two-part documentary: "America's Great Divide: From Obama to Trump." The series focuses on the nation's increasingly bitter, divided and toxic politics. It's a familiar theme for UB's Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Doctor James Campbell. In 2016, he addressed the topic at the beginning of the Trump Presidency with his book, "Polarized: Making Sense of a Divided America." 

The special election to fill out former Rep. Chris Collins' term in the 27th Congressional District will apparently be held April 28, the same day the state's presidential primary will be held.

A family man who had a momentary lapse of judgment. A businessman who used public office to increase his personal wealth.

The approximately 170 letters filed in U.S. District Court this week paint very different pictures of disgraced former Congressman Chis Collins. 

So you're thinking of running for office. Perhaps you don't like the policies of your current representative—or a position just opened up because of a retirement, scandal or election result. Where do you start? The Masten Resource Center is one place. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, a nationally renowned political "campaign fixer" will be in Buffalo to share her experience.

Democrats who lead the state Senate approved several measures on Thursday to make it easier to vote. But a newly energized Republican minority wanted to talk about other topics, such as worries about undocumented immigrants voting and whether to repeal recently enacted bail reform measures.

There was a somber tone to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 10th State of the State message in a year where the state is facing a $6 billion deficit and reeling from a recent spate of hate crimes, including a stabbing incident at a rabbi’s house outside New York City.