Governor Cuomo speaking at the press conference.

After a series of New York officials were arrested and charged with corruption last week, Governor Andrew Cuomo says he has the solution--or at least the first step. Accordingly, at press conference earlier this afternoon, Mr. Cuomo unveiled a legislative package aimed at curbing the problem.

"Over the past few days, there have been several charges brought against public officials; they span city and state government," he began. "And they paint a truly ugly picture of our political landscape. I'd like to say that this is an unprecedented situation, that public corruption is a new problem. But it isn't and, in many ways, that's what makes it worse."

Mr. Cuomo's bill, "The Public Trust Act," mostly focuses on law-and-order deterrence, including loosening the legal standards necessary to prove bribery, toughening the penalty for those convicted and criminalizing failure to report bribery. Additionally, he is pushing to give state prosecutors the ability to prosecute grand jury witnesses if evidence--independent of their testimony--emerges of criminal wrongdoing.

Of course, there is no way to completely eliminate corruption from government, as Dean Skelos, the leader of the State Senate's Republican conference, pointed out in statement reacting to Mr. Cuomo's announcement. Mr. Skelos vowed to take action but declared "no legislation can prevent someone from committing a corrupt act."

For his part, Mr. Cuomo agreed, and reiterated several times that official misconduct is inevitable.

"There has been a long list of public officials who get into trouble--by the way, not just in this state, but in every state across the country," he said at one point. "You have a bad combination of chemicals. You have power, you have money, you have ambition, you have greed. You put all those chemicals in one test tube, you shake it up and bad things happen."

Additional reporting by Ross Barkan.

Seattle resident displaying a bag of marijuana shortly after a lew legalizing recreational use of the drug took effect in Washington State last month. (Photo: Getty)

While a growing number of states have been legalizing medical and even recreational use of marijuana, the popular plant remains illegal in New York. However, an upcoming pair of new medical marijuana bills in the Legislature and Governor Andrew Cuomo's proposal to decriminalize possession of small amounts of the drug may signal the Empire State is on its way to looser marijuana regulations. 

One of the initiatives Governor Andrew Cuomo outlined in his State of the State address last week was a policy to decriminalize the possession of 15 grams or less or marijuana in public view. Under current laws, possession of 25 grams or less of marijuana generally does not result in jail time as long as it is not openly displayed, but having even small amounts of the drug can result in an  arrest if it is exposed to the public. This "public view" distinction has drawn the ire of critics who argue that, particularly when combined with the NYPD's controversial stop-and-frisk policy, it results in unneeded arrests when people are arrested for displaying marijuana after complying with police officers' requests to reveal the contents of their pockets during searches. Governor Cuomo echoed this argument when he made his case for decriminalization during the State of the State.

"There is a challenge posed by the 'stop-and-frisk' police policies. Roughly 50,000 arrests in New York City for marijuana possession, more than any other possession. Of those 50,000 arrests, 82 percent are black and Hispanic. Of the 82 percent that are black and Hispanic, 69 percent are under the age of 30 years old. These are young, predominately black and Hispanic males," the governor said. "These arrests stigmatize, they criminalize, they create a permanent record. It's not fair. It's not right. It must end. And it must end now. The problem is the disconnect because marijuana on a person is a violation, marijuana in public view is a misdemeanor. There must be parity. Decriminalize the public view with 15 grams or less so there is fairness and parity in the system and we stop stigmatizing these people, making it harder to find a job, making it harder to get into to school, making it harder to turn their lives around at a very young age."

This isn't the first time Governor Cuomo has made a marijuana decriminalization proposal. Last summer, the governor supported a plan to decriminalize possession of up to 25 grams in the public view, though the measure was supported by the Democratic majority in the Assembly it was blocked by the G.O.P.-controlled Senate.

"Being able to walk around with 10 joints in each ear and it only being a violation, that is wrong," former Republican Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos infamously quipped.

