Politics and Government

After facing intense pressure from both parties for failing to pass a $60 billion federal relief package for Hurricane Sandy victims, Republicans in the House of Representatives now say they will vote on part of the flood insurance program Friday. But Gov. Andrew Cuomo still has doubts they will follow through.

A document from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration assessing the health impacts of hydrofracking, written less than a year ago, says the gas drilling process is likely safe if proper precautions are taken by the governor’s environmental agency, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). 

The city of Syracuse has reduced the number of city workers it has on the rolls of a non-city run agency as a way of skirting civil service rules.

Members of the 113th Congress will be sworn in January 3 -- and part of the new Congress will be a familiar face returning to Washington to represent the Syracuse area in a redistricted seat.

The new iteration of the New York state Senate will look different in 2013 with the new power sharing agreement in place between Republicans and breakaway Democrats, and two central New York lawmakers will be in the thick of it.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is in talks with legislative leaders on a gun control package that he could introduce as part of his State of the State message on January 9.

In 2013, New Yorkers may get a chance to vote on whether they want to expand gambling in the state. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the ballot proposal is unlikely to name which cities may build new casinos, though.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says federal gun laws need to be strengthened to prevent more shootings like the one in Newtown, Conn., but he says New York state’s assault weapons ban has loopholes that need to be closed too.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says preparations for his January State of the State address are "in good shape."

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is optimistic that the President Barack Obama and leadership of the House of Representatives will cut a deal to prevent the so-called "fiscal cliff."  New York's junior senator predicted there would be progress soon during a visit to Syracuse Friday.

It now seems clear that 2013 will be the year in which campaign finance reform will be debated in Albany. But it’s not clear yet what shape the legislation will take, or whether public financing of campaigns will be included.