All Over Albany

Proposed legislative districts released to criticism and veto threat, brokers indicted on charges of stealing millions, idea for bank robbery allegedly started as joke, that's not a real diamond

The state task force in charge of drawing new legislative districts for the state released its proposed maps for the state Senate and Assembly. The lines immediately drew criticism. Said a spokesman for Andrew Cuomo: "At first glance, these lines are simply unacceptable and would be vetoed by the governor." And NYPIRG called the proposed districts for the state Senate "clearly the most gerrymandered lines in recent New York history." Said the League of Women Voters: "This was a partisan process, has been for decades, and it produced extraordinarily partisan lines where incumbents continue to have the upper hand ... they are designer districts done by partisans who want to select voters before voters get to select them." Said Jack McEneny, who served on the task force, when asked if he though the proposals are non-partisan: "No. I think it was done by people who are very much in politics and know exactly where they're drawing the lines." [LATFOR] [TU] [NYT] [AP/Troy Record] [State of Politics]

As proposed, the districts would cause a significant shake-up in the Capital Region. A new state Senate district -- NY Senate 46 -- would include large parts of Albany County (currently represented by Neil Breslin) and counties to the south and west. There's been speculation this district was created for current Assemblyman George Amedore, who said yesterday when asked whether he would run for the seat: "I've got a lot to think about." Other big changes: the Senate district that includes Roy McDonald would lose a large part of Troy. And in the Assembly, Jim Tedisco would no longer represent Saratoga Springs. [LATFOR] [Daily Gazette] [Troy Record] [Saratogian]

Said George Mott III following a jury finding him not guilty of being involved with the 1994 death Rosemary Crosier, about the fact members of his family testified against him: "[T]he story my mother gave was the worst. It killed me." Mott also says that if he had been sent to prison, "I wouldn't drag my wife through that so I would have to tell my wife she has to go on her way, we would have to split up." Mott and his family were confronted by a group of men at their home following his acquittal, and one was arrested. A Troy police report said there's "no reason to believe this is connected to the Mott trial." [Fox23] [TU] [Troy Record]

Albany investment brokers Timothy McGinn and David Smith have been indicted by the feds on allegations they took millions from investor accounts and used it for their own expenses. The attorney for one of them men argues they weren't skimming money from accounts, but rather the losses were the result of the economy tanking. [TU] [Daily Gazette]

The federal government has issued restraining order to the stop the Double Happyness busline from operating after it allegedly continued to do so following orders to shut down because of safety violations. Yesterday in Albany, buses were still showing up at the stops that have been served by Double Happyness. Though it's not clear which company is operating the buses. [CBS6] [TU] [WNYT]

Andrew Cuomo says he has no position on the proposed downtown Albany convention center. Albany County is facing the renewal of a hotel tax that helps fund the authority that oversees the project -- and helps pay the debt on the TU Center. [TU] [TU]

The city of Albany is looking to get Occupy Albany to recoup some of the city's legal costs for the fight over the removal of the group from Academy Park. [TU]

A towing company and handful of property owners have filed a lawsuit challenging Albany County's "predatory towing" law. [TU]

Kathy Sheehan's not the only one making noises about a potential run for Albany mayor.

State Police say the McDonald's at the Guilderland Thruway service area was held up at gunpoint early this morning. [TU]

The young couple accused of robbing two banks in the Capital Region -- and another in New Hampshire -- allegedly said the idea of knocking over the banks had started as a joke because they were broke. [Daily Gazette]

The parents' group opposing the Shen school district's sex ed curriculum is pushing for more focus on abstinence. [Daily Gazette]

The state health commissioner says there's no evidence to connect the odd cluster of a condition diagnoses as "mass hysteria" near Rochester and two teens who have exhibited similar symptoms in Saratoga County. [WNYT]

Skidmore has moved 50 employees out of an office building because of concerns the building could be causing health problems. The school expects the building to offline for months while an industrial hygienist assesses the problem. An anonymous employee says the concerns were about possible links to respiratory problems and cancer. [Skidmore News] [Skidmore Unofficial] [Saratogian] [WTEN]

Samaritan Hospital is considering changing its police that restricts babies born at home from being admitted to the hospital newborn nursery. [TU]

Airfares at ALB continue to go up, up, up. [TU]

Farther afield: Gloversville police two people stole an $8000 loose diamond from a jewelry store by switching it for a cubic zirconia. The jewelry store says it only noticed after it tried to show the gem to another customer. [YNN] [CBS6]

A dairy in Brunswick now gets 95 percent of its power from solar. [Fox23]

Yesterday was Anthony Wayne Day in Niskayuna. It was probably a bit less exciting than having part of Antarctica named for him. [TU]