Tagged: new york

It's a big week for New York State's elementary school students and their teachers, as we hear in this report from WAMC's Dave Lucas…

For three days beginning today, students in grades 3 to 8 will hunker down with No. 2 pencils to take the state standardized tests in English Language Arts.

Next week, they'll tackle standardized math assessments.

Under a new state law, student performance on the tests will now account for as much as 40 percent of annual reviews for certain teachers.

Advocates for New York sex workers are coming to Albany to push for legislation that would ban condoms as evidence in prostitution cases, arguing the law-enforcement tactic is bad for public health. 

A 74-year-old priest is on administrative leave as the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese investigates a sexual abuse claim against him.  WAMC's Tristan O'Neill reports...

The Reverend Jeremiah Nunan was cleared six years ago of allegations that he sexually abused a minor. The Albany Times-Union reports that the diocese announced the new allegations over the weekend.

Nunan is pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Cairo and Our Lady of Knock Mission in East Durham in Greene County.

Governor Cuomo has issued an executive order to create a state health care exchange, required by the federal health care reform law, after the legislature failed to act.

The New York Assembly plans to hold a series of hearings on raising the state's minimum wage to $8.50 an hour next year.

New York's two most-visited state parks are getting two of the biggest shares of the $89 million in additional funding the Legislature has approved to fix up the aging system of 178 parks and 35 historic sites.

A new poll finds New Yorkers have mixed feelings about President Obama’s health care reform act, with a plurality saying they’d like to see the Supreme Court declare parts of the law unconstitutional. 

The state is creating smoke-free areas outdoors at New York state parks and historic sites, including around playgrounds and pools. WAMC's Dave Lucas reports…

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation says Monday the smoke-free zones will be around recreation areas, including beaches and picnic shelters. The agency operates 178 parks and 35 historic sites.

Parks officials say that will protect children and others from the dangers of secondhand smoke and reduce litter from discarded cigarettes.

A new poll finds the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers would like to see the state raise its minimum wage. Governor Cuomo does not rule the proposal out.  Capitol Correspondent Karen DeWitt reports...
 
The Quinnipiac poll found that 78% of those surveyed think the state's minimum wage should be higher than the current $7.25 an hour, with more than half saying it should be increased to over $8.50 cents an hour.