New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says the state’s pension fund has “successfully weathered” another economic storm. He reports returns are the highest since global market meltdown of 2008. Note- edit cut for time
Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says despite another volatile year in the markets, the pension fund for the hundreds of thousands of state worker retirees performed at a rate of 5.96%. The total fund is valued at $150.3 billion dollars, the highest since before the Great Recession.
Earth Day came and went in New York without too much discussion of what many environmentalists believe to be the biggest issue facing the state- when and where the gas drilling process known as hydrofracking will occur.
New York’s Presidential primary is Tuesday, but the initial excitement over the vote vanished when Rick Santorum dropped out earlier this month. State GOP leaders say they are looking ahead to the general election instead.
New Yorkers are not used to their legislature being so productive. After all, the Brennan Center for Justice once famously called New York home to the most dysfunctional legislature in the United States. After coming off a successful 2011 session that featured the passage of a property tax cap, ethics reform and same sex marriage, though, public opinion is starting to slowly turnaround. Recently, the longtime Assembly Speaker endorsed a pay raise for lawmakers. He tells us this weekend on 'New York NOW' that the main reason for the turnaround is that New York has a governor 'who recognizes that the legislature is a partner in government.' Watch for the full interview this weekend where the Speaker sits down with us to talk about this and his recent proposal to raise the minimum wage in the state to $8.50.
