This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

It may have been 57 days late, but the state budget is done – and Gov. Kathy Hochul got most of what she wanted out of it – including rollbacks to the state’s climate law and reforms to auto insurance. She often says good things come in April or May, referring to good policy in a late budget. But for lawmakers, the only good things to come in May were the four paychecks they were owed during that time. Otherwise, they’re pretty fed up. But it’s Kathy’s world, and we’re just living in it.

When Justice Democrats first recruited activist Darializa Avila Chevalier to challenge Rep. Adriano Espaillat – an Upper Manhattan power broker and the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus – it seemed like a long shot. But now that she has DSA’s support and Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s endorsement, she could be well on her way to repeating Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s upset victory over former Rep. Joe Crowley. And if she doesn’t, well, the mayor probably shouldn’t count on favors from the congressional delegation any time soon.

New York State United Teachers led the charge for Tier 6 changes this year, And this time, President Melinda Person won some significant changes in the state budget. In addition to victories for all public sector workers regarding decreased pension contribution rates, teachers specifically won a five-year retirement age reduction. And it likely only came about because the budget was so late that Tier 6 managed to enter negotiations in a real way.

Despite Randy Mastro’s best efforts, former Mayor Eric Adams’ Charter Revision Commission appears to be dead – at least for now. Seizing upon the passage of a state measure tucked within the budget, Mayor Zohran Mamdani disbanded the zombie-like panel mere hours before the group convened for its first meeting. Mastro, who’s offered the commission pro bono legal services, is bullish about the odds of a legal challenge – but any challenge will take time to mount.

It’s not every day that people in power admit to a misstep. But the AI revolution will humble us all. New York City Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels said this week that the city schools system “missed the mark” on its draft guidance for artificial intelligence usage by students and educators. Parents are up in arms over kids’ use of AI tools in schools, and Samuels said that the Department of Education is considering restricting its use for young kids.

Assembly Member Micah Lasher ran from state Capitol reporters this week after Politico New York caught him potentially violating Assembly rules that require lawmakers to be physically present in Albany when voting on bills. Lasher cast a “yes” vote on a budget bill about two hours before appearing at a congressional candidate forum on the Upper West Side. It takes more than two hours to travel from Albany to the city, especially during rush hour, so either he wasn’t actually in Albany when he cast the vote or someone gave him a helicopter ride.