Senator Nick Spano Expands Public Hearing Scope on Liquor Laws, Regulations & Bars

Spano Chaired Investigations Committee to Take Testimony on Five Additional Areas of Interest and Concern
Public Hearing Scheduled for September 7, 2006

Senator Nick Spano (Westchester), Chair of the Senate Committee on Investigations and Government Operations, announced on August 28 that he has expanded the scope of testimony that will be heard at the September 7, 2006, Public Hearing.

In addition to probing New York’s liquor laws and regulations and the State Liquor Authority’s role, efforts and effectiveness in enforcement, testimony will also be taken on the use of optical scanning devices to check identifi-cation at ‘cabarets’, the use of New York State Lottery terminals as an ID-checking mechanism, mandating training for all holders of ‘on-premise’ licenses, training and licensing of servers, and training and licensing of
all ‘bouncers’.

Senator Nick Spano said, “After seeing firrsthand the condition of some Chelsea area club patrons at closing time, I am more determined than ever that New York has no time to lose in putting the brakes on liquor law violations that are evidently going on inside these clubs. However, before passing laws that may seem appropriate on their face but, for some reason, may not be feasible or workable, I have expanded the scope of testimony that will be accepted at the Committee’s September 7 Public Hearing.”

Andrea Stewart-Cousins Blasts Nick Spano For Misleading Attack Ad

Negative Ad Reveals Spano’s Confusion About Geography Of His District

Yonkers, NY – On Monday, August 28, Democratic State Senate candidate Andrea Stewart-Cousins blasted Republican State Senator Nick Spano for reaching a “new low in dirty campaigning” by unleashing a new, misleading attack ad. The ad attempts to link Democratic Stewart-Cousins to pedophiles and sex offenders in “our backyard”, while showing pictures of children and suburban neighborhoods. The ad tries to justify the linkage by attacking her for failing to oppose the placement of a homeless shelter in Senator Spano’s district.

Stewart-Cousins, however, does not represent the district into which the shelter was moved and the Westchester County Legislature, where Stewart-Cousins serves, had no role in the decision to relocate the shelter.

“Republican Nick Spano is following the classic Karl Rove strategy of making misleading charges against his opponent to attempt to distract voters from his record of failure in Albany,” said Stewart-Cousins. “Apparently,
after 20 years in office, Sen. Spano still does not understand where his district is. His ad criticizes me for failing to oppose the placement of a shelter in his own district. I do not represent that district – he does. When I came within 18 votes of defeating him in 2004, he said that it was a ‘wake up call.” Well, he’s apparently hit the snooze button.”

Republican Sen. Spano’s ad refers to the movement of the Grasslands homeless shelter from the county airport to the town of Valhalla. Sen. Spano represents Valhalla. Stewart-Cousins does not.