All Over Albany

Budget voting expected today, controversial items could be left out of spending plan, reporter arrested at Capitol, voter registration rising for area teens

Budget
State lawmakers are optimistic that budget voting could begin today, allowing them to approve the spending plan before the April 1 deadline and before the Passover/Easter session break. But several controversial policy issues may be left off the negotiating table, including early voting, tuition aid for undocumented immigrants, and a law that would make it easer for victims of child abuse to sue abusers. [WNYT][TU]

Effort to unseat IDC members
An effort is underway focused on unseating members of the Independent Democratic Conference.[NYT]

Cuomo on bailing out casino
In response to questions abou the struggling Del Lago casino, which is having trouble competing with the Seneca Indian Nation casinos, Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that he has no interest in bailing out private businesses. [TU]

Cuomo aides arrested reporter
Veteran Daily News reporter Ken Lovett was detained by State Police on Wednesday after a disagreement with a sergeant at arms over the use of a cell phone in the Senate Lobby. Lovett was released after the Senate decided not to press charges, but not before Andrew Cuomo came down to the holding area, announcing he was "the court appointed lawyer for Ken Lovett," and saying that freedom of the press is alive and well in New York. The situation was made even stranger when a woman being held by police jumped out behind the governor and started shouting about an unrelated matter. [TU][Politico][Daily News]

Schneiderman looking at NXIVM
The arrest of Keith Raniere earlier this week has Eric Schneiderman's office investigating an "ethical science foundation" that is one of the groups run by NXIVM.[Spectrum]

Organic waste
Albany and Saratoga counties will share a $45 million organic waste facility that officials say is expected to reduce the need to dump or burn tons of rotted food waste. [Saratogian]

Inmate charge with murder plot
Saratoga County Sheriff's deputies say an inmate in the County Jail is facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder for allegedly trying to plan the murder of a witness in his pending rape and robbery case. [TU]

State IT workers blocked from website
Workers at the state Office of Information Technology Services have been blocked on state computers from accessing a website that is critical of the agency's leadership. [TU]

Removing abortion from the penal code
Chris Churchill on the current plan to remove abortion from New York's penal code, and how that could affect cases where a woman is abused or killed, and her unborn child dies -- something already difficult to prosecute. [TU]

Schenectady seeks to sue opioid manufacturers
Schenectady's City Council voted unanimously this week to enter into a future lawsuit against companies that make opioids.[Spectrum]

Student voter registration increasing
Student voter registration is on the rise in the Capital Region. [Gazette]

No fare hike for CDTA
CDTA adopted an $86.1 million budget on Wednesday with no fare increases.[Gazette]

Niskayuna school budget boosts taxes
Niskayuna's proposed school budget, which goes before voters in May, would add 17 new positions and boost taxes by 2.64 percent. [Gazette]

Crash ruled pedestrian error
The car accident that claimed the life of an elderly pedestrian in Jonesville in Clifton Park earlier this week has been ruled a pedestrian error. [Gazette]

Bald eagle
New York State DEC officials rescued a sick bald eagle on Wednesday from a backyard in Rensselaer County. [TU]

Stuff going on today

Swan Lake on stage
Thursday: The Moscow Festival Ballet will be at Proctors for a performance of Swan Lake. "A company of 50 dancers, direct from Moscow, performs the tale of a beautiful woman doomed to be a swan in this opulent production set to Tchaikovsky's glorious score." Thursday 8 pm -- $20 and up

Race and power
Thursday: Villanova sociologist Glenn Bracey will be at Skidmore for a talk about racial integration. "Not only is racial integration rare in practice; Dr. Bracey argues our theoretical understanding of what constitutes 'integration' is misguided. Drawing on ethnographic research in predominantly white institutions, Bracey explores how experiential and metaphysical segregation is sustained even when people of color enter formerly all-white organizations. Ultimately, Dr. Bracey goes beyond tackling questions about why integration has proven so difficult; he urges us to be far bolder in our pursuit of racial justice." Thursday 7 pm, Palamountain Hall -- free

Poetry
Thursday: Albany Poets has an event at The Low Beat -- Getting Down to Brass Tacks -- "an evening of poetry, spoken word, and stories featuring the first team from Albany to ever compete at the National Poetry Slam." Thursday 7 pm

Music

Thursday: The McKrells at Caffe Lena
Celtic. 7 pm -- $20