andrea stewart-cousins

Senate Democrats are optimistic about their chances for winning a special election in April to replace convicted ex-Senate Leader Dean Skelos.

The leader of the New York state Senate Democrats says she agrees with Governor Andrew Cuomo that a special session on ethics reform wouldn’t be productive right now, despite the recent convictions of two former top members of the Senate.

Pressure is mounting to include New York State Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the only female legislative leader, in the closed door budget meetings with Governor Andrew Cuomo that now consist of four men in a room.

  The top Democrat in the Senate says the state's $5 billion windfall from financial settlements should pay for housing, transportation and school upgrades and tax rebates for low-paid workers. Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins announced the plan Thursday.

Democrats in the New York State Senate are pushing for some reforms that directly address problems that led to the arrest and resignation of the Assembly Speaker. They want to virtually ban all outside income for lawmakers.

The proposals come two and a half weeks after the Democratic Assembly Speaker, Sheldon Silver was arrested on corruption charges, and one week after he resigned as speaker.

Silver is charged with subverting his employment at two private law firms to gain nearly $6 million dollars in kickbacks and bribes.

There are growing calls in Albany for a special prosecutor to investigate police encounters with unarmed citizens that end in the death of the person.  Senate Democrats are the latest to ask for immediate action in the wake of the death of Eric Garner and other recent incidents.

Supporters are making a final push to pass paid family leave legislation in New York state as state lawmakers enter their final weeks of work.

The bill passed the state Assembly in March. Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins joined advocates of the measure Monday to call on her colleagues to pass the bill before adjourning June 19th. 

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says any end to the Democratic schism in the state Senate isn't going to happen until next year.

The Senate is now controlled by a coalition of Republicans and a faction of independent Democrats who left their party’s main conference.

Cuomo’s vowed to return Senate control to the Democrats, he’ll heal the split –or- work to defeat Republicans and independent Democrats in the fall election.

The leader of the New York State Senate Democrats says if Governor Andrew Cuomo is successful in helping retake the chamber for Democrats in the fall elections, she expects the Senate to be much more functional than it was the last time the Democrats were in power.

The fallout from Governor Cuomo’s new alliance with the progressive Working Families Party continues at the Capitol, with those who say they represent upstate interests dismayed at the development.

New York State Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins says she’s talked to Governor Andrew Cuomo about his pledge to help Democrats retake the State Senate.

New York Democrats pressing for bills to reform the state’s campaign finance system, say the US Attorney’s investigations into a panel controlled by Governor Andrew Cuomo might help spur action on their measures.

Host Alan Chartock is joined by is New York State Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, a Yonkers Democrat who is the new Leader of the Democratic Conference. Leader Stewart-Cousins, who has served in the Senate since 2007, is the first woman to head a legislative conference in Albany. They discuss the Senate’s unusual configuration, the minimum wage, and mandate relief.