Albany, N.Y. -
Some of the highlights of Governor Andrew Cuomo's 2013 State of the State address, delivered Wednesday in Albany:- Casinos: Three Las Vegas-style casinos built on non-Indian land in upstate New York if the casinos are legalized this year.
- Storm Preparation: The need to fortify New York's power and telecommunication systems after Superstorm Sandy. Cuomo has named commissions to look at infrastructure issues and is seeking federal funding to upgrade systems. Other proposals among many include: Enhance efforts in workforce training by expanding energy career training, update state building code, update Department of Health's review of applications for new hospitals and nursing homes, protect New York Harbor, flood-proof subways and bus depots, build redundancies into fuel system.
- Minimum Wage: Raising the minimum wage to $8.75 an hour from the current $7.25.
- Energy: Creating a "Green Bank" to spur private investment in clean energy projects, extending the NY-Sun Solar Jobs program and encouraging local renewable power sources.
- Education: Besides longer school days and years, more pre-kindergarten and funding based on performance, paying high-performing "master teachers" $15,000 extra a year for four years to teach other teachers.
- Gender Equality: A Women's Equality Act to address things like reproductive rights, pay equity, sexual harassment, human trafficking and tougher order-of-protection laws in addition to other forms of discrimination against women.
- Campaign Finance Reform: 48-hour disclosure of contributions over $500, public financing of state elections, lower contribution limits.
