Monday’s eclipse was stunning, but it also reminded us how perfectly in sync the universe can be: The local peak of the event could be predicted to the minute, and the moon arrived right on time.
The New York State budget, on the other hand …
It was due April 1, but the wrangling continues in Albany — and even the eclipse itself contributed to the delay, since no session was held on Monday to allow State Senate and Assembly members the chance to see the show in the sky.
They quickly got back to work on Tuesday. In the heated battles that will lead to yet another late budget in the coming days, there remains a glimmer of hope for community newspapers: The Local Journalism Sustainability Act is alive, at least for the moment. But this is obviously crunch time.
The newly formed Empire State Local News Coalition — The Express News Group is proud to be a member — has raised awareness of this crucial response by lawmakers in Albany to the crisis the local news industry faces. Local legislators Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. and Senator Anthony Palumbo have heard the call and continue to fight for the measure, which would provide tax credits to local news organizations for retaining and creating newsroom jobs, to be in the new budget.
A lot of work will be done over the next few days. It’s hard to overstate the importance of the Local Journalism Sustainability Act: If it falls short, more newsrooms will go dark, more stories will go untold, and more communities will lose the watchdogs who keep a close eye on local governments.
New Yorkers are standing with local news, and now lawmakers must answer the people’s call to save community journalism. To get the Local Journalism Sustainability Act across the finish line, lawmakers must hear from you about why our newspaper matters and why this bill is meaningful to you and your family.
If keeping local news alive in our state is important to you, please reach out to Governor Kathy Hochul and your local representatives to let them know you stand with local news. Budget negotiations are wrapping up imminently — the time to act is now!
Deliver a message of support to the governor by calling 518-474-8390 and leaving a message, and visit the website SaveNYLocalNews.com to sign a petition in support.
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