Politics

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.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is set to deliver his State of the State message on Wednesday, at a time when New York faces its worst budget deficit in a decade. WBFO will provide live coverage beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Newly-re-elected Erie County Legislature Chair April Baskin said there is a lot for legislators to do this year and she hopes they can work together after a rough election campaign.

Over the New Year’s holiday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York’s health care providers will see a 1% drop in the reimbursements they receive for the government-funded Medicaid health care program. It’s part of an effort to reduce a multi-billion-dollar budget gap that the state is facing.

One of New York State’s legislative leaders is facing a drunk driving charge. State Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb was arrested on New Year's Eve after a property damage accident in Ontario County.

Jon Rivera, an administrator in Erie County’s Department of Public Works, is now vying to become Buffalo’s Assembly member.

Rivera, a special assistant to the Erie County commissioner of Public Works, announced his candidacy for the 149th State Assembly District on Friday. A Democrat, he’ll look to replace fellow Democrat Sean Ryan, who is vacating the seat to run for state Senate.

Much of the institutional memory of the Common Council left the chamber Monday after the gavel sound of adjournment. Councilmembers David Franczyk and Richard Fontana walked up the stone stairs, ending a combined 54 years in office.

A prominent New York Republican said her party can hold the congressional seat vacated by Chris Collins, part of his felony guilty plea to insider trading.

State Sen. Rich Funke of the Rochester area is the latest Republican lawmaker to announce he will not seek re-election. Funke joins seven other minority-party senators who say they are moving on to other things after less than a year under Democratic rule in the Senate.