State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R - Schenectady) reported the New York State Senate recently passed a bill to prevent students from cheating by prohibiting the sale or purchase of dissertations, term papers, and similar academic documents online. The legislation (S2405) would prevent academic fraud by discouraging Internet-based services from selling educational papers to students.

Most academic institutions have plagiarism policies in place whereby students who engage in such activity are punished. However, currently there is no New York State law that deters online entities from offering educational papers for sale.

Editorial Column By Senator Patrick M. Gallivan Published By The Bee Newspapers Thursday, April 25th, 2013.

The events of Dec. 14, 2012, in Newtown, Conn., will always be remembered as among our nation’s darkest days. It was every mother’s, father’s, brother’s and sister’s worst nightmare come to life. Each and every American still mourns for those 20 children, their six teachers and the entire Newtown community.

It’s unfortunate it took this long, but Newtown sparked a dialogue beyond what had previously emerged in the aftermath of similar tragedies. It seemed that this country was finally on the precipice of having a national conversation about societal violence, mental health and public safety.

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I - Schenectady) reported the New York State Senate recently passed a package of six bills that celebrate Earth Day by promoting the use of renewable energy, reducing harmful pollutants, and protecting sharks and other vulnerable species.

New York State is experiencing a lag in the development of solar and energy storage segments of the energy sector. Senate bill S.2522 would help attract and retain these growing industries by providing a clear incentive for businesses to make capital investments in solar and energy storage manufacturing and development by providing tax credits. It would create new jobs, increase economic investment, reduce harmful emissions, and help New York meet its goals for renewable energy development.