State Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson is going to raise money by having freshman Democratic colleagues make fun of him at an April 11 fundraiser in Albany, according to two sources.
The format, as I understand it, will be lawmakers getting on stage and acting as stand-up comedians. The theme will, of course, be political jokes, Read More
Despite objections from Bloomberg, the Democrats' leader in the State Senate, John Sampson, sides with Cuomo:
"We need a fair and objective evaluation system that takes into account the needs of children, parents, and educators. Governor Cuomo’s legislation on teacher seniority meets that goal, and is consistent with the development of evaluation standards required by Read More
State legislators from across the aisle and both ends of the statehouse are responding to Andrew Cuomo's proposed plans for independent redistricting legislation and their reactions should surprise no one: enthusiastic cheers from those in the minority, and wait-and-see from those who have the power to redraw the lines.
Democratic Leader John L. Sampson has released Read More
State Senate Democrats unveiled a comprehensive ethics package today and called on it to pass quickly in order to reinsure voters that an election season promise is being honored.
Minority leader John Sampson said that the Democrats' six-part bill that will cover a variety of ethically-dubious areas including client disclosure requirements, proper use of campaign Read More
New York City's Off-Track Betting Parlors are slated to close by midnight tonight after the New York state Senate failed to approve a bailout package this afternoon.
The vote fell three short of passage after Republicans held firm in opposition and not enough Democrats showed up at the chamber to vote.
Democratic Senate Majority Leader John Read More
Senate Democrats stood behind Majority Leader John Sampson's unwillingness to pledge to bring gay marriage up for a vote in 2011 in a series of interviews today.
Many State Senate Dems gathered on the steps of City Hall for a press conference on hydro-fracking and they agreed with Sampson that it may make Read More
New York State Senate Democratic leader John Sampson will be brunching with the Stonewall Democratic Club at Junior's Cheesecake on Saturday. The meeting comes as a re-energized LGBT community has grown increasingly disenchanted with the Senate majority and several anti-marriage equality state Senators are facing primaries from challengers backed by gay rights groups.
Earlier this week, Read More
Facing increasing criticism for selecting a politically-connected bidder to develop slot machines at the Aqueduct race track, Governor Paterson released a statement Thursday afternoon stressing that legislative leaders had agreed on the choice.
The statement appeared to be a riposte at Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who Friday stated a list of conditions (and sent a letter Read More
Addressing the press after a long lunch that saw 41 of Brooklyn's political leaders turn out to meet potential Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr., Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez sounded like a man who had already made up his mind.
"If you want to know how I feel about him, I would find it personally, Read More
On the first day of his third term, Michael Bloomberg traveled the city doing volunteer work. In Long Island City, he told reporters, "You think it's a busy day. This is a normal mayor's day, actually."
ALBANY—State Senator Eric Schneiderman will kick off the start of the legislative session with a fund-raiser at the house of Meredith Kane, his law school classmate.
The event will take place on January 7, the day after David Paterson delivers his State of the State address. Democratic Senate Leader John Sampson is also launching Read More
ALBANY—John Sampson thinks, not unreasonably, that the State Senate needs a new look.
"We need to come out of the box in January and start to really pass some progressive and positive legislation because people have one characterization of us," Sampson, the leader of the chamber's Democratic conference, told reporters during an informal chat in Read More
ALBANY—The day after David Paterson gives his State of the State address, Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson will be in Manhattan for "cocktails and conversation" at a $5,000-a-head event.
That's a pretty high dollar figure; for context, David Paterson and Andrew Cuomo each asked for $1,000 a head at their December events and Read More
There were 1,000 people in attendance at Andrew Cuomo's birthday fund-raiser last night--even David Paterson, a prospective political adversary, dropped in--mingling with the attorney general and enjoying a dinner of cucumber salad, beef and vegetables.
Like David Paterson's holiday fund-raiser last week, the stalwarts of Albany's lobbying community showed up--Paul Tokasz, Brian Meara, Read More
ALBANY—Dean Skelos, the Republican leader in the State Senate, is putting the brakes on a Democratic proposal to give members of his conference committee chairmanships.
"Senator [John] Sampson's proposal to appoint new chairs should be considered along with these other recommendations, by the bipartisan committee, before any action is taken," Skelos said in a Read More
