The state opened its new health-care exchange today in hopes of trying to enroll more than 1 million uninsured New Yorkers. The state has a website and hotline to help people enroll, called NY State of Health. The exchanges are open to individuals or small business owners with 50 or fewer employees. The enrollment period runs through March 31. The exchanges start Jan 1st. For more information go to nystateofhealth.ny.gov
——————
The gap between opponents and supporters of hydraulic fracturing has grown to an all-time high in New York, according to a new poll. The Siena College survey shows 45 percent of New York voters do not support allowing high-volume fracking in the state, compared to 37 percent who do. Eighteen percent had no opinion. The gap is even larger upstate, where 52 percent oppose fracking and 34 percent are in favor.
——————
Governor Cuomo signed 43 bills into law late last week, including a measure restricting the custody rights of a person who conceives a child through sexual assault. Under that bill, judges would be required to presume that putting a child in the custody of the attacker is not in the child’s best interest. Previously, the law had only specifically rejected custody to attackers who conceived a child and were convicted of forcible first-degree rape. The new law expands that provision to include a number of different crimes, including second-degree rape and predatory sexual assault, among others.
————————————
The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 13-year-old male from the Town of Lebanon Thursday, after he allegedly made a bomb threat at the Sherburne Earlville School. The 13-year-old male is accused of making a written threat referring to blowing up the school. The unidentified teen was charged with Falsely Reporting an Incident, he was issued a juvenile appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear in the Chenango County Family Court at a later date.
——————————
The New York farm bureau president Dean Norton announced that the federal government shutdown could be disastrous for New York farmers, as the safety net for dairy farmers in the farm bill will put dairies in a vulnerable position if milk prices dive below production costs again. The government shutdown also will leave many of New York’s fruit and vegetable growers without a safety net if there is no movement to secure a responsible farm policy in the next few months. Norton also stated that It won’t just be the state’s farmers who will pay the price of not having a Farm Bill in place, but consumers will have to pay more money to put healthy farm fresh foods on their tables.
—————————-
Governor Cuomo signed a bill allowing roadside markets to sell wine from farm wineries as well as measures to extend or reconfigure a number of wine trails. The wine bill would allow products from up to two nearby farm wineries to be sold at roadside markets. The wineries must be within 20 miles of the farm stand.
——————————–
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s 10th Annual Light The Night Walk will be held tonight at NYSEG Stadium in Binghamton. Registration will begin at 5:00 pm and all festivities will take place around NYSEG Stadium, with a Remembrance Ceremony at 6:00 pm, Opening Ceremonies at 6:15 pm & the Walk Begins at 6:30 pm. Funds raised through donations will support programs of blood cancer research, local patient aid, advocacy, education and community service.
———————————-
This week marks the start of the 2013 Holiday Mail for Heroes program, meaning that Americans who wish to send a holiday card to a service member can easily do so with the help of the American Red Cross. Through December 6th, Americans can express their gratitude and best wishes for the holiday season to those by mailing them to the Red Cross at Holiday Mail for Heroes, P.O. Box 5456, Capitol Heights, and Maryland 20791.