Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins

In New York state government news, the gender mix of Albany's often-criticized "three men in a room" method for reaching spending and legislative agreements has been shaken up.

In New York government news, an increasingly diverse state Legislature is back in Albany for its 2019 session, the first in the state's history with African-Americans holding the top leadership posts in both the Senate and the Assembly.

State Senate Democrats are calling on the chamber's Republican majority to meet New York's progressive stance in combatting climate change.