The state budget contains 10 million dollars to get the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy project started. State Senator Tom Libous supports the plan:
(Libous 4-1-14)
Libous said that the school, slated to open in the fall of 2017.
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State lawmakers wrapped up votes on the new state budget yesterday, assemblyman Cliff Crouch told WCDO News of some of the items of local concern:
(Crouch Budget 4-1-14)
State Senator John Bonacic told WCDO News that he really liked the way this budget turned out:
(Bonacic 4-1-14)
The budget totaled 140 billion dollars, holding the spending increase to 1.6% as stipulated by the property tax cap law passed last year.
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The state budget includes a measure that will no longer hold consumers financially responsible for surprise, uninsured medical costs. Those costs can arise when a consumer goes to a hospital for a procedure, by a doctor who is covered by their healthcare provider, but end up being treated by a doctor or specialist who is not covered. The new legislation will protect consumers from the surprise costs and sets up arbitration process that removes the consumer from billing disputes between out-of-network doctors and health insurers.
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The Sidney Police arrested 31-year-old Herbert Bidwell Jr. of Sidney for Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Grand Larceny, Forgery and Petty Larceny. Bidwell is accused of purchasing items with a stolen Debit card he was remanded to the Delaware County jail & faces court action shortly.
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The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is holding public meetings this week, to gather feedback on the draft Environmental Impact Statement, for the proposed Constitution Pipeline. The pipeline would carry natural gas, from northern Pennsylvania across New York’s Southern Tier, to connect with other pipelines in Schoharie County serving Northeast markets. Meetings are scheduled tonight at 7:00 at the Oneonta High School, tomorrow night at 7:00 PM at the Afton High School, and Thursday evening at Blue Ridge High School in New Milford, Pennsylvania. If approved, pipeline construction could start in January.
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The Otsego County Sheriff’s Department arrested 50 year old John Chapman of Otego on charges of promoting gambling, possessing gambling records and money laundering, following an 8 month investigation that included assistance from the state Department of Financial Services Criminal Investigation Unit. If convicted, Chapman faces up to 12 years in state prison.
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Governor Cuomo announced a new multi-agency Cigarette Strike Force to help crack down on counterfeit and untaxed tobacco trade and sales. The state Tax Department is partnering with 12 state, local and federal agencies to expand and share their database of crime-related information to end illegal cigarette trafficking organizations. A pack of cigarettes in the state is taxed $4.35 and in New York City there is a $5.85 tax—both the highest in the country. The penalty for possession of illegal cigarettes is a $600 fine per carton. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office filed a $70 million lawsuit against Federal Express for unlawfully shipping nearly 80 million illegal cigarettes to consumers in New York. The lawsuit joins and expands upon a complaint filed in December by New York City.
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