Though the senate Republicans opposed decriminalization of 25 grams or less, Mr. Skelos said he would be open to a reduced version of the proposal that would only apply to those who openly possessed marijuana as a result of a police stop. After the governor scaled back his proposal to 15 grams, Politicker reached out to Mr. Skelos' office to see if this compromise would be sufficient. As of this writing, he has not responded to multiple requests for comment on the issue.

Whether or not the Legislature backs the governor's possession decriminalization push, there are lawmakers pushing to change the state's laws regarding medical use of marijuana. Last year, when Governor Cuomo made his initial decriminalization proposal, the Republican majority ruled over the State Senate. Now, leadership is shared between the G.O.P. and the Independent Democratic Conference. Senator Diane Savino, one of the members of the I.D.C., told Politicker she isn't sure where the Senate Republicans stand on the governor's new, scaled down  decriminalization proposal, but she said she is currently drafting a medical marijuana bill.

"He's going to have to sell that," Ms. Savino said of Governor Cuomo's proposal. "It's not what I'm focused on, I'm focused on medical marijuana."

Ms. Savino believes she has secured enough votes for her medical marijuana bill to pass in the Senate. Democratic Assemblyman Richard Gottfried is drafting similar legislation in the Assembly, which is controlled by his party. His office said he also believes he has enough votes to pass his medical marijuana bill. Along with the push from legislators, medical marijuana advocates have enlisted the lobbying firm Patricia Lynch Associates, which is headed by Pat Lynch, a former top advisor to powerful Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

Despite the governor's backing of the marijuana decriminalization proposal and the support from lawmakers and top lobbyists, it is unclear whether Governor Cuomo is behind the medical marijuana bills. Ms. Savino said she hopes to be able to get his backing.

"The governor's been cautious in his comments," she explained. "He's not there yet. It's not an issue that he's focused on and I'm sure he has a lot of questions."

Politicker reached out to the governor's office to see whether he supported the proposed medical marijuana legislation. As of this writing, they have not responded to multiple requests for comment.

(Photo: Facebook)

As liberals rejoiced over the parts of Governor Andrew Cuomo's State of the State address that promised tougher gun laws and campaign finance reform, the State Senate's Republican Leader Dean Skelos released a video hinting at a legislative battle to come when he said he would not support the public financing of campaigns.

“I do not support taxpayer dollars to fund political campaigns,” Mr. Skelos said after explaining that Republicans did back increasing “transparency” and “accountability” in the campaign process. “If the public campaign finance system in New York City was applied statewide and to legislative campaigns, it would cost taxpayers more than 200 million dollars. That’s money that would be much better spent on property tax relief or investing more money in rural upstate school districts and underperforming school districts around the state.”

It’s no accident that Mr. Skelos mentioned “Upstate” school districts in his critique of a public finance system for campaigns, as while Mr. Cuomo said he supported a system that would mirror New York City’s by providing public matching funds to state candidates, Mr. Skelos' conference is based almost entirely outside of the five boroughs. But as Mr. Skelos is now a "co-leader" with a breakaway Democratic contingent that often touts their support for strong campaign finance reform, this could cause some tension in the upper legislative chamber. One of those Democrats, Senator Diane Savino, has already expressed some doubts.

Mr. Skelos did not directly respond to the Governor’s proposals to severely curb “high capacity assault rifles” and increase background checks. He did say Senate Republicans would be supportive of limiting high capacity firearm magazines, one of Mr. Cuomo’s priorities. However, as he has done in the past, he mostly focused on the curtailing of “illegal guns.”

“I believe we must pursue a comprehensive approach that includes cracking down on the possession and use of illegal guns that are used to commit 90 percent of gun related crimes in NYC and 70 percent statewide,” he said. “Illegal guns are the common thread of tragic stories splashed across the front pages.”

Mr. Skelos further stressed the need to provide more assistance for the mentally ill and said he would back the strengthening of Kendra’s Law, a measure that allows state judges to order closely monitored outpatient treatment for a small subset of mentally ill people.

