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With about 95 hours to go until the hard deadline for getting legislation passed this week in Albany, the ugliness is mounting and the clarity is not. It’s supposed to be the last week of the session, although Gov. Andrew Cuomo can always make everyone stay after class. More and more of late he does seem to ready to keep them after class, since he's not allowed to cane them. But as it stands, any...

As the end-of-session bargaining churns ever faster in Albany, the editorial board is trying to make sense of negotiations over casinos, LIPA and the Women’s Equality Act. It looks as though the legislature is divided along regional lines over Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s casino plan, which he has yet to put into writing. And lawmakers appear to be moving toward a compromise on LIPA that would reduce...

The situation in Syria has become so serious that the United States needs to take a stronger role in aiding the rebels, the editorial board believes. Our past position, reflecting the sentiment of the majority of Americans, has been to avoid getting involved. But now that President Barack Obama has committed himself to arms, we feel U.S. aid to the rebels could force Syrian President Bashar Assad...

Today’s Supreme Court decision that human genes cannot be patented by companies has history-making implications, the editorial board believes. Genetics is a burgeoning area of medicine, and the court’s ruling says that companies can’t own the knowledge for profit. We’re very pleased with the 9-0 ruling, and we’ll be watching to see how researchers react.

The board is unhappy with Nassau and...

If sunlight is the best disinfectant then why do some New York lawmakers want to shut out its rays?

A bill that would clarify precisely what it means to be a state retiree – those collecting a taxpayer-funded pension – is being block by Republicans in the State Senate (It was approved in the Assembly). This legislation would actually clarify what it means to be a “retiree” versus a “beneficiary.”

Why...

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's ambitious plans to prepare for climate change remind editorial writer Joe Dolman of past grand plans to develop parts of Manhattan. One thing that's critical to see this kind of vision through is the support of the city's influential real estate community. Bloomberg is proposing new coastal protections, zoning codes, developments, telecommunications planning...

The New York State Senate has a not-so-subtle message for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver: Time’s up.

The Senate passed a bill on Monday that would cap at 12 the number of years that a lawmaker could serve in a leadership post in the legislature.

Although there was no mention of Silver in this internal term-limits proposal, Senate members admit it was an obvious dig at the embattled...

The editorial board notes that Texas Gov. Rick Perry is trying to lure New York businesses to Texas, with the claim, among other things, that the tax structure is fairer there. We think Perry is overlooking some great things about New York – but we also believe that our state needs to reduce the cost and complication of doing business here.

We’re concerned about allegations that State Department...

The editorial board had a long debate over the National Security Agency’s systematic surveillance of people’s phone calls and online activity. Editorial writer Joe Dolman argued that surveillance is essential to prevent terrorist attacks. Board member Lane Filler, who is often at odds with Dolman on such issues, said we need to be wary of government intrusion into our privacy.

The board came...

The editorial board is surprised at revelations that the National Security Agency is collecting the phone records of private citizens through Verizon. The Obama administration’s apparent interpretation of the Patriot Act seems too broad a sweep.

Board member Alvin Bessent says he’s somewhat reassured that the NSA sought a warrant and is only looking at phone numbers, not the content of the...