With the record-long government shutdown in its second month, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro says his county is feeling the effect. WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne spoke with Molinaro about those impacts, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s state of the state address and whether he’ll seek another term as county executive.
New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo delivered his state of the state and budget address January 15. The New York Republican State Committee released the official GOP response, saying it was the first time the organization issued such a retort. Molinaro, the party’s 2018 gubernatorial candidate, delivered it.
In his response, Molinaro called on Governor Cuomo and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, a fellow New York Democrat, to convene a summit of elected officials, business leaders, innovators, educators and community organizations to create a plan to revive the upstate economy. Speaking with WAMC on January 16, Molinaro continued to respond to Cuomo’s address.
The New York State Association of Counties, for one, is concerned about counties shouldering the cost of such reforms as early voting. While the Association supports the practice of early voting, the organization says it could cost counties statewide more than $20 million. Governor Cuomo, speaking on WAMC’s Roundtable with Alan Chartock the day after his state of the state, addressed the concerns.
Molinaro, a former state assemblyman, says he did read Cuomo’s comments from that Roundtable appearance.
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro is set to deliver his state of the county address February 27 at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.