Watch below:

(Photo: Getty)

Governor Andrew Cuomo threw down the gauntlet on the new State Senate leadership coalition between the Republicans and the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference with a stern warning for them to support all of his agenda items that he has declared his "litmus test" for the group on Fred Dicker's radio show this morning. Mr. Cuomo drew his line in the sand when the host asked about indications the new coalition might be hesitant to back all of the agenda items on the governor's list. Mr. Cuomo, who has taken some heat from progressives for not doing more to oppose the coalition and back Democratic control of the Senate chamber, made it clear his tolerance for the group will cease if they don't pass his test.

"If that's true, then we're going to have a problem Fred and we're going to have a problem sooner rather than later," said the governor.

Governor Cuomo reiterated the position he has already states several times when asked about the coalition--that it is not his job to decide the "internal" matters of who takes leadership positions in the senate.

"All of these internal, intramural games," Mr. Cuomo said, before adopting a mocking tone to mimic squabbling lawmakers. "'I think I should be the leader!' 'I think I should be the leader!'...That's their business."

What the governor said was his "business" is the passage of his legislative agenda. In no uncertain terms, he made it clear Republican Senate leader Dean Skelos will face his wrath if the coalition stands in the way of his agenda, which he said the people elected him to execute.

"I am their instrumentality in getting it done," Mr. Cuomo said of his relationship to New Yorkers. "If Senator Skelos is opposed to the agenda of the people of this state, then I will oppose him."

Asked to elaborate on what form his opposition might take, the governor showed that, while he may view himself as the people's "instrumentality," the people are also his instrumentality.

"I will go to the people of the state," said Mr. Cuomo. "I will generate information, education and political will to get the agenda passed."

Scary stuff!

In his State of the State address last January, Mr. Cuomo called for a two-pronged approach to campaign finance reform; limiting contributions and establishing a system for publicly-financed campaigns. Progressive good government groups have echoed the need for these two elements of campaign finance reform.

In the new IDC/GOP coalition, leadership duties in the Senate are shared between State Senator Jef Klein, the IDC’s head, and the Senate’s Republican leader Dean Skelos. Though his breakaway group’s alliance with the Republicans blocked Democrats from controlling the Senate chamber, Mr. Klein has vowed the IDC will be committed to advancing key components of the Democratic agenda, such as a minimum wage hike and reform of stop-and-frisk. He also told the Associated Press the IDC will be committed to “serious campaign finance reform,” though he has not detailed what exactly that might entail.

With their conservative upstate constituency, New York’s Republicans have never been enthusiastic about overhauling campaign finance laws. In an interview with Capital Tonight’s Liz Benjamin last week, Mr. Klein expressed his own skepticism New Yorkers would back public financing and suggested the issue be left  to voters.

“This is an important issue, if you’re gonna ask some people, you know, in upstate New York or other areas of upstate that we’re actually gonna use tax dollars to fund our elections, let’s see how they feel about that,” Mr. Klein said.

Mr. Skelos is not likely to accept all of the policy priorities of more liberal senators like Mr. Klein. Based on Mr. Klein’s comments, it seems public financing of campaigns could be an area where the IDC and their new Republican partners find some room for compromise. In the same Capital Tonight interview, Mr. Klein’s fellow IDC member, State Senator Diane Savino, said she supports public matching money for campaigns, but she suggested lawmakers can “start with” bringing down contribution limits first.

“There are some people who like myself believe that it can't be real campaign finance reform if it doesn't have public matching money. You know, There are other people who think that we can take baby steps, we can start with reducing the contribution limits, that they’re too high in New York State, that the amount of money that can be contributed to a state party is ridiculously high,” Ms. Savino said. “There’s a lot of room and I think what we should do is, let’s put it all out there, let’s find out what the people of the state want.”

Update (12/12 5:38 p.m.): Ms. Savino reached out to Politicker to elaborate on her position on campaign finance reform and where the conference stands on the issue with respect to the governor. 

