Smithtown News

DuWayne Gregory re-elected Suffolk presiding officer

Jan

2017

Suffolk’s Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory won his fourth term Tuesday to lead the 18-member county legislature for another year, vowing to focus on county’s budget problems.

Gregory was voted in on an 11-5 party line vote, with Republican lawmakers nominating Legis. Kevin McCaffrey, GOP caucus leader, as a symbolic alternative.

Despite his candidacy, McCaffrey complimented Gregory on being evenhanded with the minority Republicans.

Legis. Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills) and Tom Muratore (R-Ronkonkoma) were not present, but had excused absences.

Gregory said after the vote that he plans to name an ad hoc budget committee in the next few weeks to concentrate on cutting the county’s structural deficit, more closely scrutinize spending by county contractors and tackle fiscal matters lawmakers did...| read more ››

Chuck Schumer to vow Dems will hold Donald Trump ‘accountable’

Jan

2017

WASHINGTON — Sen. Chuck Schumer prodded President-elect Donald Trump and said Democrats will hold him and the Republican majority “accountable” to the American people and the law as the New Yorker made his first speech Tuesday as Senate minority leader.

“With all due respect, America cannot afford a Twitter presidency,” Schumer said as he warned Trump about using social media to make policy. “These issues are complex and demand both careful consideration and action. We cannot tweet them away.”

Schumer also criticized Trump for calling Russian leader Vladimir Putin “very smart” for ignoring American sanctions, saying that “conducting foreign policy by tweet while spurning vital intelligence briefings . . . should alarm Democrats and Republicans alike.”

In remarks made on...| read more ››

Cuomo proposes free college tuition assistance for eligible students

Jan

2017

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Tuesday proposed free state college tuition assistance to ease the burden of paying for higher education for hundreds of thousands of low- and middle-income students.

Cuomo announced the Excelsior Scholarship college degree program, which would help cover the cost of SUNY and CUNY tuition, including at two-year community colleges, for students whose families earn up to $125,000 annually. Individuals also would qualify.

The governor made the announcement before a cheering audience of high school students, labor leaders and elected officials at LaGuardia Community College.

Cuomo said of college debt, “That is not fair, that is not right.”

He said it hobbles the futures of young people. “The debt is so high, it’s like starting a...| read more ››

Cuomo creates new team to focus on minimum wage law

Jan

2017

A 200-member team of investigators has been assembled to help ensure businesses across the state comply with the new minimum wage law that took effect Saturday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and his top aides announced Monday in Manhattan.

The Multiagency Enforcement and Outreach Unit will hold employers accountable by notifying employees of their rights, collecting their complaints and conducting investigations, Cuomo said.

New York State is moving in phases toward a $15 minimum wage statewide — a plan Cuomo signed into law last April.

“One thing I want to make clear, this is not a voluntary effort,” the Democratic governor told reporters at his midtown offices. “This is the law. And if a business does not follow the law, they...| read more ››

Rep. Steve Israel passes baton to successor Thomas Suozzi

Jan

2017

Two days before he formally leaves office, retiring Rep. Steve Israel on Sunday symbolically turned over his 3rd Congressional District seat to his successor, Thomas Suozzi, in a “passing of the baton” ceremony at Glen Cove City Hall.

Hundreds jammed the City Council chambers and spilled into adjoining hallways, including a slew of Long Island mayors, town officials, state and county legislators and others who will depend on Suozzi to bring federal money to local projects.

Suozzi, a former Glen Cove mayor and Nassau County executive, will be sworn in Tuesday in Washington. He called Israel (D-Huntington) “a true model for one to follow,” saying that even though he had held a top Democratic leadership post and gained an expertise...| read more ››

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