All Over Albany

Movement at the Capitol, executives said they didn't know why they were paying Bruno, woman charged for not getting treatment for her dog, school district denies Whalen's appeal

There was movement on legislation at the Capitol yesterday -- just not on the deficit reduction plan. The Assembly passed -- and the Senate apparently is about to -- a bill that reforms the hundreds of quasi-independent state authorities (such as the Thruway Authority). Richard Brodsky, the assemblyman behind the bill, says the authorities have been "rogue institutions" that resembled "Soviet-style bureaucracies" and called the the bill "the most fundamental reform of Albany in decades." [TU] [NYT] [NYO] [NYDN]

And in a display that the Capitol can move quickly, the Senate passed and David Paterson signed a bill called "Leandra's Law" yesterday (the Assembly passed it on Tuesday) that makes it a felony drive drunk with a child in the car. The law also requires that anyone convicted of DWI to have an interlock device installed in their car. The new rules have been described as the toughest DWI law in the country. [NYT] [CNN] [CapNews9] [Wikipedia] [CBS News]

Not present for the last two days of the special session: Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr, who says he's been in the Bronx distributing turkeys. [NYO]

Joe Bruno Trial Day 12: Prosecutors focused on hundreds of thousands of dollars in consulting fees that a series of telecommunications companies paid Bruno -- even though executives for those companies apparently didn't know why they were paying the senator. It also came to light that Bruno helped steer $500k in state grants to a Troy firm connected to two longtime friends/associates, one of whom apparently had a deal with the company to get paid stock in return for helping to score the money (he says Bruno's consulting wasn't connected to the money). A former attorney for the state Senate also testified that he had a "CYA" file to keep notes of his dealings with Bruno regarding ethics issues. And Judge Gary Sharpe scold of the day: "Let the record show the witness made a disgusted glance." [NYT] [NYDN] [TU] [Troy Record] [TU] [Fox23]

A Schenectady woman has been charged with animal cruelty after she allegedly neglected to get treatment for her dog's broken leg. The SPCA says the woman told a vet she couldn't afford the $600* for the treatment and would take the dog somewhere else. The org says the vet followed up 11 days later and found that the dog had not yet been treated. (*The $600 estimate is from CBS6 -- Fox23 reports the treatment would have been $1700.) [Daily Gazette $] [CBS6] [TU] [Fox23]

The state comptroller's office says the proposed Troy city budget understates how much the city could have to pay for pension contributions by almost $1 million. The city waiting to see if the legislature will allow cities to spread those payments out over 10 years. [TU] [Troy Record]

Matthew Whalen's appeal to have his suspension for having a pocket knife in his car removed from his record has been denied by the Lansingburgh school district. [Fox23]

The Albany County sheriff's office says it busted a handful of people for running prostitution operations in two massage parlors in Colonie. The sheriff's office says investigators went undercover as customers to gather evidence. [Troy Record] [TU]

Albany police say a teen was stabbed at Clinton and Catherine Tuesday afternoon. [Troy Record]

The APD says they tasered a man early Tuesday after he allegedly pushed a cop off a porch. [Troy Record] [Fox23]

The Saratoga County DA says investigators want to use black light to search the suspect in the July Saratoga Springs kidnappingfor invisible gang tattoos. [Saratogian]

Jerry Jennings is apparently pretty tight with Andrew Cuomo. [NYO]

The DEC says it's completed the cleanup of 7 million tires at a site in Waterford. [TU]

A Troy charter school has gotten the go-ahead to expand. [TU]

The Capitol's holiday tree is coming from a family's yard in Mechanicville. [CapNews9]