Congressman Richard Hanna delivered a proclamation today to Norwich Mayor Joe Mauriano on the city’s 100th anniversary. Mauriano commented about his city’s accomplishments throughout that period in history:
(Mayor Mauriano 3-20-14)
Congressman Richard Hanna said he is impressed with the city of Norwich & their ability to progress & maintain the small hometown feel:
(Congressman Hanna 3-20-14)
The city of Norwich is planning several events throughout the year to celebrate the Centennial, including a special exhibit of memorabilia at the Chenango county historical society museum starting April 5th, an old fashioned memorial day parade on Friday Night May 23rd, and even a silent movie with live piano accompaniment at the Colonia Theater in December.
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The state assembly passed watered down legislation regarding the controversial “Common Core” agenda for the state schools, leading to very little change recently to the agenda a, Assemblyman Cliff Crouch said that he was hoping that a bill fashioned by Assembly Republicans, based on public input at hearings all over the state, would have been the one passed:
(Crouch 3-20-14)
Both houses of the legislature have until mid June until the end of session, to deal with common core issues.
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State lawmakers are meeting in joint budget committees today as they try to approve a budget by the end of the month. Conference committees, on policy areas such as transportation and health, will be held by the state Senate and Assembly. State leaders are trying to determine how much money will be spent on different programs. Negotiations behind closed doors, between Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders, are expected to continue through next week.
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State tax collections totaled $62.9 billion eleven months into the fiscal year, about $30 million below the latest projections, according to the February 2014 state cash report released today by New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. All Funds tax collections of $62.9 billion through February 28th were $3.1 billion higher than last year; Personal income taxes totaled $40.4 billion, or 6.8% higher than last year. All Funds spending of $117.3 billion through February was $723.8 million below updated projections.
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The State Senate passed legislation, to make legislative proceedings more open and transparent, by expanding public access to committee meetings, and votes. The bill requires the webcasting and archiving of Senate and Assembly committees and hearings, and the online posting of votes taken in committees or on the floor. The Senate website -nysenate.gov- includes archived videos of session and committee meetings, and committee and floor vote records. The bill passed this week would require both houses to post the information on their respective websites.
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U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called on the USDA not to close 250 offices across the country, including up to 10 in New York State, saying they are needed to successfully implement the new farm bill, helping farmers navigate the system and sign up for existing and new programs. The Farm Bill was signed into law last month and includes many new programs, which require in-depth explanation. The bill also includes a new dairy program, which provides a safety net for dairy farmers when the price of milk drops. To find out more go to usda.gov.
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Some NYSEG customers may have noticed a hike in their energy bills over the past few months. The pricing of a NYSEG bill is based on delivery costs and supply costs. While NYSEG hasn’t raised its delivery cost since September 2012, supply costs, out of NYSEG’s control, have gone up. Recently, NYSEG did a study showing with the rising cost of supplies, a customer’s bill could go up 12-percent. If customers have questions with their bill they should call customer service at: 1-800-572-1111.
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