To New York legislative leaders and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who recently agreed to a bill that will make all viewing of child pornography online illegal in the state.
This is a welcome response to a May Court of Appeals ruling, which said New York's law was outdated because it required a viewer to download or otherwise directly access child porn for it to be considered possession.
With today's online viewing and streaming capabilities, downloading and physically "possessing" these videos is unnecessary. Because of this loophole, the court decided viewing child porn online did not constitute criminal possession or procurement under state penal law.
The Legislature and Assembly passed the bill last week, and Cuomo said he will sign the legislation into law. The law makes watching child porn a class E felony.
It's good to see our state government keeping up with the times we live in, making New York laws resemble federal laws on child pornography and reflecting the obstacles and challenges of policing a more technologically savvy society.
To Bassett Healthcare Network, for receiving $301.1 million through the HEAL NY grants program.
The $13.7 million included two initiatives under the state's Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law. One of these projects will allow A.O. Fox Memorial to reduce, restructure and modernize its inpatient beds to improve care and increase cost efficiencies.
The other project contributes $5 million to the Cobleskill Primary Care Facility for the construction of a new site on the Cobleskill Regional Hospital campus. This facility will expand primary care options for rural Schoharie County residents.
Increasing access to primary care in our rural areas should be a top concern for health care providers and our elected officials, and an infusion of funds into these programs is a step in the right direction.
To the organizers and participants in the 10th annual Relay For Life of Oneonta, held June 16 and 17 at Fortin Park in the town of Oneonta.
The event _ which features teams walking or running around a track throughout the night _ helps raise awareness of the devastating impact of cancer and funds for finding a cure.
The American Cancer Society makes this event a positive, life-affirming experience for all those involved by honoring cancer survivors, caregivers and those who have lost their battle with the disease.
This year's theme is "A Decade of Gaming for a Cure," which invited teams to decorate their sites with a favorite game in mind. In addition to the overnight walk/run, the Relay included a survivors' lap and a luminaria ceremony to honor survivors and those who have died.
The Oneonta Relay is one of many in our local area, which together raise thousands of dollars to support this worthy cause. We applaud all who participated.
