Commission Discusses Raising Judicial Pay

(NEW YORK) -- The Special Commission on Judicial Compensation met for the first time Monday in Manhattan to discuss the first possible raise for state judges in more than a dozen years.

The commission's meeting comes after reports surfaced that nearly one in 10 judges leaves the high bench each year, citing low salary as the reason for their departure.

Currently state Supreme Court justices have the 46th lowest salary in the country, with each making about $136,700. At one point, the judicial salaries in the Empire State were the highest in the nation.

The commission has until August 28 to make a decide whether or not to raise the state's judicial salaries.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

State Judge Dismisses Ground Zero Islamic Center Suit

(NEW YORK) -- A New York State judge dismissed a lawsuit against the proposed Islamic cultural center near the World Trade Center.

State Supreme Court Justice Paul Feinman threw out the case, issued by ex-firefighter Timothy Brown, on Friday, according to The New York Times.

The lawsuit may be the final obstacle preventing the Cordoba Mosque complex from being constructed.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Sen. Schumer Wants Online Drug Companies Shut Down

(NEW YORK) -- U.S. Senator Charles Schumer called on the U.S. Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Agency to shut down online websites which illegally sell prescription drugs.

Schumer, D-NY, argued that most sites do not require customers to present prescriptions from doctors for the drugs. Schumer blamed the increase in the abuse of prescription drugs on the growth of websites selling drugs. He also asked credit card companies to block transactions by the online sites.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Gillibrand Looks to Help Recent Veterans

(New York) -- U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is calling for better care for recent veterans.

With many veterans unemployed, Gillibrand is pushing for legislation providing more jobs and job training to former soldiers.

More than 20 percent of veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq are currently unemployed, according to the Department of Labor.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Port Authority Looks to Expand Region's Airports

(NEW YORK) -- The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is reviewing proposals on how to improve and expand regional airports to accommodate increased flight travel.

The Regional Plan Association conducted a two-year study on the area’s airports, releasing a report in January that recommended the expansion or reconfiguration of John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International airports. Current airport capacity and flight delays are costing the region economically, according to the report, which cited statistics showing the number of air passengers will likely increase from about 104 million in 2010 to 150 million in the 2030s.

The Federal Aviation Administration will contribute to the cost of the Port Authority study, which also included another busy hub, LaGuardia International Airport in Queens, New York.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio