Dems propose nutrition standards for food at state-funded facilities

Published - June 17, 2021

June 17, 2021 – In the pursuit of healthy food in the bellies of more New Yorkers, Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation requiring the Cuomo administration to adopt a healthy food standard that would inform what food is prepared and sold at state entities and on state property. Jessi Silverman, a policy associate and the Mark & Sushma Palmer Public Health Advocacy Fellow at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, explains how the bill would work and what else can be done to promote better eating habits.

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The evolution of voting access continues in New York

Published - June 17, 2021

June 17, 2021 – It’s been another busy year for Democratic lawmakers’ efforts to make voting easier, and Jarret Berg, a voting rights advocate and co-founder of Vote Early NY, has a run down of the measures that made it through the Capitol and at least one piece of unfinished business.

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Assemblymember Paulin continues to lead campaign against gun violence

Published - June 17, 2021

June 17, 2021 – Assemblymember Amy Paulin, a Westchester County Democrat, talks about two of her bills that were approved by state lawmakers and are designed to reduce gun violence by limiting who can purchase firearms.

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Combating the pandemic rise in elder abuse

Published - June 17, 2021

June 17, 2021 – Becky Preve, executive director of the Association on Aging in New York, discusses the rise in elder abuse during the pandemic, the different forms of elder abuse and what the state is doing to fight back.

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WCNY to Premiere Floating Ideas: How the Erie Canal Helped Shape America

Published - June 16, 2021

WCNY, Central New York’s community-owned flagship public broadcaster, is pleased to announce the premiere of “Floating Ideas: How the Erie Canal Helped Shape America” on WCNY-TV on June 29 at 9 pm. The half-hour documentary airs again on WCNY-TV on July 4 at 1 pm. “Floating Ideas: How the Erie Canal Helped Shape America” examines the spread of ideas along the Erie Canal, with an emphasis on women’s rights, suffrage, and the quest for social justice. The documentary was produced for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor with funding support from the National Park Foundation, the National Park Service, and

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Syracuse Mayoral Primary Candidates Conversation

Published - June 15, 2021

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Construction union enjoys productive legislative session

Published - June 15, 2021

June 15, 2021 – New York State Building Trades Council President Gary LaBarbera will discuss his union’s victories during the recently completed legislative session, including a wage theft prevention measure and prevailing wage requirements on new green energy projects.

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Nursing home lawsuit could be harbinger for thousands of pandemic cases

Published - June 15, 2021

June 15, 2021 – Rob Rosborough, author of the New York Appeals blog, will break down a lawsuit against a nursing home stemming from the death of a married couple last year who contracted COVID-19. The case could be a major harbinger for whether similar cases are brought and how they’ll be treated by the courts.

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Lawmakers leave Albany with unfinished environmental work

Published - June 15, 2021

June 15, 2021 – New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe talks about the environmental measures that got done this legislative session – a stricter drinking water standard in schools – and the bills that didn’t – CCIA, clean fuel standard and more.

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Gender-neutral marker could debut on state ID in 2022

Published - June 15, 2021

June 15, 2021 – If signed into law, the Gender Recognition Act will give nonbinary and transgender New Yorkers the option of marking their gender as X on their driver’s license application and also makes it easier to change their names, and have those changes acknowledged. We’ll unpack the entire measure with New York Civil Liberties Union’s Allie Bohm and the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund’s Charlie Arrowood.

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WCNY to host Syracuse Mayoral Primary Candidates Conversation June 15

Published - June 14, 2021

WCNY, Central New York’s community-owned flagship public broadcaster, will present a LIVE conversation with Syracuse mayoral primary candidates Thomas Babilon (R), Khalid Bey (D), Janet Burman (R), and Michael Greene (D), beginning at 8 p.m. on WCNY-TV and live streaming at wcny.org on Tuesday, June 15. The conversation will be hosted by Syracuse.com and Post-Standard reporter Chris Baker and WCNY’s “The Capitol Pressroom” host David Lombardo. For viewing information, visit wcny.org/wheretowatch. Members of the media interested in covering the event at WCNY’s TV Studio located at 415 W. Fayette St. in Syracuse should contact rubin.wright@wcny.org by June 14 at 5

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WCNY to Host Skills Enrichment Program Press Conference June 9

Published - June 14, 2021

WCNY, Central New York’s community-owned public broadcaster, will host a press conference to launch its Skills Encirchment Program at 2:00 p.m. on June 9. WCNY created the program to help children in grades PreK – 5th develop their math, reading, and social/emotional skills heading into the new school year. On June 9, WCNY’s President and CEO, Mitch Gelman, will be joined by LaFayette Central School District Superintendent, Jeremy Belfield, and Chittenango Central School District Superintendent, Michael Eiffe. All three will be joined by our partners for the program, the Musem of Science & Technology (MOST), the Reading League, and the

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Subverting the school-to-prison pipeline in New York

Published - June 14, 2021

June 14, 2021 – Lisa Freeman, director of special litigation for the juvenile rights practice at the Legal Aid Society, discusses legislation that made its way through the Capitol – and one bill that didn’t – designed to end the school-to-prison pipeline.

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New York on precipice of decriminalizing syringe possession after years of advocacy

Published - June 14, 2021

June 14, 2021 – Proponents of harm reduction are applauding state lawmakers for passing legislation that would decriminalize possession of syringes, but they say more needs to be done to combat the war on drugs, including the creation of safe consumption sites for illicit drugs and eventually decriminalize all drugs.

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Union blames cozy health care contracting for high medical bills

Published - June 14, 2021

June 14, 2021 – After adding up their health plan costs, 32BJ Health Fund Director Sarah Rothstein decided her members could save money by avoiding one high-priced hospital and is leading a legislative push to potential bring healthcare costs down.

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