NYSUT President Richard Iannuzzi on teacher evaluation standards.

Mike Long Conservative Party Chairman on reaction to GOP votes for Same Sex Marriage.

Bronx Democrat Senator Adriano Espaillat on rent regulations which expire today.

 

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Stephen Acquario of the NYS Association of Counties on mandate relief efforts

Assemblyman Felix Ortiz on a package of bills to stop abuse at institutions for the developmentally disabled

Assemblyman Danny O’Donnell, Assembly Chair of Ethics & Guidance, on ethics and gay marriage

Senator Daniel Squadron on ethics

 

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New York Times reporter Danny Hakim on his investigation into the systemic abuses & lack of oversight at state-run facilities for the disabled. Plus Michael Carey, the father of a 13-year old boy who died by asphyxiation at the hands of his aide.

Senator Kemp Hannon, Chairman of the Senate Health Committee joins us to discuss the Senate’s version of legislation that would enable healthcare care exchanges.

And

The company SCA Tissue North America has worked for 5 years to make an ad hoc economic development initiative called ReCharge New York (formerly known as “Power for Jobs”) a permanent benefit. Today we speak with Amy Bellcourt, Vice president for corporate communication for SCA Tissue North America about the next step in the process.

 

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There are only a few more days left of the legislative session.  Glenn Blain of the New York Daily News & Brendan Scott of the New York Post join us with analysis.
 
Patrick Moore of Greenpeace made waves (and a few people really mad) when he came out in favor of nuclear power.   We will speak with him about the issue in light of the crisis facing Japan, and the potential problems we face with Indian Point.
 
It appears the economy is contracting again.  Should Congress continue to focus on debt reduction?  The Maxwell School of Government’s Patrick Moynihan Professor of Public Affairs at Syracuse, Dr. Len Burman has a few thoughts on the subject.  Plus we’ll discuss his latest blog post in Forbes.  

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New York State Conference of Mayors Peter Baynes and CSEA’s Steve Madarasz join us with very different reactions to the Governor’s pension reform plan.

More on the how the Governor’s Regional Economic Development Councils may be able to help upstate’s most challenged communities. We speak with Bob Radliff Executive Director, Community Load Fund of the Capital Region, and Al De Salvo, Vice President, Community Reinvestment Officer, Capital Region, NY and Hudson Valley for M&T bank.

26 year old Megan Bonstein is pursuing a Masters degree at Columbia University. She was diagnosed with a form of Leukemia 2 years ago. For any patients older than she is, the only option has been bone marrow transplantation. But now, with the advent of chemotherapy pills that are taken orally, Megan will not have to undergo this procedure. Unfortunately, she may go bankrupt. The chemo pills cost $100,000 dollars per year. But what’s strange is that her insurance company, Aetna, names the medicine, Tasigna, under its list of “covered medicines”. Megan Bonstein will discuss her fight with Aetna, along with Zina Carey of the Office of Public Policy at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

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Jim Odato of the Albany Times Union on the latest in the investigations into the SUNY Research Foundation.

Elisabeth Benjamin, Vice President of Health Initiatives at the Community Service Society on draft legislation to create healthcare exchanges

Frank Mauro of the Fiscal Policy Institute on why New Yorkers should not expect to see the same positive results from a tax cap that the people of Massachusetts have enjoyed.

Jeff Jones of New Partners for Community Revitalization has just finished up a “Brownfield Summit” in Albany and has some economic development ideas to share with us that will benefit upstate New York’s cities.

 

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Senator David Carlucci on his hydrofracking moratorium bill pending in the State Senate.

Senator Martin Dilan with an update on efforts to keep redistricting reform relevant, alive and kicking in this legislative session.

Senator Tom Duane on the announcement at noon today of single payer legislation.

 

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David Grandeau, former Executive Director of the Temporary Commission on Lobbying

Barbara Bartoletti, NYS League of Women Voters

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb

Philip Morris, Proctors CEO

 

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Amid negotiations over a tax cap as well as outright opposition to the plan, a reminder that New York State has issued a significant IOU to schools.

A court in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity law suit ruled that the State had failed to provide “a sound basic education” to students in New York City. The fix was more funding. The legislature has promised to pay out that money sometime in the future… but when? And, how do we place a value on a sound basic education?

My guests today are Abe Lackman & Michael Rebell. Lackman is former secretary of the New York State Senate Finance Committee; he is currently the Clarence Rappleyea Government Scholar in Residence at the Government Law Center of Albany Law School. Rebell is the Executive Director of the Campaign for Educational Equity and Professor of Law and Educational Practice at Teachers College, Columbia.  Rebell co-founded and served as Executive Director of The Campaign for Fiscal Equity. They will share their insights into the case, and what may happen next.

And

Reporters of the LCA join us to analyze Albany’s political tea leaves. Ken Lovett, the Albany Bureau Chief for the New York Daily News and Rick Karlin, a veteran statehouse reporter for the Albany Times Union will be here.

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State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel Aubertine

John Kane of “Lets Talk Native” returns along with Senator George Maziarz

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