State legislators in the state Senate this week will consider a range of key confirmations for appointments to a range of state offices by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
They are also pressing up against a tight deadline: the final scheduled day of the legislative session is Thursday.
That will give lawmakers four days to consider the nominations for judgeships, including two positions on the state's highest court, as well as nominations for the Port Authority and the leadership of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the State University of New York system and several regulatory bodies.
Among the nominations:
- Keith Bruen is being considered to become the superintendent of the State Police; Bruen is now serving in an acting capacity;
- Steve Cohen, a longtime advisor to Cuomo both in and out of government, has been nominated for a commissioner post at the Port Authority;
- Jeffrey Pearlman, a former aide in the Cuomo administration and the state Senate, has been nominated to become the next director of the Authorities Budget Office;
- Antony Cannataro, an administrative judge in New York City, has been nominated to fill a vacancy on the state Court of Appeals, New York's highest court;
- And Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas would fill a second empty seat on the court if confirmed by the state Senate. Her nomination has come under criticism by some criminal justice reform organizations who have raised concerns with the appointment of a third former prosecutor on the bench.
It is not out of ordinary for confirmations to be considered at the end of the legislative session in the dash to finish line, but the appointees will nevertheless hold positions that will have an impact on the lives of New Yorkers.