Albany Agenda

Policy

With little public progress made, Cleare introduces her own discovery bill

As legislative leaders and district attorneys negotiate behind closed doors, state Sen. Cordell Cleare has introduced her own proposed compromise on discovery.

News & Politics

Politics

District attorneys are fourth wheel in state budget throuple

Normally, it’s just three people in a room negotiating the budget. But the state’s district attorneys are heavily involved in the discussions over changes to the discovery law that are currently holding up the budget.

Policy

Policy

Should state lawmakers be paid even when the budget is late?

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s proposed legislation highlights how contentious the budget negotiation process has become.

Budget

Policy

State Senate leader: Budget negotiations on ‘pause’

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s inclusion of last-minute policy proposals in the state budget is holding back progress, legislative leaders say.

Albany Agenda

Policy

Lawmakers propose alternative to Hochul's discovery changes as budget negotiations drag on

Legislators want to codify a court decision that clarified parts of the law while prosecutors are backing the governor’s proposal.

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: Dismiss the governor’s discovery proposals

Prosecutors’ concerns about unwarranted case dismissals may be reasonable, but the governor’s proposed changes to the discovery law are not.

Education

Policy

State leaders agree to school cellphone ban as rest of budget remains in limbo

Legislative leaders and Gov. Kathy Hochul have settled on a bell-to-bell cellphone ban in schools, a top priority for the governor and the first budget item that appears settled

Policy

Policy

State budget director warns NY will have to cut services if federal funding dries up

The state’s projected $252 billion budget includes over $90 billion of federal funding – and if the Trump administration cuts that off, the state won’t be able to backfill it.

Budget

Politics

Eric Adams and Adrienne Adams are both running for mayor. They’re also hashing out the city’s $115 billion budget.

The mayor and the City Council speaker are going to have to find consensus amid an unprecedented and fractious primary election.

Policy

Policy

Survivor groups split over Hochul’s proposed changes to discovery laws

After a number of organizations representing survivors of sexual and domestic violence called on lawmakers to support the governor’s proposal, other survivor groups called on lawmakers to reject it.

Policy

Policy

New York has debated forced psychiatric treatment for decades

Half a century after the state tightened the criteria for involuntary commitment, Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to make it easier to hospitalize mentally ill people against their will.

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: Distraction-free is the way forward

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed “bell-to-bell” cell phone ban would create safer schools and better learning environments.

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: A more sustainable NY starts with empowering education

The state should increase funding for climate education programs that serve marginalized communities.

News & Politics

Politics

Fearing federal cuts, unions ask Hochul for more DOL funding

32BJ SEIU, CWA District 1, NYSNA and others are calling on the governor and legislative leaders to include an additional $200 million for the state Department of Labor in the budget.

Opinion

Opinion

Opinion: Discovery rollbacks indulge prosecutors at the expense of New Yorkers

An argument against proposed legislation reducing the amount of information that prosecutors are required to disclose.