The New York Observer » Blair Horner

Cuomo Spokesman on Former Cuomo Aide: ‘Mouthpiece for Trial Lawyers’

Here's an oddly volatile moment between Andrew Cuomo's current spokesman, Josh Vlasto, and NYPRIG's Blair Horner, who, if you'll recall, once worked for Cuomo. At issue is Cuomo's plan to redesign Medicaid, which was crafted with "stakeholders" within the health care field, but not any group representing patients.

SpinCycle [$]:

Blair Horner, legislative director Read More

Court Decision Shouldn’t Affect State Races

While your local Congressional delegation decries the Supreme Court's decision to unbridle corporate campaign spending, Blair Horner--the legislative director for NYPIRG--doesn't think it will have much effect on Albany.

"At the state level, it's sort of the Wild West now anyway," Mr. Horner told me earlier today. Mr. Horner, who hadn't yet read the Read More

Legislators Negotiating New Ethics Bill, Raising Hopes for a ‘Kumbaya Moment’

ALBANY—There might be movement on legislation restructuring the notoriously porous ethics enforcement in Albany.

"My understanding is we're actually looking at a new bill that has elements from all of the different passages that have actually been presented and as I said before I think that is a positive development," said Susan Lerner, the executive Read More

Horner on Paterson’s Yankee Tickets: How Could Anyone Do Something So Dumb?

ALBANY—David Paterson's reported solicitation of World Series tickets from the New York Yankees--first reported this morning by Fred Dicker--was "dumb," according to a long-time ethics watchdog.

"If he really asks for the tickets, it's a clear violation of the ethics law. It's mind-bogglingly inexplicable. Why would the governor do that? It makes no sense," Read More

State Senate Does Nothing on Ethics Reform

ALBANY—The State Senate decided, on ethics reform, that no loaf was better than half.

Members of the chamber failed--along party lines, with Republicans voting against--to pass a bill requiring more enforcement by government watchdogs, prompting Democrats to lay aside another bill passed by the Assembly.

On the chamber floor, Republicans attacked a chapter amendment introduced Read More

Ethics-Minded People Argue Over the Ethics Comission

ALBANY—David Grandeau is delighted that the State Senate is scheduled to take up legislation blowing up the structure of ethics enforcement on Thursday, even as the head of the current Commission on Public Integrity made a public plea for its life.

"The basic pro is that anything that rids the state of New Read More

Kay Stafford Made Nearly $60,000 in ‘Ghost Contributions’ From Late Husband’s Campaign Money

ALBANY—State Senator Ron Stafford has been dead for over four years, but that hasn't stopped his political activities.

Since July 2005, the Committee to Re-Elect Senator Stafford has contributed nearly $60,000 to charities and fellow Republicans including Betty Little, his successor in the North Country-based Senate seat. The committee still has over $50,000 in Read More

Republicans, Too, Claim Judge-Shopping

ALBANY—Facing at least a temporary legal setback, Republicans are blasting a judge who overrode their injunction to prevent Richard Ravitch from exercising the powers of lieutenant governor.

"I think it was deliberate. I think he was judge shopping and he was wrong," said State Senator Marty Golden, a Brooklyn Republican, noting that Judge Read More

Bipartisanship, But How?

ALBANY—While both sides in the fight over state senate leadership wait to hear from a judge, the 31-31 split in the chamber means things will have to get more bipartisan. Right? "It's not in their political D.N.A. to work in a bipartisan fashion," said Blair Horner, the legislative director of NYPIRG and a longtime Capitol Read More

Bipartisanship, But How?

ALBANY—While both sides in the fight over state senate leadership wait to hear from a judge, the 31-31 split in the chamber means things will have to get more bipartisan. Right?

"It's not in their political D.N.A. to work in a bipartisan fashion," said Blair Horner, the legislative director of NYPIRG and a longtime Read More

After the Coup, an Anti-Coup Clause

ALBANY—Blair Horner, the longtime good-government advocate just stopped me in the halls to share this tidbit about the rules just enacted by the Republican "coalition" government. "They require 48-hours notice on any resolution," he said, smiling. "So their own coup wouldn't be possible under the new rules."

After the Coup, an Anti-Coup Clause

ALBANY—Blair Horner, the longtime good-government advocate just stopped me in the halls to share this tidbit about the rules just enacted by the Republican "coalition" government.

"They require 48-hours notice on any resolution," he said, smiling. "So their own coup wouldn't be possible under the new rules."

2008′s Top Lobbyists More or Less the Same as 2007′s

ALBANY—The Commission on Public Integrity released its 2008 Annual Report, which shows, unsurprisingly that the amount of money spent on lobbying--and the number of lobbyists--has gone up again. "There's no surprise here," said Blair Horner, a longtime good-government advocate with NYPIRG. "The number of legislators stays the same but the number of lobbyists continues to Read More

2008′s Top Lobbyists More or Less the Same as 2007′s

ALBANY—The Commission on Public Integrity released its 2008 Annual Report, which shows, unsurprisingly that the amount of money spent on lobbying--and the number of lobbyists--has gone up again.

"There's no surprise here," said Blair Horner, a longtime good-government advocate with NYPIRG. "The number of legislators stays the same but the number of lobbyists continues Read More

Horner: Espada Should Have Known Better

ALBANY—A longtime advocate for good government said there was "no excuse" for Senator-elect Pedro Espada Jr. not to have correctly filed campaign papers.

Espada was just awarded a new prominent title: senate majority leader.

"It's amazing, by all new standards, that someone pole-vaults over members with a lot of seniority to get toward the Read More