Catch up on the week in state and local politics
Logan Reidsma | Senior Staff Photographer
Gov. Cuomo announced this week that $2.4 million had been distributed to support the employment of individuals with disabilities.
Here is a brief roundup of major events in state and local politics:
Officials undergo minimum wage challenge
On Sunday, Syracuse leaders pledged to live on $360 over the course of the week to show support for a $15 minimum wage. The $360 total breaks down to making $9 an hour over a regular workweek.
After housing, taxes and utilities, they will have $97 to spend on food, transportation and other expenses, according to Syracuse.com.
Some of the officials participating in the challenge are Syracuse City Councilor Helen Hudson and Democratic congressional candidates Colleen Deacon, Eric Kingson, and Steve Williams.
Nancy Pelosi endorses Cuomo’s paid leave plan
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the Democratic leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, has endorsed New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan for paid family leave.
“From coast to coast, we are shining a bright light on the urgency of meeting the needs of working families,” Pelosi said in her endorsement speech.
Cuomo’s plan would allow all employees across the state to take up to 12 weeks of employer-paid leave after having four weeks on the job. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave, and exempts employers with less than 50 employees.
Cruz to stay on New York state primary ballot
State Supreme Court Justice David Weinstein dismissed a challenge on Monday to remove Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) from the New York state primary ballot. He said the petition to remove Cruz was filed after the deadline for ballot challenges had passed, according to Syracuse.com.
The petition argued that Cruz was ineligible to run for president because he is not a natural born citizen. Cruz’s was born in Canada, where his mother, a U.S. citizen, was living at the time.
Funds distributed to support employment of people with disabilities
Cuomo announced on Tuesday that $2.4 million has been distributed to support employment services for individuals with disabilities. The funds went to more than 100 organizations that provide these services, according to a press release from Cuomo’s office.
In Onondaga County, five groups were given a total of $116,376.41.
The funding is part of Cuomo’s Employment First Initiative, which is intended to support the employment of individuals with disabilities.
Republican state senators propose tax cuts
Republicans in the New York State Senate proposed a plan on Wednesday that would cut taxes by 25 percent. This would cost $3.5 billion once fully implemented, according to Time Warner Cable News.
Lawmakers said the economic activity stimulated by the tax cuts and limiting spending increases in the state budget by 2 percent would make up for this cost.
They also proposed actions that would help the elderly by increasing tax exemptions on private pensions and retirement income for the first time since 1981.
Published on March 11, 2016 at 2:52 pm
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