Karen DeWitt

There are three days left in the legislative session, and chances are dimming for a settlement on an abortion rights provision in a women’s equality act, and for reform of campaign financing and other anti-corruption measures.  

With just days to go in the legislative session, Governor Andrew Cuomo has released his long-awaited bill to extend public financing of political campaigns to statewide races.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo faces perhaps his biggest challenge yet as the end of his third legislative session rapidly approaches. His poll numbers are falling, and his agenda is in danger. Reporter Karen DeWitt looks at whether the governor can pull it off.

A top Senate Republican says Governor Cuomo’s abortion rights provision in a women’s equalility bill stands little chance of passage in the chamber.

Governor Cuomo released his long-awaited women's equality bill Tuesday. The bill, which includes an abortion rights provision, is a key part of Cuomo’s agenda, but he said he can’t guarantee the legislature will pass it. 

"The sense is that the session just can't end soon enough. They want to get out of town and not be the subject of all this bad news," New York State Public Radio's statehouse reporter Karen DeWitt says of lawmakers.

Governor Cuomo asked local government leaders from around upstate New York to help him convince the legislature to approve his tax free zone plan.

A key member of the state Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference says the group does not foresee joining with the rest of the Democrats to overcome Republican resistance to a number of end of session issues, including public financing of campaigns.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is calling on Assemblyman Vito Lopez, the subject of a scathing ethics commission report on sexual harassment, to resign from office or be expelled.

A hearing by Senate Republicans on New York City’s public campaign financing system was overshadowed by protests, as government reform groups and other members of the public were denied entry, and noisy protests ensued.

Republicans in the State Senate plan to hold hearings next Tuesday, May 7, on what they say are abuses in New York City’s public campaign finance system. 

A key component of Governor Cuomo's 20-13 agenda appears in jeopardy. The governor said Wednesday he does not have enough votes in the state senate to bring an abortion bill he has championed to the floor.

The state’s Attorney General and Assembly Speaker have proposed an early voting system for New York that they say can improve voter participation and democracy. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman teamed up to press for New York to join 32 other states and allow early voting. 

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has rolled out the second portion of his anti-corruption agenda. 

For the third year in a row, the New York State Legislature passed an on-time budget.

The New York State Senate finished up voting on the state budget in a middle-of-the-night session that ended at 4:30 AM Wednesday. It's part of a long standing Albany tradition of closed door negotiations and overnight voting on budgets and other issues.

The new state budget that lawmakers plan to enact this week contains a tax package that includes both tax breaks and tax increases. The spending plan comes just two months after Governor Cuomo said there would not be any new taxes in the budget.

The New York State Senate held a rare Sunday session at the Capitol, in an attempt to get the state budget finished on time in the midst of major religious holidays.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders agreed to a framework for a new state budget late Wednesday evening, but say they are still working out many of the details.

The governor and legislative leaders are talking about amendments to the state’s new gun control laws. The Assembly Speaker raised the possibility that a ban on 10 bullet magazines might be reversed, but Governor Cuomo said that’s not the case.