Opinion

[I] recently participated in an Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee hearing discussing New York’s rapid transition to full electrification of the economy as a way to influence climate change.  As the ranking minority member of the committee and an avid outdoorsman, [I am] keenly aware of environmental concerns over the cost of carbon. New taxes on gasoline, diesel, […]

It would be fair to say that for a good bit of our history, Americans paid scant attention to redistricting. The redrawing of congressional and legislative lines every 10 years, sparked by population shifts captured by the Census, tended to pass unnoticed. Unless, of course, it involved some particularly outrageous instance of gerrymandering. For line-drawers, especially in

New York’s local businesses are the driving force behind the State’s fiscal well-being, and the goods and services they supply are irreplaceable in our daily lives. To maintain the health of local economies, we must continue to support the small businesses within our communities. One way we can accomplish that is by [shopping at small, local retailers

The rise of China is the most formidable challenge that American foreign policy faces. With its population of nearly 1.5 billion people and its rapid growth, China has transformed itself into an economic and political powerhouse. We face other challenges, of course. Among them, terrorism, a turbulent Middle East, a nuclear-armed and unpredictable North Korea, climate change,

The Nov. 8 announcement by the New York Department of Corrections that six correctional facilities will be closed is more evidence that Gov. Kathy Hochul is campaigning rather than governing. Closing prisons is an idea that might appeal to liberal voters in a primary, but it’s of no benefit to upstate communities and represents yet another step

It’s a cliché to say that everything is connected. But we live in a world where this is clearly true. Ideas, goods, services, workers, tourists, commerce, communications, drugs, crime, migrants, refugees, weapons, climate impacts, and, of course, viruses — they all cross borders constantly.  This is one reason I have come to believe that drawing a distinction

Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed two new laws increasing protections for tenants in New York state. There continues to be a lot of talk in Albany about protecting tenants. Certainly, no one wants to see tenants who are genuinely struggling lose their homes.  But there is little talk in Albany about protecting small mom-and-pop property owners

Twenty years ago, the United States was intently focused on terrorism. The 9/11 attacks had killed 3,000 Americans and profoundly shaken our national sense of safety and security. President George W. Bush declared we were fighting a “war on terror” and vowed we would defeat terrorist organizations. Since then, we have taken important steps to keep our

One need only to take a trip to your local grocery store or gas station to see the impact rampant inflation is having on struggling New Yorkers. Gas prices have surged more than 42 percent and hit a seven-year high, while energy prices, food, clothing, paper products, and housekeeping supplies have all seen notable jumps

OSHA lacks authority to issue its rule This Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule [imposing the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate on U.S. businesses employing more than 100 workers] far exceeds the boundaries of executive authority. President Biden has made the decision to render our constitutional guardrails completely irrelevant. It is truly the point of