home rule
By Katherine Speller on Monday, Jun. 30, 2014 - 5:21 pm
New York’s State Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of local officials right to home rule against hydraulic fracturing (hydro tracking), upholding a lower courts decision to support the rights to pass zoning laws banning the controversial natural gas... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Thursday, May. 2, 2013 - 11:41 am
Two upstate New York towns that faced lawsuits over their gas drilling bans have won in appeals court, delivering a major victory to proponents of town "home rule."
The towns of Dryden and Middlefield faced separate lawsuits seeking to overturn their... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Wednesday, Jul. 11, 2012 - 11:37 am
On Tuesday, at their regular town meeting, the Highland town council voted 5-0 to ban natural gas drilling and exploration within town limits.
Highland is now the fourth Sullivan County town to pass a local bans on gas drilling, joining Bethel, Tusten and... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Thursday, Sep. 22, 2011 - 12:25 pm
Above: The board of the Town of Dryden unanimously passes a ban on gas drilling on August 2, 2011. Video by ShaleShock, an anti-gas drilling media group.
The first shots in what is likely to become a statewide battle were fired recently, as two lawsuits... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Thursday, Jun. 16, 2011 - 3:29 pm
The boards of the Otsego County towns of Springfield and Middlefield both voted this week to ban gas drilling and heavy industry within town borders. From today's Daily Star:
The Springfield Town Board unanimously adopted a local law Monday night that... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Wednesday, Jun. 8, 2011 - 5:13 pm
The Oneonta Common Council voted yesterday to ban gas drilling within city limits, with little opposition. From today's Daily Star:
The vote was not unanimous. With Third Ward Alderman Erik Miller absent, Seventh Ward Alderman Liz Shannon abstained.
After... Read more
By Lissa Harris on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011 - 8:25 am
A bitter dispute between former Governor David Paterson and Greene County over whether or not the county had the authority to appoint an interim treasurer -- which had resulted in the withholding of millions of dollars in state funds to the county -- is... Read more
