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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.  

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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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

 

Applications available for DEC Environmental Education Summer Camps

Applications available for DEC Environmental Education Summer Camps

The application is now posted online for the Department of Environmental Conservation Environmental Education Summer Camps.

The DEC Environmental Education Camps offer campers experiences in sportsman education, games, lessons, hands-on activities, swimming, hiking, canoeing and other outdoor activities. Through these activities, campers will learn about forests, water quality, nature and more.

There are four different camps kids can attend, Camp Colby, Camp DeBruce, Camp Rushford and Camp Pack Forest. Campers will participate in discovery groups and will complete six lessons. These lessons include group dynamics, explorations of different habitats and human impacts on the environment.  Science, problem solving, games, journal keeping and wildlife activities are also part of what campers will experience.

Camp starts on July 1, 2012 and goes until August 18, 2012. Campers can attend multiple times during the seven, week-long sessions.

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Voters approve BCSD 2012-13 budget

Voters approve BCSD 2012-13 budget

The Bethlehem Central School District proposed 2012-13 budget has passed with approximately 63 percent of the vote. That’s taking into account preliminary numbers.

The votes were 4,035 for and 2,405 against. Based on preliminary numbers, the bus proposition also passed with about 51 percent approval. The votes were 3,244 for and 3,115 against.

According to the district’s website, the $88,203,000 budget carries a tax levy increase of 3.99 percent. That exceeds the district’s “maximum allowable tax levy” of 2.94 percent under the state’s new Tax Levy Limit legislation. Spending in the budget increases 1.5 percent over the current year’s budget.

“We are greatly appreciative to the voters of Bethlehem for recognizing that a BC education is one worth investing in,” said Superintendent Dr. Thomas Douglas on the district’s website. “These were difficult decisions made during this budget process, and we thank the community for their support.”

Voters in five area school districts reject their school budgets

Voters in five school districts in the Capital Region rejected their school budgets.

Fonda-Fultonville, Oppenheim-Ephratah, Stillwater, Cobleskill and Germantown's budgets were voted down.

NewsChannel 13 still doesn’t the results from a number of school districts, but an overwhelming majority of budgets passed Tuesday night.

NewsChannel 13 also just learned that voters in Amsterdam said yes to override a new tax levy formula set forth by the state.

Bethlehem and Ballston Spa residents also voted for the measure. Click here for more information on the budget.

DEC Five Rivers Environmental Fair to take place May 17

DEC Five Rivers Environmental Fair to take place May 17

The DEC Five Rivers Environmental Fair will take place Thursday, May 17 at the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center.

The public is invited to join DEC staff and school children from selected area elementary schools around the region. They will visit different DEC exhibits to learn about environmental stewardship.

Five Rivers Environmental Education Center is located at 56 Game Farm Road in Delmar and the event will take place at 12:30 p.m.

Click here to see more information.