Mr. Cuomo has taken substantial heat from progressives over the perception he could have done more to block the new coalition and establish a Democratic State Senate majority. In an appearance on Fred Dicker’s radio show yesterday, the governor disputed this criticism by saying it is his job to “pass progressive legislation” rather than involving himself in the “internal dynamics of the Legislature.” Though he defended not doing more to block the coalition, Mr. Cuomo promised to “make my voice heard” if the Senate does not pass the items on his agenda. Thus far, in the early days of the new coalition Mr. Cuomo said he was encouraged by what he described as “an increased decibel level around the progressive elements of the agenda” he was unable to pass last year;  stop and frisk reform, a minimum wage increase and campaign finance reform.

“Now, if anything, you hear more energy, more discussion and more commitment. Everybody now, everyone is fighting for the same agenda items I was trying to pass last year...Minimum wage, stop-and-frisk, campaign finance, everyone is saying that they’re going to support that,” Mr. Cuomo told Mr. Dicker.

With the IDC members seemingly leaning toward enacting contribution limits without establishing public financing, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to placate Mr. Cuomo.

Dean Skelos. (Photo: Facebook)

It's a particularly wild week in Albany, and in a surprise announcement, five members of of the "Independent Democratic Conference" have joined their Republican counterparts to form a "historic bipartisan partnership," even as the Democrats protest the situation by pointing to their on-paper majority in the chamber. The IDC, whose numbers expanded today with Democratic Senator Malcolm Smith joining their ranks, had hinted at a bipartisan coalition of some kind, but only now have the details of this arrangement emerged.

According to the joint declaration, the breakaway Democratic conference and the GOP will split as many duties as possible, with the actual title of Temporary President alternating back and forth between the two:

Under the unprecedented agreement, the Independent Democratic Conference will be formally recognized as a third, permanent Senate conference. Senator Klein and Senator Skelos will assume the roles of Conference Leader for their respective conferences and will administer joint and equal authority over (1) the daily senate agenda (a/k/a the “Active List,” which lays out which bills will be voted on each day), (2) the state budget, (3) appointments to state and local boards, and (4) leadership and committee assignments for their respective conferences. Under the agreement, coalition leaders will need to work together to lead the Senate forward. The new agreement will also provide for a process by which the title of Temporary President will alternate between the two conference leaders every two weeks. Therefore, the role of the temporary president will be constitutionally fulfilled at all times.

How effective this delicate balance of power is remains to be seen. The IDC's leader, Senator Jeff Klein, has presented a progressive set of priorities that includes scholarship aid for illegal immigrants, an increase in the minimum wage and campaign finance reform. At least some of these ideas have been steadfastly opposed by the Republican conference. How Governor Andrew Cuomo, who's managed to push his agenda through Albany thus far, manages the situation will likely have a big impact on the ultimate legislative outcome.

A sixth Democrat, Senator Simcha Felder, elected last month in a conservative Brooklyn district, previously announced his intention to caucus directly with the Republican conference, placing the Democratic conference at a significant numerical disadvantage even if they win two outstanding races that appear favorable to them.

Update (2:30 p.m.): A statement from the Senate Democratic minority: 

“This is not a coalition but a coup against all New Yorkers who voted for Democratic control of the Senate and a progressive state government. Sadly, the real victims of today's announcement are the people of our State, whose clearly expressed desire for progress on a host of issues will now be scuttled. Senate Democrats will remain fierce advocates for them and the issues New Yorkers want to see implemented like standing up for women’s health, passing real campaign finance reform, raising the minimum wage and enacting common sense gun laws.”

View the full press release, which was provided by the current Republican majority:

Senator Dean G. Skelos, leader of the Senate Republican Conference, and Senator Jeffrey D. Klein, leader of the Independent Democratic Conference, today joined together to announce an historic bipartisan partnership to continue the tremendous progress that has been achieved over the past two years in New York State. This new bipartisan governing coalition guarantees a fiscally responsible, fully functional Senate that will continue to produce positive results for all New Yorkers.

