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Today, Senator Krueger received the following letter from Ed Koch for her continued commitment to nonpartisan, independent redistricting:

Dear Liz,

Thank you for following up on your campaign pledge and committing to support nonpartisan, independent redistricting for the 2012 elections, by signing on as a co-sponsor of S2543 (Gianaris) and/or S660 (Valesky).

On March 1, in Albany, I began announcing the names of those who had honored their redistricting pledge by doing so, and today I wrote to all those who still have not, informing them that I will begin announcing the names of those who have reneged, and declare them “Enemies of Reform”.

Please be assured that, since you are already a co-sponsor of S2543 and/or S660, you will not be among those included.

The budget has been passed, and we believe the priority at this time is redistricting reform. My hope is that with your continued help, we will successfully create a more functional government for you to work in and serve the communities you represent.

All the best.

Sincerely,
Ed Koch

Last night, Senator Liz Krueger joined NY1’s Inside City Hall to discuss and debate the current New York State budget agreement.

Click here to watch the segment.

By Laura Nahmias

Alas, the brief harmony that descended on Albany following Sunday afternoon’s budget agreement was to be short-lived.

Hours after the joint conference committee hearing put a cap on the budget agreement, Senate Republicans sprang a surprise rules change on their Democratic colleagues by giving themselves more representation on two vital committees: Rules and Finance.

The changes, which were approved late Monday night with all Republican members and three Independent Democratic Conference members voting “yes,” would give the majority the ability to move bills from the Finance Committee to the Senate floor without having to go through the Rules Committee first. The changes would also allow a committee to sub in members an hour prior to meetings if any member were absent that day.

Full Article.

By Senator Liz Krueger

Albany and City Hall are engaged in a high-stakes game of chicken, and thousands of homeless families are trapped in the middle.

Every spring, as we debate the tough choices that inevitably must be made to balance our budget, we hear from thousands of New Yorkers, non-profits and mayors — from cities big and small — who warn of the consequences of cutting the State programs they rely on.

Often, they are right. My colleagues and I have fought hard to restore cuts to schools, healthcare and services for the disabled, the elderly and other vulnerable groups…

Full Article.

Liz Krueger is the new ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee. She joined Liz Benjamin to discuss the progress being made toward reaching a budget deal – possibly ahead of schedule and how rent control could cause Democrats to vote against any budget, if the issue is not included.

“In the wake of the natural disasters that have devastated Japan and have unleashed a nuclear threat upon a reeling population, we must heed the warning of these catastrophic events and close the Indian Point nuclear facility. While I applaud the quick and decisive action taken by Governor Cuomo and Lieutenant Governor Duffy to address concerns over Indian Point with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), I’m afraid that any action short of closing this facility is simply not enough…”

Full Statement