NEW YORK STATE: Will Dems sign off on registry idea?

February 4, 2026

Everyone agrees that domestic violence is a scourge on our society. The question before New York state lawmakers this legislative session is whether or not they want to try something new to deal with domestic violence. Two bills (A.9538, S.8932) have been introduced in recent weeks to create a domestic violence registry for repeat offenders. The bills aren’t companion bills, which means there are two completely different proposals floating around the legislature waiting for action. If the bills had been crafted by Democrats one would believe the issue could be ripe for action between ...

DUNKIRK: Control board cost just a panic button

February 3, 2026

State Sen. George Borrello and Assemblyman Andrew Molitor last week renewed the call for a control board in Dunkirk. Though there is a sentiment for the idea from some residents, Democrats have major reservations about the idea. In most cases, they worry about the cost citing the Buffalo Control Board costs $1 million per year. What’s wrong with that? Buffalo’s budget tops $622 million. The cost for that control board is not even 1% of the total city budget. Besides, why are we worried about the potential price tag for a control board in Dunkirk? At present, the city’s budget ...

COUNTY: Affordability plan is discussion point

February 2, 2026

We didn’t expect to see a plan being proposed last week by legislative Democrats to be taken seriously by Republicans in the Chautauqua County Legislature. It’s pretty early to make such commitments, especially in an environment when federal and state funding for programs used by county residents is in flux. But now is just the time for the legislature to be thinking about the proposal from legislators Bob Bankoski and Tom Nelson. Bankoski and Nelson proposed cutting county property taxes by $2 million, increasing the senior citizen partial property tax exemption income limit ...

STATE Expensive budget could get worse

January 31, 2026

It should say something to Democrats in the state Legislature that Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli already has reservations about state spending in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2026-27 budget proposal. The budget increases all funds spending to $260 billion in 2027 while the state’s operating budget increases to $157.6 billion. Stronger performance on Wall Street is driving higher tax revenue that pays for increased spending on programs Hochul is proposing. Hochul said the budget also replaces $10.3 in federal funding – including $3 billion in recurring federal funding – that has been cut ...

Justice: One county family receives closure

January 29, 2026

The family of Kala Hodgkin will receive some semblance of justice with Michael Burham’s guilty plea to a charge of first-degree murder. Hodgkin accused Burham of forcibly raping her two months before her death and was shot dead in her home by him after he was charged but before he was arrested. Burham will be sentenced March 2 and is expected to receive a prison sentence of 25 years to life. Burham is currently serving time behind bars in the kidnapping of an elderly Pennsylvania couple. The plea brings to a close one of the more shocking Jamestown crimes in recent history. Burham ...

New York State: Talking on the high electric rates

January 28, 2026

Gov. Kathy Hochul has heard the pleas from state residents who want something to be done to decrease the cost of living in the Empire State. Helping lower state residents’ home heating and power bills while, at the same time, making sure the supply of power is plentiful, is a good place to start. So we’re encouraged to hear Hochul is advancing a new initiative, the Nuclear Reliability Backbone, directing state agencies to establish a clear pathway for additional advanced nuclear generation to support grid reliability. The Nuclear Reliability Backbone will be developed by a new ...