Two years ago, Independent Democrats and Senate Republicans put partisan differences aside to end the dysfunction, gridlock and reckless fiscal policies of the previous Senate leadership. This partnership returned function and order to the Senate Chamber, restored fiscal integrity, and produced remarkable accomplishments that have benefited all New Yorkers. Today’s agreement marks a bold new chapter in this partnership, that will allow the Senate to continue pushing New York State forward, while ensuring that there will be no returning to the failed leadership of the past.

Of tremendous importance is the bipartisan coalition government’s commitment to working with Governor Cuomo on progressive policy issues that benefit all New Yorkers in the next legislative session.

Senator Skelos said, “The Senate Republican Conference has worked closely with the Independent Democratic Conference and Governor Cuomo to bring historic progress to New York. We’ve brought spending under control, ended Albany dysfunction, and consistently delivered the bipartisan results New Yorkers need and deserve -- even on many of the most difficult issues. Senator Klein has proven to be a thoughtful and effective leader, and I look forward to partnering with him to move this state forward.”

Senator Klein said, “Over the past two years, members of the IDC and Senate Republicans have shown that the best way to overcome New York’s biggest challenges is by working in a constructive, bipartisan way. Legislating is a deliberative, cooperative process—not a spectator sport. Having dedicated the past two years to a serious, policy-driven agenda, this agreement delivers on the IDC’s pledge to become a permanent third conference within the State Senate and to have a major voice in all policy decisions moving forward. Having worked together over the past two years, I know that Senator Skelos is not only an effective leader, but is as committed as I am to delivering major bipartisan results for all New Yorkers.”

Under the unprecedented agreement, the Independent Democratic Conference will be formally recognized as a third, permanent Senate conference. Senator Klein and Senator Skelos will assume the roles of Conference Leader for their respective conferences and will administer joint and equal authority over (1) the daily senate agenda (a/k/a the “Active List,” which lays out which bills will be voted on each day), (2) the state budget, (3) appointments to state and local boards, and (4) leadership and committee assignments for their respective conferences. Under the agreement, coalition leaders will need to work together to lead the Senate forward. The new agreement will also provide for a process by which the title of Temporary President will alternate between the two conference leaders every two weeks. Therefore, the role of the temporary president will be constitutionally fulfilled at all times.

This partnership will be memorialized in the Senate’s rules for the upcoming legislative session. The two conferences, which will form the governing coalition, will be recognized in the 2013-2014 Senate Rules as the Senate Majority Coalition.

Senator Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) also announced that he has joined the Independent Democratic Conference as its fifth member.

Senator Smith said, “I’m thrilled that today I’m not only joining the IDC, but I’m becoming an immediate part of this historic and bipartisan governing coalition. Our state’s biggest issues are too important to address on a narrowly focused, partisan basis. Over the past two years, Senator Klein and his colleagues in the IDC have shown that they’re driven by policy, not politics. They have delivered on an impressive bipartisan agenda, have stayed true to their Democratic principles, and have laid the groundwork for an historic bipartisan model of governing. I would like to thank Senator Klein and all of my new IDC colleagues for welcoming me into the conference and for committing to move New York forward in an exciting, bi-partisan, and common-sense way. We have made tremendous strides over the past two years, but as we all recognize, there’s plenty of work still to be done. I’m very confident that the new governing model we’re announcing today is the best way to get the results that New York’s families and businesses need.”

Senator Tom Libous (R-C-I, Binghamton) said, “Today, we are taking steps to formalize our existing partnership through a new Senate Majority Coalition, which we believe is the best, most effective way to ensure that true bipartisanship and meaningful progress will continue in Albany. My constituents want Democrats and Republicans to work together to achieve real results that improve their lives, and that's what we are going to do in cooperation with the IDC.”

