Legislature back today, Tonko and Murphy split on health care vote, the weekend in stabbings, police chase half-naked suspect through Watervliet

The legislature is back this week for at least a few days. Today's schedule includes a joint session this afternoon in which David Paterson will speak about the state budget gap (whatever size it may be). A special session is schedule tomorrow to take up measures to address the gap -- and, maybe for the state Senate to vote on the same-sex marriage bill. [Fox23] [TU] [NYDN] [Daily Politics]

The two local House members split on the health care reform vote his past weekend. Paul Tonko voted "yes" -- in a statement he said the bill will provide coverage to 22,000 people in his district. Scott Murphy voted "no" -- in a statement, he said the bill didn't do enough to curb costs. Murphy was one of 39 Democrats to vote against the bill -- and one of three from New York. [TU] [Paul Tonko] [Scott Murphy] [NYT] [Daily Politics]

The Army has called the death of Colonie solider Amy Seyboth Tirador "a non-combat related incident" in Iraq. But her family says the staff sergeant was shot in the back of the head -- though beyond that, they say the military hasn't given them any more details. [Fort Lewis press release] [CBS6] [Fox23]

Week two of the Joe Bruno trial begins today. On a Friday Leonard Fassler, a longtime associate of Bruno, testified that the senator set up meetings with government officials, including then-Governor Pataki, for companies which were paying him consulting fees. Fassler said the consulting fees were paid to Bruno because he helped Fassler become a "better executive." [CBS6] [TU] [Troy Record]

New York State's method for distributing sales tax revenue to counties is a bit of a black box -- and some counties, including Saratoga, say it's time to for the state show more of its math. [Post-Star]

State agencies have been directed to cut costs -- one double-sided printed sheet at a time. [NYO]

The crime of the weekend: stabbing. The Albany Police say two people -- one of them a UAlbany student -- were stabbed at Western and Ontario Saturday night (map). The APD says two bouncers were stabbed at the Envy Lounge on Pearl Street early Saturday. And they say a man was stabbed in the back on Sheridan Ave Sunday morning. [ASP] [Fox23] [TU]

Watervliet police say an 18-year-old slipped their custody* at a police station on Friday, stripped off his yellow jumpsuit and ran off wearing only his boxers. After a three-hour hunt, police say they eventually found him wedged in a drain pipe. Before he bolted, the man had been in city court for a hearing on criminal mischief charges -- and authorities said he was scared to go to jail. (*There are conflicting reports on whether the man had been cuffed -- the TU reported that he was, WNYT reported that he was not.) [TU] [WNYT] [Troy Record] [Troy Record] [WTEN]

It looks like the Fort Orange Club is attempting to move ahead on its plan to demolish two buildings in order to create a parking lot. [TU]

Those bike symbols showing up on the pavement along the side of Washington Ave and other streets in Albany are called "sharrows" -- and don't indicate a bike lane. [TU]

The artist doing the Bruno trial sketches for the TV pool usually paints sailboats and horses. [TU]

Residents of the Town of Nassau in Rensselaer County are setting up a "Sunshine Fund" to provide no-interest loans to townspeople who are in need. [Troy Record]

Luck of the draw? UAlbany grads have done especially well in the last few World Series of Poker. [TU]

Comments

Re: Sharrows: why even bother, Albany, if you're going to do a half-assed job? Drivers will not pay any more attention to cyclists if there is a non-delineated area dedicated to them. The only way to actually protect cyclists to allocate to them a fair share of the road. These sharrows are equivalent to the yellow "shared roadway" signs and will likely be equally ineffective.

Well, michaeltmartin, perhaps the real solution is for the police to start enforcing existing laws. Horns are to be used only for safety. When a cop sees someone lay on the horn behind a bicycle, they should pull him over and write a ticket. ...etc.

All I have to say about the "sharrows" is that I appreciate their jaunty little berets. Maybe if more cyclists wore berets like the little "sharrow" does, this would be a better world.

@B: do I smell a patent for beret-shaped bicycle helmets?

@ micheal - sharrows are nothing new, and yes, they do remind drivers cyclists are allowed to be in the road. in fact they should be. Many drivers seem to treat cyclists like second class citizens, this is dangerous and criminal. Sharrows have been used effectively in Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, and Montreal for years. Now places like Portland, NYC, Baltimore, and more. We could learn a thing or two, and are moving in the right direction

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