COVID-19 Restrictions Add to Budget Secrecy PUBLISHED 5:15 AM ET Apr. 01, 2021 PUBLISHED 5:15 AM EDT Apr. 01, 2021
SHARE
Budget negotiations in Albany are always shrouded in secrecy.
The Senate majority leader and Assembly speaker would usually be meeting behind closed doors with the governor, only to pop out briefly to conference with members on new developments.
This process coined the term “three men in a room” and until Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins became the first woman to lead the State Senate, this was mostly true. It was behind these closed doors that three of the the most powerful leaders in the state would meet to hash out spending and policy details that would steer New York’s future.
New York State s Burn Ban Has Begun PUBLISHED 9:00 PM ET Mar. 16, 2021 PUBLISHED 9:00 PM EDT Mar. 16, 2021
SHARE
What You Need To Know
Spring weather brings an increased risk of wildfires
The ban lasts through May 14
Violators may be fined $500 for a first offense
New York first enacted strict restrictions on open burning in 2009 to help prevent wildfires and reduce air pollution. The regulations allow residential brush fires in towns with fewer than 20,000 residents during most of the year, but prohibit such burning in spring when most wildfires occur.
Campfires using charcoal or untreated wood are allowed, but people should never leave these fires unattended and must extinguish them.