Welcome to CivMix Voices, a blog platform to allow for influential newsmakers and everyday people to tell their own stories.
With any community forum, we want to keep the conversations dynamic, yet respectful. Think of our comments and the posts as if you’re having some friends over for dinner and are engaging in a lively, spirited discussion. Treat each other as if you would a guest in your home.
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Assemblymember John T. McDonald III
- We pass many laws in the state Legislature during session; however, some enacted laws have delayed effective dates. Please see below for the new laws that take effect this month. Effective Date Chapter Summary 12/1/2024 Ch. 56 of 2024 Part RR S.8306-C A.8806-C Reduces the tax rate on authorized combative sports matches or exhibits […]
- We pass many laws in the state Legislature during session; however, some enacted laws have delayed effective dates. Please see below for the new laws that take effect this month. Effective Date Chapter Summary 11/1/2024 Ch. 722 of 2023 A.3983 S.4671 Enacts Angelica’s Law: A person may be charged with the crime of first degree […]
- We pass many laws in the state Legislature during session; however, some enacted laws have delayed effective dates. Please see below for the new laws that take effect this month. Effective Date Chapter Summary 9/1/2024 Ch. 357 of 2023 S.1732 A.6091 Establishes student governments in secondary schools. 9/1/2024 Ch. 32 of 2024 §§1 and 2 […]
Assemblymember Patricia Fahy
- Problems surrounding eligibility prioritization, excluded essential workers, limited access to available appointments, and more related to the rollout of New York State’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution program continue to persist. An easily accessible, statewide pre-registration tool available for every New Yorker’s use, would tackle these issues and provide much-needed peace of mind to an increasingly-anxious population. […]
- Under a loitering law passed in 1976, law enforcement officers are allowed to apprehend anyone they suspect of engaging in sex work or prostitution with little evidence. This vague loitering law disproportionately affects women, and in particular, women of color and the LGBTQIA. Women have been arrested simply for walking home, standing alone, or talking […]
Senator Jim Tedisco
- Yesterday’s brazen daylight shooting in Times Square of one of my constituents, U.S. Marine Samuel Poulin, who grew up in the 49th Senate District village of Northville in Fulton County, underscores the revolving door of danger and disaster caused by the Governor and Majority’s deform of New York State’s criminal justice system. Mr. Poulin, […]
- In advance of the busy Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial kick-off of summer, as millions of New Yorkers head outdoors to our state parks, I’m proud to announce the New York State Legislature has given final passage to my bi-partisan law to help save lives by enabling forest and state park rangers to carry […]
- New Legislation Needed to Enable State Park Rangers, Park Police to Carry EpiPens to Help Save LivesAfter the overwhelming isolation New Yorkers have experienced during this pandemic, it’ll be the “Roaring 20s” as they’ll literally and figuratively be “itching” to get out and visit our state parks and recreate. Hikers, campers, swimmers, hunters, and picnickers will be out in force. They’ll be bites and allergic reactions. That’s why […]
- March 25th has tragically become a new “Day of Infamy” in NYS, as one year ago today Governor Cuomo issued an executive order mandating COVID-positive patients be placed into nursing homes. We remember the 15,000 nursing home residents who died and all the lives lost to the virus. We remember that every life lost was […]
- Given all we know about the mindset of Andrew Cuomo and the sickening corruption in his administration that we are learning about on a daily basis, for the Senate and Assembly Majority to give the most dangerous and powerful governor in America a new lease on his power is just mind boggling. Prior to […]
Albany County Legislature Chairman Andrew Joyce
- …close to 10 miles tomorrow in the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) 15k to Fight Hunger. I’ll be beginning in Albany’s Normans Kill neighborhood around 10AM and my route will take me through the heart of the City of Albany, from one end to the other, ending at the Harold L. Joyce Albany County Office […]
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Scott Jarzombek, Former Albany Public Library Executive Director
- I was very excited to see that the Albany County Legislature is asking New York State to consider a possible amendment to the Open Meetings Law (OML), which governs how and where local governments hold meetings, to allow for a hybrid virtual/in-person meeting environment. Before the pandemic, APL was recording and posting our monthly board […]
- I often compare leadership to pitching in baseball. Everyone is born with levels of natural talent. Most people can throw a ball. Some have the natural skill of throwing extremely hard, accurately, and/or being able to manipulate the ball’s path as it travels. Sometimes a pitcher has all three. Many times they need to learn […]
- Have you thought about running for an elected position in the city? Are you interested in developing high-level professional skills? Both are good reasons to run for a library’s board of trustees, just like the one we have at Albany Public Library. Albany’s trustee election is coming up on May 18 — and most importantly […]
- On the anniversary of my father’s passing, I decided to repost this story from 2014 to my Civmix blog. It is interesting to read in retrospect. In all facets of life and work, I believe that you learn more from failure than from success. At Albany Public Library, two wonderful initiatives emerged from the initial […]
- So my first CivMix original post was about the great work libraries across the county, and the state, have accomplished during the pandemic, and I will certainly get back to that subject. However, I need to address a bit of a kerfuffle that happened over the weekend on our social media. I don’t run the […]