Capitol Bureau

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed an expansion to his Extreme Risk Protection Order bill that would give teachers the power to go to court to prevent a student’s access to guns.

Cuomo said the measure gives that power to teachers and school administrators who believe a student might use guns to be a danger to themselves or others.

“If a teacher believes there is a troubled student who might be dangerous, that teacher has the legal authority to go to a judge directly,” Cuomo said.

Democratic candidate for governor and actor Cynthia Nixon came to the Capitol to talk about the need for more education aid and what she says are Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s failings in that policy area. Meanwhile, Cuomo’s campaign said it’s Nixon who is being inconsistent.

Nixon spoke before the Small City School Districts association, a group that’s suing the state to obey a 2007 court order that said billions more need to be spent on the state’s schools.

The New York State Senate is experiencing its worst gridlock in nine years, with the two major factions tied at 31 members each. No legislation is moving through the chamber, but there’s lots of finger-pointing.

Tempers flared on the Senate floor as Democrat Michael Gianaris blamed the GOP for the stalemate.

“They don’t have the votes to pass a single thing in this chamber,” Gianaris shouted.

After two days of infighting, Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan was frustrated.

“We saw the Democrats paying shameless games with people’s lives,” he said.

The New York legislative session is due to end in three weeks, but some state lawmakers are talking about leaving a week early because they believe they will accomplish so little in that time. 

Political gridlock in the state Senate and worsening relations between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and majority-party Senate Republicans have led some lawmakers to say that perhaps they should end the session early.

But Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said his Democratic members are staying until at least June 20, the scheduled end of the session.

Democrats and Republicans, meeting this week at their state conventions, made their choices to fill the open seat for state attorney general after the resignation of Eric Schneiderman over a domestic violence scandal.

Democrats chose New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, who said she’ll continue Schneiderman’s work pursuing cases to protect immigrants, consumer rights and women’s rights against threats by the federal government.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo called in Democratic Party stalwarts Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden to endorse him as he received the overwhelming support of delegates Thursday at the state Democratic Convention on Long Island.

In his speech, Cuomo listed his accomplishments, saying his efforts to pass marriage equality, raise the minimum wage and enact gun control should be a model for the nation.

Republicans meeting at the state convention in New York City nominated Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro as their candidate for governor Wednesday and offered a scathing critique of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is seeking a third term in office.

Molinaro presented himself as a person who overcame the odds. He grew up in a family that relied on food stamps, became mayor of his hometown of Tivoli at 19, and now runs one of the state’s more populous counties.

The Democrats and the Republicans are holding their events simultaneously, on May 23 and 24, with the Republicans in New York City and the Democrats in Long Island.

On Wednesday, the Republican Party is expected to nominate Marc Molinaro as its candidate for governor. Molinaro, the 42-year-old Dutchess County executive, has been in politics since he was a teenager, becoming the mayor of his hometown of Tivoli when he was 19.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said he still needs to consult with the other legislative leaders before he can set a date to vote on a replacement for former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to serve out the remainder of the term, which ends Dec. 31.

Heastie was noncommittal about when the Legislature will appoint a successor to Schneiderman.

“When we come back on Tuesday, we’ll talk to the members and see what they want to do,” Heastie said.