The Peru Gazette

Albany, Feb. 18, 2026 – New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton today announced DEC is holding academies for its newest classes of Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) and Forest Rangers. The six-month training academies will prepare up to 50 of DEC’s newest recruits for careers protecting New York State’s natural […]

$9.7 million for Fireman’s Field Apartments in Town of Ticonderoga, Essex County – Construction of a 60-unit affordable and supportive mixed-use project. Albany, NYS News Release of Feb. 17, 2026 – Governor Kathy Hochul today announced more than $240 million in tax credits and subsidies was awarded to create and preserve 1,800 affordable, modern homes […]

77,000 Fewer Undergrad Students Receiving Help Compared to 2008 A new report from State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli finds that New York’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), the state’s primary need-based grant program for college students, has not kept pace with inflation or rising tuition costs since the 2008-09 academic year (AY) and that undergraduate TAP […]

Governor Commits $1 billion in City Fiscal Year 26 and $510 Million in City Fiscal Year 27, Including $510 Million in Recurring Funding  NYS News Release of Feb. 16, 2026 – Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani today announced New York State will allocate an additional $1.5 billion in operating expenses over two years […]

Albany, News Release Feb. 11, 2026 – Governor Kathy Hochul today highlighted her proposals to bring down costs of auto insurance rates and tackle fraudulent claims across New York State. The Governor is taking common-sense steps to battle fraud, limit damages paid out to bad actors and ensure that consumers, not insurance companies, are prioritized. […]

Plattsburgh, NY, News Release of Feb. 10, 2026 – New York State Assemblymember Michael S. Cashman today announced his appointment to two additional New York State Assembly standing committees, the Small Business Committee and the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Committee. The Small Business Committee focuses on the small-business aspects of economic development, working to develop […]

Click here for the NCPR story 

Governor Hochul states that the bill’s guardrails will ensure integrity of patient decision and preparedness of medical institutions, February 6, 2026 – Governor Hochul today signed legislation S.138/A.136 that will allow medical aid in dying to be available to terminally ill New Yorkers with less than six months to live. This historic bill signing comes […]

Child Care Council Ex. Director: “There aren’t enough providers to meet today’s needs, let alone if it were expanded to more families. He said the physical infrastructure doesn’t even exist yet.” Click here for the NCPR story 

Albany, Dan Stec News Release of Feb. 4, 2026 – Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) today joined his state Senate Republican colleagues in introducing a package of bills that would provide immediate, substantive tax relief to all New Yorkers. Chief among these bills is Senate bill S.9110, which would institute the largest tax cut in state […]

Will this week’s budget hearing provide insight into the state’s plan to salvage its safety net? Click here for the New York Focus story 

A years long staffing crisis at state-run facilities has taken its toll on incarcerated kids and the workers who watch over them. Click here for the New York Focus story 

Click here for the New York Focus story 

Governor’s $150 Million Investment Begins Multi-Year Modernization of Museum Governor Kathy Hochul and Commissioner of Education Betty A. Rosa today announced the launch of Phase One of the transformation of the New York State Museum. Made possible by Governor Hochul’s historic $150 million investment in the Museum’s future, the initial rollout includes major new exhibits, […]

Up to $20 Million in Capital Funding Also Available to Increase Inpatient Capacity at Community-Based Hospitals Statewide NYS News Release of Jan. 29, 2026 – Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the availability of funding to expand comprehensive psychiatric emergency programs and to increase inpatient capacity statewide. The state Office of Mental Health has made available $23 […]

Historic Expansion Increases Maximum Empire State Child Credit up to $1,000 Per Qualifying Child Under Age Four NYS News Release of Jan. 26, 2026 – Governor Kathy Hochul today reminded New Yorkers to take advantage of the State’s recently expanded child tax credit, also known as the Empire State Child Credit (ESCC), a refundable credit […]

SENATOR STEC ON EXECUTIVE BUDGET: HOW DOES A $260 BILLION BUDGET MAKE NEW YORK MORE AFFORDABLE? Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) today gave the following statement following Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget proposal: “Governor Hochul started the year by announcing that affordability would be the defining term of her agenda this year. With this year’s Executive Budget […]

Click here for the Syracuse.com story 

State regulators ignored FBI evidence of horse drug purchases for years. That was a “huge failing,” a key assemblymember said. Click here for the New York Focus story 

State tax receipts totaled $85.8 billion through three quarters of the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2025-26, $2.3 billion higher than estimates released in the Division of Budget’s (DOB) Mid-Year Update to the Enacted Budget Financial Plan. On a year-over-year basis, collections were $5.9 billion higher than those through December 2024, according to the monthly State […]

A legislative column by Senator Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury)              In her 2026 State of the State agenda, Governor Hochul presented the following language:             “…today, several former correctional facilities – Camp Gabriels, Moriah Shock and Mount McGregor – sit dormant. These crumbling sites are more than just eyesores; they are environmental hazards and lost opportunities […]

State legislators found Gov. Hochul’s State of the State lacking in support for North Country communities Click here for the Adirondack Almanac story 

Click here for Senator Stec’s Video 

Click here for the New York Now story 

Click here for the New York Focus story