Another day, another court ruling. But still no final decision. A state appellate judge Wednesday temporarily pushed off the tax collection on Native American sales of cigarettes to non-Indians across New York. A day after a federal judge granted a two-week reprieve in a related case, a spokeswoman for Gov. David A. Paterson said the state is standing down on the tax collections because of a stay issued Wednesday by Judge Samuel L. Green of the ... Jump to full article >>

The law and justice are on the side of Gov. David A. Paterson’s plan to start collecting state taxes on tobacco products sold by the state’s Native American nations. That doesn’t mean the governor won’t have to be very careful in the way he follows through with that pledge. Paterson said last week that he had been warned by his own State Police that “violence and death” could be the result of any effort to go against the Seneca and O ... Jump to full article >>

A state government shutdown averted, Gov. David A. Paterson came right back at lawmakers Tuesday, saying he will offer a new round of program cuts affecting economic development, public protection and transportation. The governor wants lawmakers to approve the latest round of cuts before they leave the Capitol this week, breaking with the last two months of emergency spending measures proposed on Fridays and enacted under deadline pressure on Mo ... Jump to full article >>

ALBANY — Gov. David A. Paterson this morning backed down from plans to include tax hikes, including a $1-per-pack increase in the cigarette levy, in next week’s emergency appropriation bill. A day after administration officials said Paterson would put his plans for raising taxes in Friday’s legislation, the governor retreated in the face of growing uncertainty over whether there will be enough votes in the State Senate to pass the ... Jump to full article >>

Indian sellers would get larger price advantage Just days after a senior administration official dismissed as “rumor” talk of another increase in the state’s cigarette tax, Gov. David A. Paterson on Sunday floated the idea of raising the tax in an upstate radio interview. The prospect of raising the state’s current $2.75-per-pack excise tax would give Indian retailers an even larger price advantage over non-Indian stores. Paterson has ... Jump to full article >>