John J. Flanagan's News items

By David Lombardo - Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The state Senate is fast-tracking at least eight education funding bills that were vetoed in September by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The bills all involve school districts that have been stripped of state aid because of minor errors. The bills include the restoration of $3.8 million to the Schenectady City School District.

In this morning's state Senate Committee on Education meeting, Chairman John Flanagan, R-Long Island, said, "We're going to push the issue." The eight bills have been referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.

The people of New York have spoken. The state Senate is taking action.

Now the rest is up to Gov. Cuomo. That is, if New York's ar chaic, seniority-driven teacher-lay off law -- "Last in, first out" -- is to be modernized, it's up to the governor.

And he has only until next Thursday to set things in motion.

It's the right thing to do.

And the people demand it.

The Quinnipiac Poll has a new survey out today, and the numbers are astounding:

* New Yorkers prefer that merit, not seniority, govern teacher layoffs by 85 percent to 12 percent.

* Even members of union households support merit-based layoffs by 75 percent to 20 percent.

* And parents of public-school children oppose LIFO by a mind-boggling 90 percent to 7 percent.

Posted on Capital Tonight on Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Sen. John Flanagan told me during a CapTon interview last night that he’s open to the idea of a salary cap for public school superintendents, whose compensation was targeted by Gov. Andrew Cuomo during his budget address last week.

Cuomo mentioned the salary of a Syosset schools superintendent, Carole Hankin, who earns $386,868 a year, as an example of where education officials might consider cutting to make up for the loss of state aid they are expected to suffer during this budget cycle.

GRADE CROSSING RENEWAL PROJECT TO AFFECT SOME MIDDAY PORT JEFFERSON BRANCH TRAINS WEEK OF AUGUST 2ND

BUS SERVICE FOR SOME CUSTOMERS, SCHEDULE REVISIONS IN EFFECT

It looks just like marijuana and it's being smoked by teens and young adults hoping to get the same kind of high. But, what users don't realize is just how dangerous this form of "fake weed" can be.

"Some of these compounds are two to 800 times as potent as the THC levels that you would find in Marijuana," says Assistant Special Agent in Charge James Burns, with the Albany District Office for the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

by DENISE M. BONILLA AND ALFONSO A. CASTILLO.

A stretch of road in Smithtown considered dangerous to pedestrians will undergo safety improvements agreed to by state transportation officials, the town announced Tuesday.

Senator John Flanagan (2nd Senate District) recently visited the R.J.O. Intermediate School in Kings Park to speak with Ms. Katie Trachtenberg’s 4th grade class.  Senator Flanagan met with the class to discuss his role in the New York State legislative process.

Extra Images: 

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Senator John Flanagan (2nd Senate District) would like to invite all students who reside in the 2nd Senate District and who are in the eighth grade and above to take part in his 2nd Annual Community Photography contest.  This contest will focus on photographs of community-based events and will allow students to showcase their hometown or school.

On Friday, the New York State Senate Majority followed the lead of the Assembly and put the final touches on the worst budget that our state has ever seen.  As the representative for the 2nd Senate District, I voted no to every component of this budget because it is bad for Long Island, bad for those who work and bad for anyone who owns a home.