The legislature held a special session on Thursday to vote on pay raise for themselves. No other legislation was considered. The bill passed will provide a $32,000 increase for each State Senator and Assemblymember beginning on January 1. New York legislators will now earn $142,000 per year excluding per diem travel reimbursements and the few legislative stipends for leadership positions that remain making them the highest paid state legislators in the nation.

The bill also contains a limit on outside income that a member can earn which will not take effect until 2025. Beginning in 2025, legislators will be limited to $35,000 per year of outside income. Outside income does not include income from serving in the national guard or army reserves, copyright royalties or fees, income from retirement plans, income from investments, income from a trade or business in which a member of their family holds a controlling interest (where the member’s services are not a material factor in the production of income), or compensation for services performed prior to 2025.

Governor Makes Nomination to Court of Appeals

The Governor nominated the Honorable Hector D. LaSalle, Presiding Justice of New York Supreme Court’s Second Department, as the next Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals. As Chief Judge, Judge LaSalle would lead New York’s highest court and oversee the State’s entire judiciary branch. In addition, Governor Hochul announced her strong support for Judge LaSalle’s intention to appoint the Honorable Edwina G. Richardson-Mendelson to serve as Chief Administrative Judge, if he is confirmed by the Senate. The Chief Administrative Judge oversees the day-to-day operation of the statewide court system.

The nomination has garnered opposition from some key labor unions as well as a growing number of progressive legislators.

Judge LaSalle said:

Governor Names Department of Health Acting Commissioner

The Governor has named Dr. James McDonald as acting commissioner to lead the state Department of Health after current Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett steps down at the end of the month. Dr. McDonald will begin his role starting on January 1 and will serve until a permanent replacement can be found after a national search. McDonald is currently medical director of the health department’s Office of Public Health and interim director of the Center for Community Health. McDonald came to the department in July after working for 10 years at the Rhode Island Department of Health, most recently as interim director of the agency.

Dr. James McDonald said:

Governor Announces Stakeholder Advisory Committee for State’s Master Plan for Aging

The Governor announced the stakeholder committee tasked with advising the Master Plan for Aging Council which is developing a guiding document to help ensure older New Yorkers can live healthy, fulfilling lives while aging with dignity and independence. The 28 members named to the Stakeholder Advisory Committee will provide their expertise on age-friendly policies, supports and health services to guide the Master Plan for Aging Council as it develops a comprehensive roadmap for meeting the socioeconomic needs of all generations of New Yorkers as they age.

The committee is tasked with considering feedback and input from peer experts in their respective fields via a series of stakeholder engagement sessions. In addition, the committee will engage in regional listening sessions in the coming months, providing an opportunity for direct input from the public on issues that matter to them as well as proposed solutions.

The Stakeholder Advisory Committee includes:

Jessica Bacher, Pace Land Use Law Center

Stephen Berger, Odyssey Partners

Dr. Jo Ivey Boufford, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, NYU

Dr. Thomas Caprio, Finger Lakes Geriatric Education Center

Ann Marie Cook, LifeSpan of Greater Rochester

Sara Czaja, PhD, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine

Emma DeVito, VillageCare

Ruth Finkelstein, PhD, Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging

Dr. Linda Fried, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health

Doris Green, New York State Caregiving & Respite Coalition

Kathryn Haslanger, Jewish Association Serving the Aging

Linda James, Former Kinship Caregiver

Stuart C. Kaplan, Selfhelp Community Services

Scott LaRue, ArchCare

Stephanie Lederman, American Federation for Aging Research

Lora Lee La France, St. Regis Mohawk Office for the Aging

Raj Mehra, Sage

George Nicholas, African American Health Equity Task Force

Allison Nickerson, LiveOn NY

Karen Nicolson, Center for Elder Law and Justice

Wade Norwood, Common Ground Health

Nora Obrien-Suric, Health Foundation for Western and Central New York

James O’Neal, AARP New York

Dennis Rivera, Former Chairman of Medicaid Re-Design Team

Dan Savitt, VNS Health

Helen Schaub, 1199/SEIU

Timothy Seymour, Herkimer County Dept. of Social Services

Pat Wang, Healthfirst