Research

In the final decades of the nineteenth century, declining property tax revenues led to a variety of new State taxes, including establishment of a liquor license fee in 1896. The Liquor Tax Law (Chapter 112) of that year abolished all local boards of excise that had previously collected liquor taxes for localities. It created the state commissioner of excise to control liquor traffic under a State fee-licensing system. The commissioner of excise appointed deputies or authorized county treasurers to issue liquor tax certificates and collect fees.

In 1917 (Chapter 161), New York State established a Department of State Police, headed by a superintendent appointed by the governor, to provide law enforcement in the rural areas of the State. The law establishing the department contained a limitation, that remains today, prohibiting the use of State Police within the limits of a city without specific order of the governor. The first contingent of troopers, chosen by the superintendent for two-year enlistments, was organized into four troops stationed at White Plains, Albany, Oneida, and Batavia, respectively.

The 1894 State constitution and subsequent enabling legislation provided for a State Commission of Prisons consisting of eight gubernatorial appointees. The commission was empowered to visit and inspect all penal institutions and to promote humane and efficient administration of these institutions. In 1901 (Chapter 12), the commission membership was reduced to three appointees and the commissioners were assigned to also serve as a Board of Commissioners for Paroled Prisoners.

The Consumer Protection Board was created by the Laws of 1970 (Chapter 294). The board consists of the chairman of the Public Service Commission; the superintendents of the Banking Department and the Insurance Department; the commissioners of the Department of Agriculture and Markets; the Department of Economic Development; the Department of Environmental Conservation; the Department of Health; and the secretary of state. An executive director, chosen by the governor, serves as chairperson of the board.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor for Investigation of the New York City Criminal Justice System was established in 1972 by executive order. The Office had jurisdiction over the entire New York City criminal justice system, and in a few cases, was given authority to investigate alleged criminal activities by criminal justice personnel outside New York City.

In 1867 the first Adirondack reservoir built in order to manage river water was constructed on the Oswegatchie River. The reservoir raised Cranberry Lake thirteen feet and doubled its size. Since then, reservoirs have become the primary means to control flooding and drought in Adirondack rivers. In 1919 the Black River Regulating District was created in order to regulate water levels on the Black River through the use of dams and reservoirs.

The Capital Defender Office was established in 1995 with the enactment of legislation (L. 1995, Ch.1) returning capital punishment to the state's criminal statutes. On June 24, 2004, the New York State Court of Appeals ruled (People v. LaValle) that part of this legislation was unconstitutional and that until such time as the State Legislature revised the law, the state should not seek the death penalty. On October 23, 2007, the Court of Appeals ruled (People v. Taylor) that the state's last capital prisoner should be resentenced to life imprisonment.

The Office of Counter Terrorism (OCT) was created as part of the 2010 merger that established the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. OCT includes staff and units from its predecessor, the Office of Homeland Security (OHS).

The first State financial aid to students at institutions of higher learning was a program of scholarships to Cornell University set up when the university was established in 1865 (Chapter 585). These scholarships were administered by the Department of Public Instruction and later by the State Education Department, and the first awards were made in 1868. In 1913 (Chapter 292) the Regents College Scholarships were established. These scholarships were awarded through a competitive examination and could be used at any approved college in New York State.

The New York State Commission on Public Integrity was established by the Public Employee Ethics Reform Act of 2007 to insure compliance with the ethical standards that public officials and lobbyists must observe in order to ensure public trust and confidence in government.