Politics

The Erie County Legislature on Thursday approved a resolution to revoke the emergency powers granted to County Executive Mark Poloncarz last June, early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Town of Tonawanda has announced the death of two-time former Town Supervisor Ronald Moline. Moline died March 31 at age 78.

Some members of the state’s ethics commission pressed Tuesday for a subpoena to look into a controversy over Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s hiring of former aide Larry Schwartz as a “volunteer” COVID-19 vaccine czar for the state.

But Cuomo’s appointees to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, known as JCOPE, voted the proposal down.

U.S. Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand answered questions from members of AARP Thursday about legislation addressing issues affecting seniors. Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, said making long-term care more accessible and affordable is among her top priorities.

On the floor of the House of Representatives Wednesday, Central New York Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus) defended the agreement he negotiated with Democrats to create an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The legislation passed the House with 35 Republicans joining the Democrats.

Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney has been removed from her leadership role in the House of Representatives’ Republican Caucus, but waiting in the wings to replace Cheney is North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik, currently the favorite to take on the roll of Conference Chair, the GOP’s third-highest ranking member in the House.

Another Republican entered next year’s race for governor Tuesday, with former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino throwing his hat in the ring for the party’s nomination.

Investigators looking into sexual harassment allegations against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo interviewed county officials about his “vaccine czar” calling them to assess their support for the embattled governor.

Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver will be returned to federal prison after federal authorities denied him home confinement, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has been released from a federal prison on furlough, while he awaits potential placement to home confinement.

More than half of New York state’s county Republican chairs have now endorsed Rep. Lee Zeldin to become the party’s nominee for governor next year, with Erie and Niagara Counties putting him over the top Friday.

President Biden is addressing a joint session of Congress on the eve of 100 days in office. Watch his remarks live. Hear it live on WBFO or watch below., and read analysis in a live blog from NPR

NPR reporters are adding fact checks and analysis to his remarks live.

New York's loss of a congressional seat due to the 2020 census will again set off a once-a-decade game of musical chairs among those currently holding the state's congressional seats, and continue what political observers think will be a shift of political power from upstate to downstate.

Several Republican office holders who are interested in running for governor next year made their case to the state’s GOP county leaders at a meeting in Albany this week. The meeting comes as Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has said he wants to run again, has been weakened by a series of scandals.

Next year’s race for governor in New York has officially begun. Republican leaders gathered in Albany Monday to hear from potential gubernatorial nominees, who would go on to compete next year against either Gov. Andrew Cuomo or whichever Democrat lands on the ticket in his place.

The voting process has changed enormously in recent years and particularly in these COVID times, with the tens of millions of absentee ballots cast nationally in last year’s presidential election. Albany controls what’s in the state Election Law and could change it again this year, with more time in the legislative session.

The House Ethics Committee is investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against Rep. Tom Reed.

Two Republicans have jumped into the race for New York governor.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) hosted a press conference Monday in Elmira, where he continued taking a victory lap on the passage of the latest COVID-19 stimulus measure, but avoided questions about Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the state budget and the SALT cap.

Activist India Walton's bid to run for mayor of Buffalo has been dealt a severe setback.

Opponents of legalizing marijuana in New York made a last-ditch attempt on Monday to stall the issue, saying concerns still remain over a handful of issues, including the ability to detect when someone is driving while impaired by the drug.