Senator Diane Savino (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn) said, “Two years ago, we realized that in order to serve our constituents effectively, we needed to take the politics out of policymaking. That’s what we’ve done since forming the IDC and that’s what we’ll continue to do as part of the new coalition government. Our constituents, particularly mine, cannot afford the type of political gamesmanship that has, in the past, overrun a healthy and functioning legislature. We’re here to accomplish the people’s business and that’s why we’ve formed this historic bipartisan coalition.”

Senator George D. Maziarz (R-Newfane) said, “Today is a great day for all New Yorkers as we move forward and announce the new Senate Majority Coalition. I can work with anyone to get things done for the people of my district and am excited to continue on the path to move New York forward -- and doing so in a bi-partisan fashion.”

Senator David Valesky (D-Oneida) “Today is a great day for government in New York State. By building a bipartisan coalition of Senators from across the state, we will remake the New York State Senate with a bold new model, where partnership is valued over partisanship, and a focus on important issues will be at the forefront. This coalition will enable stability, functionality and a wide-ranging legislative agenda that will benefit the people of New York. I look forward to working with my colleagues in a productive legislative session that will hopefully serve as an example for governance.”

Senator John A. DeFrancisco (R-C-I, Syracuse) said, “My constituents are looking for a bipartisan government to get things done. We’ve had great success working with the Independent Democrat Conference over the past two years to pass on-time budgets that reduced state spending, lowered taxes and helped create new private sector jobs. The new coalition will allow this team that has worked so well together to continue the progress we’ve made for the benefit of all the people of this state.”

Senator David Carlucci (D-Rockland) said, “In order to bring meaningful results to New York families and businesses, we need to break down party barriers and work across the aisle. This bipartisan agreement will help us do exactly that. By taking the politics out of policymaking, I know that we’ll achieve big things for all New Yorkers.”

Senator Martin Golden (R-C, Brooklyn) said, “The new bipartisan coalition will be an effective way to ensure that we continue to move New York forward. The people of this state want their representatives to work together to address the issues that impact their lives and, particularly important to the people of my district, work with other state and federal leaders to help us recover and rebuild from the devastation of hurricane Sandy.”

Senator John Bonacic (R,C,I-Mount Hope) said, “The recently formed coalition between the Senate Republican Conference and the Independent Democrat Conference is good news for the hardworking people of our great state. The coalition, which has been working together for the past two years with Governor Cuomo, will ensure a functional and productive Senate working in a bipartisan way to provide solutions to the great challenges we all face in the coming year.”

(Photo: Getty)

Although much of the attention has been focused on New York City, millions of Long Islanders were also caught in Hurricane Sandy's path, with tens of thousands of them still without electricity or a regular supply of gasoline. In a statement sent out this afternoon by Nassau and Suffolk counties' entire delegation in the State Senate, the local officials cried out for additional federal assistance. In doing so, they repeatedly raised the specter of Hurricane Katrina, the disaster that infamously marred former President George W. Bush's administration.

“We are facing a massive, Katrina-style disaster here on Long Island that will only get worse unless all of the resources of the federal government are at our disposal. Incredibly, that hasn’t happened yet,” Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos declared in the release, the title of which warned of "More Death and Destruction."

The senators all stressed the need for additional resources to rebuild homes and restore power, criticizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency for providing insufficient help as dangerously cold temperatures approach.

“Right now FEMA is doing a terrible job of disaster relief, but no one is talking about it," Senator Carl Marcellino said. "People don’t have homes, they don’t have food, electricity and FEMA is difficult if not impossible to get a hold of. We all thought lessons were learned after Katrina; we were mistaken.”

“It is clear we are facing a disaster of epic proportions," Senator Kemp Hannon added on. "I join in requesting President Obama to step up the federal response and to take whatever actions may be necessary.”

View the full statement below:

LONG ISLAND SENATE DELEGATION CALLS ON PRESIDENT OBAMA TO INITIATE MORE AGGRESSIVE FEDERAL RESPONSE TO SANDY

Region Facing “Katrina-style” Disaster, Spike in Crime, More Death and Destruction

Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos and the members of the Long Island State Senate delegation today called on President Obama to initiate a swift and aggressive federal disaster response to assist those who have been severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy, saying Long Island residents are facing a “Katrina-style” disaster, a potential outbreak of crime and additional deaths.

