Election Day isn’t until Nov. 5, but for the first time, voters in New York will be permitted to head to the polls ahead of time for early voting. READ
Tag: New York State Legislature
A state bill limiting rent increases for tenants in mobile/manufactured home parks has been approved by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. (more…)
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Palpable anxiety filled a room at the Center of Alliance, Solidarity and Accompaniment (CASA) in Riverhead Monday evening as the “Green Light NY” bill came down to a vote on the floor of the New York State Senate. (more…)
Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. argues tax relief should be the top priority for the State Legislature in its final five weeks.
The most important priority the State Legislature needs to concentrate on in its remaining five weeks is to provide real property tax relief, Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor) said Monday. In January, Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed what he called a “Real Property Tax Circuit Breaker Program” that would cap property taxes based on a percentage of household income. (more…)
Southold Town trustee candidate Abigail Field, left, of Cutchogue signs a petition to create the Women’s Equality Party line. The petition was being circulated by a group of fellow Democrats at the King Kullen in Cutchogue Sunday, including Jennifer Maertz of Rocky Point, center, and local committeewoman Lynn Summers of Southold.
Days after lieutenant governor candidate Kathy Hochul announced she and Gov. Andrew Cuomo intend to run on a new Women’s Equality Party line, local Democrats were out collecting signatures to make sure the line gets added to the ballot in time for the November election. (more…)
KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | A commercial fishing boat docked in Greenport.
A saltwater fishing license fee that East End towns successfully fought against after it was enacted in 2009 was officially eliminated as part of the state budget, New York State Senator Ken LaValle announced Tuesday.
The state Legislature repealed the controversial license in 2011 and registration was guaranteed to be free for the next two years.
“For many in our region, fishing is a way of life,” Mr. LaValle said in a statement. “Mandating a license placed a burden on individuals and families who have fished our local waters for generations. I voted against the license law and fee when it was part of the 2009 budget and I’m happy to see the demise of what was essentially a hidden tax.”
The Senate passed a portion of the state budget Sunday, which included a provision to eliminate the saltwater license fee permanently.
The $10 license for anglers age 16 or older was originally implemented by the Department of Environmental Conservation in October 2009.
Previous Coverage: Legislature sinks saltwater fishing license
BARBARAELLEN KOCH FILE PHOTO | Surf fisherman at Iron Pier Beach on the Sound.
The New York State Legislature will repeal a saltwater fishing license enacted in 2009 and successfully fought in court by East End towns.
New York State assemblymen Fred W. Thiele Jr. of Sag Harbor and Dan Losquadro of Shoreham reported Thursday that an agreement had been reached during state budget negotiations to repeal the license and instead establish a registration requirement to meet a federal mandate to track certain species of fish.
According to the budget agreement, the registration will be guaranteed to be free for the next two years, and those who already purchased lifetime licenses will be granted a refund minus the fee for the past year.
To officially repeal the state license, the agreement must be ratified within the 2011-2012 state budget, which is expected to be approved by April 1.
The recreational marine fishing license was established as part of the 2009 state budget, and was set to be implemented by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) on October 1, 2009. The day before enactment, the Town of Shelter Island joined Southampton and East Hampton towns in obtaining a State Supreme Court stay against the enforcement of the law; they later won an injunction.
Southold, Brookhaven, Huntington and Oyster Bay joined the original three towns on the suit, charging that the law establishing the license violated their control of local waters and their residents’ colonial patent rights to fish them. In December 2010, Judge Patrick A. Sweeney ruled in favor of the towns, supporting their patent rights and finding that a federal law requiring a registry of fishing data did not justify a fee-based license. The licenses cost $10 per year for all anglers age 16 or older.
The DEC filed an appeal of the ruling, which is pending in state court, according to Shelter Island Town Attorney Laury Dowd. She said Friday that in light of anticipated legislative action abolishing the license, the DEC commissioner may decide to drop the appeal.
Mr. Thiele supported the East End towns’ legal fight and also attempted to repeal the license during past legislative sessions. “The idea of a saltwater fishing license was ill-conceived from the outset,” He said in a press release. “Not only was it a tax on one of the fundamental rights that Long Island residents have had since colonial times, but it was a burden to the recreational fishing industry at a time when the recession was taking its toll on the local economy.”
“The saltwater-fishing fee targeted the livelihood of Long Island’s sport fishermen and had a negative impact on our region’s tourism industry,” stated Mr. Losquadro. “I am pleased that this regionally biased fee is being terminated and that those individuals who purchased lifetime marine licenses will be refunded.”