ALBANY -- At this time last week, upstate NY was getting ready for the arrival of President Obama. But the shooting in Tucson quickly changed the President's plans, as well as much of the legislature's focus in Albany.
It was just a week ago that a shooting rampage took place at an event held by Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
The tragedy consumed the news media since then, as well as the thoughts of elected officials… This past Monday, the first day of the Legislative Session in Albany, little was accomplished though members took some time to remember those hurt by the violence in Arizona. Most newspapers marked Monday as a gavel-in, gavel-out day for state lawmakers.
On Tuesday, the Capitol was buzzing with the possible framework for a deal on property taxes contingent on an expansion of rent regulation. But Governor Cuomo nixed the idea almost as soon as it made the blogs.
By Thursday, other than the meeting of the Governor's Medicaid Redesign Task Force, the Capitol was quiet as the Governor and his contingent left Albany to take his message of cost cutting and shared sacrifice on the road. First he traveled to Jamestown in the western part of the state and on Friday he hit Watertown and Westchester.
The legislature returns Tuesday after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