Nearly two weeks after the storm brought destruction to New York, and particularly Long Island, hundreds of thousands of people still remain without power, and countless others will need to be housed and fed before they freeze to death in their own homes. The situation was made worse by a recent Nor’easter and local residents need immediate help in meeting their basic, everyday needs.

“We are facing a massive, Katrina-style disaster here on Long Island that will only get worse unless all of the resources of the federal government are at our disposal. Incredibly, that hasn’t happened yet,” Senator Skelos said.

Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick) said: "Hurricane Sandy caused devastating damage on Long Island. Families and businesses across the Island are trying to rebuild and recover. Many have lost everything and are struggling to meet even basic needs. They need all the help they can get, and they need it now. Washington must immediately mobilize all the federal resources possible to help Long Islanders get through these trying times.”

Senator Carl L. Marcellino said: “Right now FEMA is doing a terrible job of disaster relief, but no one is talking about it. People don’t have homes, they don’t have food, electricity and FEMA is difficult if not impossible to get a hold of. We all thought lessons were learned after Katrina; we were mistaken.”

Senator Kenneth P. LaValle said: "Long Islanders need the resources of the federal government to help our residents and assist with clean up and restoration of infrastructure.”

Senator Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City) said, “It is clear we are facing a disaster of epic proportions. I join in requesting President Obama to step up the federal response and to take whatever actions may be necessary.”

Senator John Flanagan said: “Too many in our region are without housing and even more are without power. We need additional personnel now and better coordination on the ground before this bad situation gets even worse. I join with my colleagues in the Senate in calling on President Obama to utilize all Federal resources that will assist our residents and to coordinate with our State officials for the sake of our hard hit communities.”

Senator Jack M. Martins said: "We have residents and businesses that, more than 10 days after the storm hit, are still without power and still without heat during days when temperatures are falling. We need all of our residents and businesses to have their power restored so we can begin to rebuild what was lost. That means having a total commitment from our federal government to help us recover. The situation out there shouldn't be underestimated. We need the resources from the federal government and we need them now."

Senator Lee Zeldin (R,C,I-Shirley) said: "The devastation caused by Sandy requires the full commitment of assets to our region. As each day goes by, there is an intensifying threat to public health and safety in many areas on Long Island.”

Senator Owen H. Johnson said: “We need our federal government to act swiftly in establishing temporary housing for displaced families whose homes were either severely damaged or destroyed by flooding or fire. There are no motel/hotel rooms available in our area and families cannot be housed in emergency shelters long term. FEMA must make this a top priority as winter weather approaches.”

(Photo: Facebook)

In an interview with the Jewish Press that just went online last night, newly minted Republican State Senator David Storobin presented an elaborate case against his likely Democratic opponent, former City Councilman Simcha Felder. As they are competing for the same socially conservative, heavily Orthodox Jewish district, Mr. Storobin made repeated efforts to link Mr. Felder to Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who is both socially liberal ideologically and an open lesbian.

"If you look at previous races, my opponent was a supporter of Barack Obama, my opponent was a supporter of Christine Quinn, my opponent was a reliable Democratic voter of the Christine Quinn Agenda," he argued, repeating the "Christine Quinn agenda" line again afterwards.

The Republican cited a specific example of his argument as it relates to Ms. Quinn.

"When he takes Christine Quinn and he brings her to a Jewish girls school, ... he points to her and says, 'This is a role model for you.' Most of their parents -- I think none of their parents -- would agree with that," he said. "Christine Quinn's lifestyle is not what the parents would choose for their girls. Not just lifestyles, politically speaking and in many ways, those are not the values of the parents of these kids. I would never bring someone like that and point out that this is a role model for those kids."

