New York State
Opinion
What New York can learn from Mexico about marijuana legalization
New York could learn a lot from the history of recreational marijuana legalization in Mexico; legalization advocates should make the affirmative case for legal access to marijuana and how that will enhance the lives of New Yorkers, writes journalist Lindsay Beyerstein.
New York City
Opinion
Keep the SHSAT and give black and Latino students a fair chance at passing
Instead of eliminating the SHSAT, New York City must commit to, and invest in, identifying high-potential black and Latino students at a younger age, and then nurture them and prepare them for the rigors of the test, writes Assemblywoman Latrice Walker.
New York State
Opinion
Yonkers overturns term limits – and the voters’ will
Yonkers power brokers extended the voter-ratified two-term mayoral limit to three terms via hurriedly called a Council vote. It’s just the latest example of Yonkers being “the City of Hills where nothing is on the level,” writes former radio host for WVOX-1460 AM Phil Reisman.
New York City
Opinion
How to hold cops legally accountable for killings
Three straightforward steps can start to change the lack of legal accountability for police officers who kill people, writes Alvin Bragg, a former chief deputy attorney general in New York.
New York State
Opinion
New York will get Trump’s tax returns
Last week, the state Senate passed a bill that would allow Congress to access President Donald Trump’s state tax returns, and New York state is much more likely than congressional Democrats to beat Trump in court, writes law professor Scott Lemieux.
New York City
Opinion
A better plan for black and Hispanic NYC high school students
The focus on the small number of students attending New York City’s specialized high schools is diverting attention from policies that could benefit the rest of the city’s students, writes Manhattan Institute education expert Ray Domanico.
New York City
Opinion
Banning fur is bad for New York
The City Council’s proposed ban on the sale of fur throughout the five boroughs should give pause to anyone who cares about jobs and being able to choose what they want to purchase, writes Karen Giberson, president of the Accessories Council.
New York City
Opinion
Fashion is thriving without fur
It's time to safeguard all the other animals from such gratuitous violence by supporting City Council Speaker Corey Johnson's bill to ban fur sales in New York City, writes Tim Gunn of “Project Runway.”
New York State
Opinion
Fix New York state’s overtime and pension abuses
New York taxpayers can’t afford to keep paying padded pensions, but there is a solution: Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick submitted legislation to prohibit overtime payments from being factored into a retiree’s pension calculations, writes former Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy.
Opinion
New York City’s Rent Guidelines Board should freeze rents
Too many rent-stabilized tenants are struggling, especially with stagnant wages, so this year the New York City Rent Guidelines Board should freeze rents in rent-stabilized apartments, write City Councilman Antonio Reynoso and state Senator Zellnor Myrie.
New York State
Opinion
New York should limit solitary confinement
Decades of evidence have shown that solitary confinement causes suffering and psychological and physical damage, increasing recidivism rates. The HALT Act would limit its use in New York and provide more humane and effective alternatives, writes state Sen. Luis Sepúlveda.
Bill de Blasio
Opinion
Why Bill de Blasio wouldn’t make a good president
De Blasio’s record as mayor doesn’t have a policy theme: It’s just a mishmash of half-executed ideas that add up to a city little different from before he got here, which would undermine his case for the presidency, writes Nicole Gelinas.
New York City
Opinion
De Blasio should run for president
The press mocks the idea of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio running for president, but de Blasio’s impressive record of real achievements for working-class New Yorkers means he should run, writes former Obama campaign staffer Kate Albright-Hanna.
Energy & Environment
Opinion
'Beneficial electrification' doesn’t benefit consumers or environment
To address Con Ed’s moratorium on new natural gas hookups in Westchester, the PSC wants to reduce demand with energy efficiency and electrification of heating, but the latter will increase costs and climate pollution, writes Manhattan Institute economist Jonathan Lesser.
New York City
Opinion
Pass permanent authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund
Congress should help all current and future victims of 9/11 once and for all by passing permanent authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act, write New York City Councilman Justin Brannan and Policeman's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch.
New York State
Opinion
State Legislature should act to protect New Yorkers’ data privacy
New Yorkers currently have no effective control over who has their personal information after it is originally shared, so the state should pass comprehensive privacy legislation, writes Fordham Law School’s Center on Law and Information Policy Andrea Flink.
MTA
Opinion
Don’t block subway automation
The New York state Senate is reviewing a bill that would prohibit the practice of one-person train operations on the subway, but the bill's supposed justification, which is safety, is based on falsehoods, writes transit expert Alon Levy.
New York State
Opinion
To end mass incarceration, New York needs a fully staffed parole board
While New York state law allows for up to 19 commissioners on a parole board, there are currently only 12 seated commissioners. These seven vacancies leave the board in a state of crisis, writes New York state Senator Luis Sepulveda.
New York City
Opinion