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Legislative push for medical marijuana in New York State

ALBANY - Wanda Hernandez has been living with HIV/AIDS for over a decade. 

She says she's tired of feeling like a criminal for using marijuana to battle the effects of her illness.

"Because of my HIV medication, I have constant battles of nausea and I have trouble holding down the food that I need to maintain myself and stay healthy but when I can use marijuana, it helps me settle my stomach and I feel comfortable," Hernandez said at a news conference in the Legislative Office Building.

Committee chairs in both the Assembly and the State Senate are pushing for a law that would allow doctors to prescribe marijuana.

The patient would be required to register with the Department of Health and under most circumstances purchase the pot from a hospital or pharmacy.  

Cuomo wants salary cap for state-funded non-profits

Governor Cuomo wants to cap salaries for directors of state-funded not-for-profits and for-profit groups.

Under it, executives would be limited to a top salary of $199,000

The proposed regulations cover providers that receive more than half a million dollars in state support every year and receive at least thirty percent of their annual funding from the state.

NY Legislature to move primary from Sept. 11

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York's legislative leaders have agreed to move the Sept. 11 political primary in remembrance of the deaths and rescues in the 2001 terrorist attacks.
    
Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Republican Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos say an agreement has been struck to move the primary to Sept. 13.
    
Skelos says Tuesday it's tempting to hold the primary as scheduled in defiance of terrorism but he's honoring a request by New York City firefighters and police officers.
    
The Senate passed the measure Tuesday. The Assembly is expected to follow suit within days.
    
The 2001 attacks came on a primary day, which was suspended.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

 

Sergeant with Schenectady Police Department pleads guilty to DWI

SELKIRK - A sergeant with the Schenectady Police Department lost his license after pleading guilty to DWI.

William Fennell was arrested in November after rear ending another car in Selkirk. At the time, police said he refused a breathalyzer test.

According to the police commissioner’s office, part of his sentence orders he must pay a $900 fine and must use an interlock device for a year.

He loses his license for six months and because he can't drive, Fennell is now on unpaid administrative leave.

Voters go to polls to decide school budgets

Voters are going the polls and speaking out about their school budgets. The polls opened Tuesday morning, and they close at various times Tuesday night, depending on the district.

Voters are deciding the fate of the proposed 2012-2013 budgets.

This year, many school budgets are calling for deep cuts in spending, programs and staff.

Protesters gathered in Averill Park Monday afternoon. It was a last minute push to get Averill Park's budget passed.

The proposed budget would slash 30 jobs, cut programs, increase class size, and it includes a 3. 95 percent tax levy increase but some residents say a contingency budget would be much worse.

Budget cuts are also on the line in Bethlehem. That district is proposing to cut 57 jobs and raise the tax levy by 3.99 percent.

Dr. Thomas Mather talks tick awareness

Have you been finding a lot of ticks on your pets, or even yourself this year? Experts say there's been a tremendous amount of tick activity.

Dr. Thomas Mather is the director of 'The Vector-Borne Disease at the University Of Rhode Island.

Mather is trying to raise tick awareness.

Schenectady officials promise to get tough on deadbeat taxpayers

SCHENECTADY -- If you're behind on your property taxes in the city of Schenectady, get ready to pay up or the city may kick you out.

"It will put pressure on people to pay up or we're going to move through and convert those properties," Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy said.

The city plans to get tough this year on deadbeat taxpayers as city officials try to bring their budget back to financial health. An audit by Cusack And Company out of Latham, revealed a $4.8 million deficit in 2011. And for the past two years, the city's been using its savings account to plug the holes.

"Yes we could still come up short in 20-12," McCarthy said. "But my goal is to bring that up so we're close to breaking even."