Governor Cuomo today announced that beginning March 27, all prescriptions written in New York State must be transmitted electronically from the prescriber directly to the pharmacy. Prescriptions will no longer be handwritten or called in to the pharmacy, except in limited situations such as during disasters, technological or electrical failures, and other exceptional circumstances. More than 60,000 prescribers are already e-prescribing and prescribers continue to register their certified software with the New York State Department of Health. Governor Cuomo signed legislation in March 2015 granting a one-year extension for these prescribers to comply with the I-Stop law.
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State lawmakers have been chosen to work on Conference Committees to negotiate the differences in the budgets from both houses of the legislature, Local Assemblyman Pete Lopez said that after former leaders Silver & Skelos were convicted of corruption, that lawmakers would tighten up ethics governing their own behaviors, but they’ve proposed very little:

(Lopez 3-17-16)

Former State Senate Leader Dean Skelos & Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver will be sentenced next month; the state budget is due April 1st.
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State Police are investigating an incident Wednesday afternoon where a Bullet hit a Harpursville school district bus. There were no injuries, the bus was on Colesville Road around 5:30 p.m., and anyone with information is asked to call State Police at 561-7400.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is no longer recommending opioid painkillers to treat chronic pain because of the addictive nature of the medications. The CDC laid out new recommendations for opioid drugs like OxyContin, Vicodin, and Percocet, as the risks in the form of addiction and death outweigh their alleged benefits. The new guidelines recommend that doctors try ibuprofen and aspirin when first treating pain. Then for short-term pain treatment, they should make sure opioid treatment goes for 3 days but rarely longer than 7. The Food and Drug Administration agreed with the CDC findings & recommendations.
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The State Assembly passed legislation to exempt tampons and other feminine hygiene products from state sales taxes. Assembly member Linda Rosenthal of Manhattan sponsored the bill, citing that the state exempts other medical necessities like bandages, & over the counter medicines, and even condoms. There are more than 10 million women of child-bearing age in New York, each paying 4 percent state sales tax on their monthly purchase of tampons. Companion legislation has been introduced in the state Senate.
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The Unatego school district has announced that due to the mild winter, they did not use any snow days, there will no classes held on March 28th & May 27th. If emergency days are needed, the school will revert back to holding classes on those 2 days.
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Over 400 bags of heroin were found in a car heading from New York City to Oneonta on Sunday by the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies conducted a traffic stop on 20-year-old Francesa Lorusso of Oneonta, she was driving with a suspended license, deputies searched the vehicle & discovered 400 bags of heroin. Lorusso, 34-year-old Ricardo Korianski and 36-year-old Jason Blass, were charged with possession of a controlled substance, they are being held in the Ulster County Jail on $25,000 bail.
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Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will discuss Highlights of the START-UP New York Investment at Binghamton University’s Innovative Technologies Complex today. Hochul is expected to deliver remarks at 11:30 this morning at SUNY Binghamton.
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Congressman Chris Gibson announced the House adopted a bill to extend the deadline for the start of construction of the hydroelectric project at the Cannonsville Dam. The bill authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time period during which the licensee is required to commence construction for up to four two-year periods. In 2014, FERC granted New York City a 2-year license to build a hydroelectric plant at the Cannonsville Dam, Preliminary work in 2015 led to the discovery of subsurface conditions, necessitating repairs and an extension of the deadline for the start of construction.
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The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting on today, in the Guilford School Cafeteria at 6:00 PM.