The Albany Update

Two weeks. That’s how many weeks are left in the 2022 regular legislative session. Two weeks. Legislators are a lot like procrastinating college students. Don’t expect them to finish the term paper until the night before it’s due. Similarly, New Yorkers can expect a frantic flurry of legislative activity before the Legislature leaves Albany on or around June 2.

Many of the issues circling the legislative drain revolve around securing and expanding unfettered abortion access in the Empire State. Gov. Kathy Hochul, New York’s abortion extremist cheerleader-in-chief, is leading the Planned Parenthood parade.

However, those aren’t the only topics of discussion in the Capitol. There are also efforts to prohibit discrimination based upon a person’s citizenship or immigration status.

It’s another full week. Let’s get started.

The recent leak of a draft opinion in the Supreme Court case that could overturn Roe v. Wade is bringing out the worst in pro-abortion activists. We’ll tell you what is going on and how those of us in the pro-life community must prepare, not flinch in the face of stiff opposition.

Then, we’re not out of the state legislative session yet. We’ll tell you about a few pieces of legislation and where they might be headed. One would mandate LGBT training for home health aides and the other is a status update on a proposed COVID vaccine mandate for students.

Finally, Tuesday is Election Day for school board candidates and district budget votes. It’s our next best opportunity to change the trajectory of public education. Let’s get out and vote!

It’s another full week. So, let’s get started.

There was a leak at the Supreme Court last week. It was a draft opinion of a much-anticipated decision that could overturn Roe v. Wade. It’s only a draft, not a final decision, but it is raising hope in the pro-life community and consternation among the pro-abortion crowd.

We almost hate to put our hopes so high, but if Roe is overturned, the next question is what that means for New York and the rest of the nation. What would a post-Roe America look like? What can we anticipate in the Empire State?

Next, Lee Zeldin, a Republican candidate for governor of New York, recently held a virtual form with New York State Right to Life. That conversation has led the Democratic Party to label Lee as “dangerous”. Who would be more dangerous for the unborn, though—Rep. Lee Zeldin’s pro-life perspective or Gov. Kathy Hochul’s abortion expansion agenda?

Finally, Gov. Hochul’s replacement pick for the indicted former Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin is in. She’s going with Rep. Antonio Delgado. We’ll tell you more about him.

It’s another full week. So, let’s get started.

Planet Albany’s political world was rocked when news broke that the Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court, had rejected the Democrat-drawn congressional and Senate maps. It’s causing chaos in the final weeks of the legislative session.

We did say that we’re in the final weeks of the legislative session, though. There are a few things to talk about, such as the latest campaign to legalize assisted suicide, an effort to pass a state “Equality Amendment” that would enshrine abortion and LGBT rights into our state Constitution, and three new, very bad and no good abortion bills.

Finally, we’ll look at a win for religious liberty and commonsense in the case of a Christian college professor who refused to lie by utilizing a student’s preferred gender pronouns.

It’s another full week. So, let’s get started.

Thank you for joining this week’s edition of the Albany Update.

A Suffolk County legislator has taken issue with the prayers offered at public meetings and is now proposing censorship of those prayers.

Next, we’ll look at the new State Budget, particularly how it impacts matters pertaining to the LGBT community and explain how pro-life members of the State Assembly sought to pushback against a pro-abortion agenda within the state’s fiscal plan.

Then, looking at a federal issue, President Joe Biden is rolling back a Trump-era rule that was intended to protect medical professionals from participating in procedures they morally oppose. Should pro-life doctors have to perform abortions? Must surgeons perform mastectomies on girls that choose to identify as male?

It’s another full week. So, let’s get started.

Thank you for joining this week’s edition of the Albany Update.

Last week, a bombshell dropped. Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin was arrested and later in the same day resigned. Now, political junkies are trying to figure out whether his name can be removed from the ballot or if it will remain alongside Governor Kathy Hochul’s.

As big as that story was, it wasn’t the only news of the week, though. It was nine days after the deadline, but the Governor and the Legislature finally finished the state’s $220 Billion budget.

Third, in what seems like old news already, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. She likely won’t be seated until the fall after Justice Breyer’s retirement.

Finally in today’s program, there was a recent special election in the 20th Assembly District. Many are saying that this may well be a bellwether for where the suburbs will break in this November’s General Election. If so, it’s a very good sign for Republican candidates.

Let’s get started.

Thank you for joining this week’s edition of the Albany Update.

Last week, a bill of great concern to pro-life pregnancy centers across the state passed the State Assembly. The battle to block this bad bill shifts to the State Senate.

Then, as New York begins to rollout its marijuana market, there are deliberate efforts to destigmatize its use. New Yorkers should be advised that despite its legality, there are still dangers associated with recreational cannabis.

Third, activists, intent on legalizing prostitution, haven’t stopped. They’ve been consistently chipping away at prostitution prohibitions. The latest comes in a legislative effort to decriminalize illicit massage parlors.

Finally, the Biden Administration recently released some downright scary publications that endanger children struggling with their gender identity.

Let’s get started.

Thank you for joining this week’s edition of the Albany Update.

In an anticipated move, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law protections for parental rights, but New York is working to undermine them. Some legislators want to mandate LGBT-oriented sex ed in public schools. If approved, the propaganda would bring discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity into kindergarten classrooms.

As if that weren’t enough, some of these same Democratic politicians are advocating for an abortion access fund that would establish New York as an abortion tourism state should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade later this year.

Regarding end-of-life concerns, Oregon removed its residency requirement for assisted suicide. The move means pro-suicide activists could be taking their campaign to even more states.

Finally, there is some small progress in the fight against human trafficking. We’ll tell you more about these developments.

Let’s get started.

Thank you for joining this week’s edition of the Albany Update.

Multiple news reports last week indicated that the transgender deception is spreading throughout America, but the good news is that we’re also witnessing resistance to the lies and a stand for what we know to be biologically and biblically true.

Then, the New York State Court of Appeals, in a narrow decision, found fantasy sport betting constitutional. Dissenters however, see the decision as another case of judicial activism.

Following that, we were physically present in the State Capitol this week after it was recently reopened to the public. While there, we picked up some intel about another abortion bill that may be on the move in the coming days.

Considering the community that our organization represents, you can imagine our surprise when Governor Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo, a former governor, both demonstrated support from members of the clergy. The Left certainly has organized within certain segments of the faith community.

Finally, those on Long Island will want to listen up. There’s a special election in a portion of Nassau County that you’ll want to be aware of and engaged in leading up to April 7.

Let’s get started.

Thank you for joining this week’s edition of the Albany Update.

Today, we’ll begin by looking at the 2022 race for governor of New York.

Then, we’ll discuss a new report from State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli that indicates the state intentionally concealed the number of COVID nursing home deaths during the pandemic.

Turning to matters of state legislation, mobile sports gambling operators are already looking for a tax break.

Finally, we'll look at an effort to push the transgender agenda into local and state correctional facilities.

Let’s get started.