Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation last week that set New York’s presidential primary as April 28, 2020.

Cuomo has said previously he would like the Legislature to consider moving next year’s congressional and state primary up from June so it would coincide with the presidential one. He believes holding two elections about two months apart would cost taxpayers an additional $20 million, according to a news release.

In this past session, the Legislature voted to move the state primary from September to June, so it would coincide with the federal primary.

Cuomo pointed out that at least 15 other states have a combined primary for presidential, federal and state races.

Split drilling votes

Stefanik broke ranks with her party last week to vote in favor of two bills that would prohibit oil and gas production in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and off the Gulf of Mexico, but against a bill prohibiting drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

The Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protect Act prohibits the Bureau of Land Management from administering oil and gas leasing, development, production and transportation in the Coastal Plain of the refuge, according to GovTrack.us.