Author: Luke Parsnow

Next week, I will be turning 25 years old. That’s the minimum age requirement for someone to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. I have no intention of doing that, but I wonder if others who are approaching that milestone age may seriously consider running for office. Several weeks ago tens of thousands of young people across the nation took to the streets in the aftermath of the Parkland, Fla., school shooting to march for what they believe in. It was the real beginning of the nation’s youth taking hold of the political and sociological world that they have grown up in. But it was more than just students expressing…

Congress should advance bipartisan legislation on safeguards for special counsel.

A few weeks ago, Cynthia Nixon was just an actress people knew from the HBO series Sex And the City. Now, she is indirectly transforming the way of New York state politics.

Party leaders aren’t the only ones who get to decide congressional candidates.

If you had any doubt how little Albany changes, look no further than the annual New York state budget. I recently came across an editorial from the Plattsburgh Press-Republican entitled “State budget process still a big secret.” The editorial was published on April 6, 2008. That was 10 years, four legislatures and one governor ago. The editorial noted that “budget talks this year have been more secretive than ever.” Actually, that’s the one thing that has changed since then: They’ve gotten worse. This year, the government grappled with a $168 billion spending plan with a $4.4 billion deficit hanging over their heads, as well as legislation on school funding, early voting, legal rights and…

Gaming facility’s request for financial help another sign state is losing its gamble on casinos.

New York state lawmakers have spent a good portion of the last few months decrying the state’s $4.4 billion deficit. As budget negotiations continue in Albany, they have been scrambling to come up with a spending plan that makes up for that large hole. Here’s one way they can contribute: Give back the money that doesn’t belong to them. In May 2017 the New York Times revealed that four Republicans and three members of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) — all members of the state Senate — had been receiving thousands of dollars in stipends for leadership positions that they…

The Pennsylvania special election is the best evidence yet that House Republicans are in trouble.

Bank deregulation could put us on a path toward another financial crisis down the line.

Cuomo made corruption a centerpiece of his campaign. Eight years later, it has become the centerpiece of his tenure as governor. 

It’s puzzling that there are individuals and businesses who believe that the pristine Finger Lakes region of upstate New York seems like a suitable place for a dumping ground. During the summer of 2014 at the State Capitol Building in Albany, I listened to a group of environmentalists, winery owners and local officials as they pleaded with Gov. Andrew Cuomo to stop a Houston-area company’s proposal to store liquid propane gas in abandoned salt caverns on the shores of Seneca Lake. They argued this plan would significantly increase the risk of an environmental accident, which could pollute or damage the…

In the wake of the deadly shooting Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that took 17 lives, there has been a high demand from students, parents and politicians for establishing new systems that make our nation’s schools safer. Incredibly, one of the best solutions our lawmakers can come up with involves using the very item Nikolas Cruz used to slaughter students and teachers. Governments from all levels, including the Florida state Legislature, have been considering new laws that would allow, or in some cases incentivize, gun-savvy teachers to carry their weapons on school grounds in…

Former New York lawmaker’s request for retrial in another state is a fruitless attempt

The explosion of online retail operations like Amazon has resulted in the closures of clothing, electronics and hardware stores. Not even grocery stores are safe: The upstate New York-based grocery chain Tops Friendly Markets filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, just five days after Bloomberg News reported that the company could be seeking bankruptcy protection in the near future. Tops, which has more than a dozen locations in the immediate Syracuse area and many others scattered across Central New York, has lined up $265 million of financing to help operate during its reorganization process. The 169 Tops stores across New York,…

During his presidential campaign, overhauling infrastructure became one of Donald Trump’s most popular and bipartisan messages. Last week, the president finally released a detailed plan on how to repair the nation’s rapidly aging roads, bridges, airports, railroads and water systems over the next decade. However, the key component of the current proposed solution points back to the core of the problem. The president’s plan would use $200 billion in federal money that would provide leverage for city and state investments in infrastructure spending, with the eventual goal of generating an investment of $1.5 trillion to $1.8 trillion over the next…