State Relations Update - December 30, 2009

Senator Klein Report - Senator Jeffrey Klein (D-Bronx) recently issued a report criticizing SUNY on its employee overtime expenditures and the need for SUNY to "cut additional costs and save our state millions of dollars".  In addition, the report suggests an examination of the organizational structure of SUNY's 28 individual police departments, a key concern of Council 82.  System Administration staff will be meeting with Sen. Klein to address the issues raised in his report as well as other issues raised by his staff.
Daily News Article
 
New Senate Staff - The Senate Majority Program Staff has recently added some new personnel to it's higher education team:
 Ainsley Thomas - Legislative Analysis
 Nora Niedzielski-Eichner - Senate Fellow

Assembly Roundtable - The Assembly chairs of the Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development, Higher Education and Libraries and Education Technology committees will be conducting a round table on the issue of deaccessioning and legislation addressing this matter -  A.6959-A, which is currently under review by the Assembly.  This event will be in NYC on Thursday, January 14, 2010.

Skorton Report - Earlier this month, Governor Paterson accepted the final report from the Task Force on Diversifying the New York State Economy through Industry-Higher Education Partnerships which was created last May to examine how the State can better utilize its university-based research and development resources to drive economic growth. The Task Force was chaired by David Skorton, President of Cornell University.  SUNY representatives included Trustee Linda S. Sanford, Senior Vice President for Enterprise on Demand Transformation and Information Technology at IBM,  David R. Smith, President of SUNY Upstate Medical University and Edward M. Cupoli, Professor and Head of the NanoEconomics Constellation at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at UAlbany.
 Governor's Press Release
 Assembly Press Release

UUP Lobby Violation Notice - The State Commission on Public Integrity recently announced that it has charged UUP with violating the gift ban contained in the lobbying law when they allegedly held receptions for public officials and provided complimentary food and refreshments in excess of nominal value.  The Public Employee Ethics Reform Act of 2007 significantly changed the law by prohibiting public officials and State officers and employees from accepting gifts of more than nominal value, which the Commission has determined to be no more than the cost of an ordinary cup of coffee. Gifts of $75 or less had been allowed in the past, and receptions such as these often were permissible and common.  No final determination has been reached. However, our office is looking into a more formal opinion as to how these rules are being interpreted and enforced given the fact that we have been informed by the Commission that such events were permitted for the University to host.

2009 Chapter Veto Summary: Click Here

Upcoming Events:
 State of the State - The State of the State will be on Wednesday, January 6, 2010 at 1:00 pm.
 Executive Budget - We expect the release of the Executive Budget on Tuesday, January 19, 2010.