Mr. Storobin also made the case that no matter how conservative Mr. Felder may be, if he's willing to support a Democratic majority, it doesn't matter. And, addressing reports that the Republican Majority Leader Dean Skelos is privately backing Mr. Felder under the condition that he conferences with the Republican majority, Mr. Storobin dismissed them.

"There are always rumors floating around," he said. "The reality is that I have a very good relationship with Dean Skelos. We've known each other in both political and personal circumstances. I was at his sister-in-law's barbecue."

"I would be very, very surprised if he went against a member of his conference, in particular a member of his conference with whom he had no problems with," he continued explaining when pressed. "There was never been a bad word that was exchanged between us. You look at the pictures ... I went in [the State Senate chamber for the first time] and he has this look of joy on his face and he's hugging me. I mean, he looks like he's happy to have me there."

He also pointed out that Mr. Skelos backed his legislation to translate election materials into Russian, stating, "Like I said, if he didn't want me to get reelected I can't imagine that he would put my bill for a vote for a vote, much less make sure that it passed."

Watch below:

A bill, which would ban the children under the age of 18 from frequenting tanning salons, is now before the full Senate, having passed the Assembly and the Senate health committee.

Speaking of a study by researchers at the Yale School of Public, the letter states:

The authors stated that indoor tanning was strikingly common in the study of young skin cancer patients, especially women, which they concluded may be the reason why 70% of early-onset BCCs occur in females. Also, the authors concluded that reducing indoor tanning could translate to a meaningful reduction in the incidence of both melanoma (which accounts for the majority of death from skin cancer) and BCC. Another study published this month in the Journal of Clinical Oncology followed 70,000 women for 20 years and found increased risk for all three types of skin cancer associated with tanning bed use before age 35.

Passage at this point remains unclear. The full letter is copied below.

Michael Grimm is leading the charge to investigate Corzine’s MF GLobal.

Mayor Bloomberg gives contributions to charities in lieu of gifts at weddings.

Robert Mittman exists, or so he claims.

Dean Skelos attacked the state’s new ethics commission over a report of them looking into  Tom Libous.

The State Senate honored the Beastie Boys’s MCA.

Charlie Rangel’s campaign manager said he is ready to win big.

Congressional candidate Adriano Espaillat would like to take you on a journey.

Over Republican protests, a recount will proceed in the Fidler/Storobin race.

Christine Quinn skipped out on a stop-and-frisk press conference.

Bob Turner said Ed Koch is “stuck” with his endorsement of Kirsten Gillibrand, but Koch isn’t framing it quite that negatively.

Most of the House “Tea Party” freshman in fact, are not.

Rich Becker wasn’t impressed with her mediocre score.

The Senate Republicans unveiled their college affordability plan.

Congressional candidate Dan O’Connor spoke out against current drug laws.

In Brooklyn Heights, they already don’t like the Citibike share program.

If you are hungry, there are 36,000 pounds of Greek yogurt on an upstate highway.

There are elections happening in Idaho, Oregon, and Nebraska tonight.

Most Americans think that Barack Obama will win.

Noam Chomsky said that there is very little substance beneath Barack Obama’s rhetoric, a point which led The Corner to suggest that the longtime lefty has endorsed Sarah Palin.

Obama had an “anodyne” appearance on “The View”, although he did say that he refrained from smoking a cigarette after the Osama bin Laden killing because “Michelle will catch me.”

“‘I’m for Mitt Romney,’ Bush told ABC News this morning as the doors of an elevator closed on him”

Stories on Romney’s time at Bain are popping up all over.

The White House released the financial disclosure forms of Obama and Biden.

Elizabeth Warren was touted as Harvard Law’s “first woman of color” in a Fordham Law Review piece in 1997.

Polls remains mixed over Barack Obama’s announcement that he favors gay marriage.

New York magazine took Mitt Romney Inside the Actor’s Studio.

And maybe Susana Martinez won’t be Mitt Romney’s running mate: 'Self-deport?' What the heck does that mean?"

Bob the Cat.