3:11
A former Albany County legislator has been appointed to serve on the body once again, until November.
Democrat Richard Touchette was sworn in May 10th to serve the rest of the year in the 37th District.
Touchette, a former Coeymans Town Board member, served on the legislature from 2015 to 2019 before being defeated by Republican George Langdon of Selkirk, who resigned under pressure after making homophobic comments March 27th at an event billed as a Return to Liberty under the Constitution, held at a bible camp in Voorheesville.
Langdon issued an apology afterward, but local lawmakers and LGBTQ advocates rallied in Albany and called on the first-term legislator to step down.
Rick Touchette
A former Albany County Legislator has been appointed to serve on the body once again. Richard Touchette was sworn in Monday night to serve the rest of the year in the 37th District.
It comes after Republican Legislator George Langdon resigned under pressure after making homophobic comments last month. A special election in November will choose a legislator to fill the rest of the term, through 2023.
Touchette, a Democrat, served on the legislature from 2015 to 2019 before being defeated by Langdon. Touchette is a former Coeymans Town Board member.
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Editorial: Mr. Silver, back to prison
Times Union Editorial Board
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Photo illustration by Jeff Boyer / Times Union
Hey, did you hear the one about the guy who dragged out his legal case for years, and when he got to prison said, “Have pity on me, warden, I’m an old man”?
Sheldon Silver, 77, may have been laughing, but the rest of us weren’t when the ex-Assembly speaker was released from prison last week.
He went home on furlough while officials weighed his request to serve the rest of his 6 1/2-year sentence on federal corruption charges in home confinement. He’d been in prison for about eight months.
State says Ravena cement plant can t burn tires
Possibility of tire incineration had been flash point among environmentalists
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The state has said the LaFargeHolcin cement plant in Ravena will not be allowed to burn tires, putting to rest a long-simmering debate.Times Union file photo
RAVENA - The state Department of Environmental Conservation on Wednesday said that the Holcim LaFarge cement plant here will not be allowed to burn tires in its kiln as they don’t have the proper equipment to so.
While it remained unclear as to whether the company would appeal that decision or how intent they were on burning tires, the move for now ends what had been a simmering debate about the fuels used at the large cement plant.
3:27
First-term Republican George Langdon is resigning from the Albany County Legislature after making homophobic comments late last month.
Bowing to mounting pressure, Langdon, of the 37th District, announced he would resign in a statement Monday. Langdon gave a speech on March 27th at an event billed as a Return to Liberty under the Constitution, held at a bible camp.
Albany County Legislative Chair, Democrat Andrew Joyce, was incredulous.
“From the moment I heard these comments, I knew Mr. Langdon was no longer fit to serve in the Albany County Legislature. Regardless of whether or not you are a Democrat or Republican, you are fully accountable to everybody in your district, ward, whatever you want to call it. The people who elected you, whether they voted for you or not, you know, they look to you for leadership and to be represented in the legislative body. And we talk about political gaffes and mistakes and being misunderstood. There was no misunderstanding Mr. Langdon