NY’s Unemployment Rate Stays at 8.5 Percent in April

(ALBANY, N.Y.) -- No change was seen from March to April in New York State's unemployment rate, the New York Department of Labor announced Thursday.

The Empire State’s unemployment stayed at 8.5 percent in April—slightly above the national average at 8.1 percent.

Though the unemployment rate remains unchanged, the state won back all the private sector jobs it lost during the recession, according to reports.

"The state's private sector job count now stands at 7,319,600—an all-time high," Department of Labor officials said in a statement.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Schumer Proposes Tax on People Who Renounce Citizenship to Avoid Taxes

(NEW YORK) -- Sen. Schumer is asking for a 30 percent capital gains tax on people like Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin unless they can prove they didn't renounce their U.S. citizenship to avoid paying taxes, Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

Saverin is estimated to save at least $67 million in income taxes by giving up his citizenship, according to Bloomberg data. The 30-year old billionaire who helped found Facebook Inc., was born in Brazil and became a U.S. citizen in 1998. He said in a statement on Thursday that his decision to give up his citizenship was based on his choice to reside and work in Singapore, where he has lived for the past three years.

Under Schumer's proposal, the Internal Revenue Service would impose a 30 percent capital gains tax on future investment gains of wealthy individuals who abandon their citizenship to avoid taxes, and would also ban them from re-entering the country, according to Bloomberg.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

State Moves to Increase Food Stamp Recipients

(ALBANY, N.Y.) -- The application process for food stamps in New York State is about to get simpler, as Governor Andrew Cuomo has pledged to increase participation in the food stamp program.

In an announcement Thursday, Cuomo stated his intention to simplify the application process by removing barriers to participation and eliminating stigmas associated with the program. Among the changes coming, is an end to the finger-imaging requirement for all food stamp applicants and recipients.

Officials say over 1.4 million New Yorkers who are eligible for food stamps don't receive them, leaving over $1 billion in federal funds unclaimed every year.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Gov. Cuomo Seeks to End Corruption in NYRA

(SYRACUSE, N.Y.) -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo is seeking to end the corruption in the New York Racing Association, the New York Daily News reports.

“The NYRA investigation is an ongoing investigation and we’ll let it run its course,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday in Syracuse. “But there is no doubt that NYRA is a long-troubled agency.”

NYRA fired president and CEO Charles Hayward on May 4 as well as chief counsel Patrick Kehoe after the association allegedly knowingly overcharged bettors an extra percentage point on certain wagers.

As the probe into the investigation continues, new appointments at the NYRA—including the naming of Ellen McClain as the association’s new president on Monday—have been met with opposition from the New York State Racing and Wagering Board chairman, among others.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

State Senate Passes Bill to Protect Disabled Citizens

(ALBANY, N.Y.) -- The New York state Senate has passed a bill that will protect mentally ill and developmentally disabled people in the state, according to a report in The New York Times.

The new law will also create a brand-new state agency, the Justice Center for the Protection of People With Special Needs.  The Center will be able to work with district attorneys across the state to help prosecute people who abuse the mentally disabled.

One major concern advocates of the legislature have is the possibility of local law enforcement losing control over abuse cases now that the state will have more power.  Advocates have blamed the state in the past for not adequately monitoring lapses in care, according to the report.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Cuomo Hails Contributions by Ed Malloy

(ALBANY, N.Y.) -- Following news of the passing of former head of the New York City and New York State Building and Construction Trades councils, Edward Malloy, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a statement Wednesday hailing the contributions made by Malloy over the years.

"Today we mourn the passing of Ed Malloy, who for decades stood up for the working men and women of New York and helped build the state into the great place it is today," Cuomo said in a statement.

"Ed pioneered the Project Pathways agreement and Edward J. Malloy Initiative for Construction Skills that changed the face of the construction industry and opened the door for more than a thousand young, diverse New Yorkers to launch successful careers in the building trades. He was an early partner in forging the public-private partnerships that have helped pave the way toward building a new Tappan Zee Bridge," Cuomo went on to say.

Malloy died on Tuesday. He was 77.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

NY Sen. Gillibrand Asks Congress to Prevent College Loan Hikes

(ALBANY, N.Y.) -- New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand called on Congress on Tuesday to prevent hikes on college loans.

The New York Daily News reports that about 420,000 college students in New York State would be forced to pay more than $340 million extra in interest if Stafford loan rates double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent, according to a recently released report by the Center for American Progress.

“We could have prevented this from doubling,” Gillibrand said on Tuesday. “When we price our young people out of higher education, we all pay the price. We rob ourselves of a future engineer or biologist or teacher.”

City and state university students in New York could also face additional hikes on top of the federal loan threat after tuition increases.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Binghamton Relay for Life Moving to BCC

(BINGHAMTON, N.Y.) -- The annual Binghamton Relay for Life is moving from MacArthur Elementary School to Broome Community College this year, according to the Press Sun & Bulletin.

The American Cancer Society had to look for a new location after floods affected the site at MacArthur in September.  About 3,000 walkers will use BCC's soccer field for this year's event, which takes place on June 15 at 6:00 p.m. 

Around $200,000 was raised at last year's Binghamton Relay for Life.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Over $50 Million in Fraudulent Unemployment Benefits Recovered

(ALBANY, N.Y.) -- Over $50 million in fraudulent unemployment insurance payments have been recovered in New York State.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that $51.2 million in fraudulently-collected unemployment insurance benefits have been recovered from more than 50,000 individuals. The recovery of the funds was done through the Treasury Offset Program, which intercepts federal tax refunds to cover delinquent debts.

The money has been returned to the the state's Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and will be used to pay benefits to unemployed New Yorkers.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Celebrities Rally in Albany to Support Anti-Fracking Movement

(ALBANY, N.Y.) -- Proponents of the anti-fracking movement in New York state will have some star-studded support Tuesday as celebrities pour into Albany to draw attention to environmental issues related to shale gas development, according to published reports.

Actors Mark Ruffalo and Melissa Leo, alongside Natalie Merchant, John Sebastian, Joan Osborne and a host of other performers will rally at a concert at The Egg, a performing arts center located in the state Capitol complex. The concert, which will be recorded by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney, will follow a day of rallies designed to encourage Gov. Andrew Cuomo to ban hydraulic fracturing for gas in the Marcellus Shale region of southern New York.

Shale gas fracking has not been allowed in New York since the state conducted an environmental review four years ago. The nearly complete review will go before Cuomo’s administration for officials to decide sometime this year whether or not to issue drilling permits.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio