Dec. 19, 2024 - Assembly Health Committee Chair Amy Paulin, a Westchester County Democrat, previews the 2025 legislative session, including the likely fight over Medicaid funding, the implementation of CDPAP changes, and abortion access.Por WCNY

Dec. 19, 2024 - This December, a state law took effect prohibiting the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits at pet stores, despite the industry trying to stop the implementation in court. We talk about the legal challenge and the industry's critique of this bill with Mike Bober, CEO of the Pet Advocacy Network.…

Dec. 19, 2024 - Assemblymember Sarah Clark, a Rochester-area Democrat, responds to the governor's veto of her bill expanding child care assistance and talks about what should be done in 2025 to improve access to high-quality care.Por WCNY

Dec. 19, 2024 - State Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee Chair Julia Salazar, a Brooklyn Democrat, discusses her criminal justice priorities for the 2025 legislative session and addresses how politics could impact what's the possible in Albany.Por WCNY

Dec. 18, 2024 - New York Focus Senior Reporter Sam Mellins shares what he uncovered about the working conditions and compensation for Assembly staffers, which may be contributing to a brain drain at the institution.Por WCNY

Dec. 18, 2024 - State Medicaid Director Amir Bassiri discusses an effort to ensure uninterrupted health insurance for kids, gives an update on the Medicaid "unwinding" effort, and addresses allegations of ineligible New Yorkers getting government health insurance.Por WCNY

Dec. 18, 2024 - New York City Campaign Finance Board Executive Director Paul Ryan compares the state's nascent public financing program to the long-established system in New York City and addresses a recent decision to deny matching funds to New York City Mayor Eric Adams.Por WCNY

Dec. 17, 2024 - Video conferencing provides an easy medium for connecting with people behind bars, but criminal justice advocates don't want it to replace in-person visits. We highlight legislation ensuring in-person visits continue with Tanya Krupat, vice president of policy and advocacy at The Osborne Association, and Jamila Small, a youth fellow…

Dec. 17, 2024 - John Olsen, co-chair of the emerging technologies and innovation practice for Statewide Public Affairs, discusses the artificial intelligence regulatory landscape in New York, including moving new bills through Albany in 2025.Por WCNY

Dec. 17, 2024 - Wildfires that hit the Hudson Valley this fall reached a scope that hasn't been seen in New York in more than a decade. We discuss the state's response to these fires, which claimed the life of one responder, with state Forest Ranger Major Bob Rogers and state Forest Ranger Bryan Gallagher.…

Dec. 17, 2024 - More than a dozen municipalities, including Albany, have taken advantage of a state law that allows local speed limits to be set at 25 miles per hour. We talk about this safety measure with NY SAFE Streets Coalition members Anne Savage and Rose Quinn.Por WCNY

Dec. 16, 2024 - State Senator Dean Murray, a Long Island Republican, makes the case for imposing financial control board on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.Por WCNY

Dec. 16, 2024 - We get to know the work of Peter Reuben, director of the state Office of Indian Nation Affairs with the state Department of Environmental Conservation, including the process of contacting different communities and working within the Hochul administration.Por WCNY

Dec. 16, 2024 - Environmental activists want to pay for billions of dollars of infrastructure upgrades - responding to the threats of climate change - by retroactively penalizing major past emitters of greenhouse gases. We hear the case against this legislative effort from Daniel Ortega, executive director of New Yorkers for Affordable Energy, whic…

Dec. 16, 2024 - We talk with Paul Pettit, public health director Genesee and Orleans counties, about a new law lowering the professional standards for who serves on county boards of health so rural communities can fill these important positions.Por WCNY

Dec. 13, 2024 - Long Term Care Community Coalition Executive Director Richard Mollot discusses staffing levels at nursing homes in New York and considers what they mean for the quality of care being received.Por WCNY

Dec. 12, 2024 - Junior political analyst Isaac Olshan discusses the presidential election results, the political interests of his fellow zoomers, and where New York's political scene is moving.Por WCNY

Dec. 13, 2024 - Brian Fessler, of the New York State School Boards Association, and Bob Lowry, of the New York State Council of School Superintendents, think the Rockefeller Institute made some good first steps with their review of education funding distribution in New York and are waiting to see how policymakers use their state-commissioned report…

Dec. 12, 2024 - Hunger persists as a major problem in New York, so a coalition has come together to push for a package of measures to address food insecurity in the budget. We discuss these solutions with state Sen. Rachel May, a Syracuse-area Democrat, and Ryan Healy, advocacy manager for Feeding New York State.…

Dec. 12, 2024 - The state senate held a hearing this fall to examine the efficacy of economic development subsidies included in the budget. We explore this fact finding effort and how it should inform future actions with state Sen. Sean Ryan, a Buffalo Democrat.Por WCNY

Dec. 12, 2024 - Medical marijuana companies hoping to open recreational dispensaries have taken the Hochul administration to court over proposed license fees. We discuss the industry's case withgiste Abebe, spokesperson for the state Medical Cannabis Industry Association, and Matthew Schweber, an attorney who filed the lawsuit.…

Dec. 11, 2024 - SUNY Chancellor John King discusses an enrollment bump at the state's public colleges and universities, providing operating aid to upstate campuses, and transforming a teaching hospital in Brooklyn. state of the SUNY system, enrollment, and the opportunities for prospective students to receive financial aid.…

Dec. 10, 2024 - The latest survey of New Yorkers by the Siena College Research Institute - conducted in early December - has some worrisome omens for Gov. Kathy Hochul, identifies the top priorities for voters heading into the 2025 legislative session, and gauges attitudes about the incoming Trump administration.…

Dec. 12, 2024 - New York Farm Bureau Senior Associate Director of Public Policy Renée St. Jacques talks about the fiber landscape in the Empire State and how this agricultural asset could be utilized in the future.Por WCNY

Dec. 10, 2024 - Increasing literacy in New York has become a major focus of state policymakers, and to that end there is a new plan on how to prepare future educators to teach reading and writing skills. We discuss how to prepare teachers with Ruth Genn, executive director of the Literacy Academy Collective.…

Dec. 10, 2024 - New York is doling out federal dollars to help low- and moderate-income families afford electrical upgrades in their homes and purchases environmentally friendly clothes dryers. We talk about this initiative with Chris Corcoran, assistant director of codes, products and standards for the New York State Energy Research and Developmen…

Dec. 10, 2024 - Fiscal Policy Institute Director Nathan Gusdorf discusses Gov. Kathy Hochul's plan to send a rebate check worth a few hundred dollars to the vast majority of taxpayers and we evaluate whether this is the best way to spend a revenue surplus.Por WCNY

Dec. 12, 2024 - New York City officials are hoping that updating the local zoning rules will help them increase the local housing supply. We talk with Gothamist/WNYC housing reporter David Brand about what they're planning to do and how Gov. Kathy Hochul is supporting the effort.Por WCNY

Dec. 12, 2024 - 1199SEIU may be a vocal advocate for their union members, but the organization's leadership is not warmly welcoming a unionization effort by their own staff. We discuss this campaign, as well as the future leadership of the union, with Maya Kaufman, a health care reporter for Politico New York.…

Dec. 3, 2024 - Building homes in New York could become much more expensive if an obscure building council follows through with plans to mandate fire suppression systems in one- and two-family residential construction projects. We hear opposition to this mandate from Mike Kelly, from the New York State Association of REALTORS, and Michael Barrett, C…

Dec. 3, 2024 - Upstate New York businessman and political outsider Anthony Constantino shot into the national spotlight this campaign season with his very public support for Donald Trump and is now looking to capitalize on his newfound celebrity with a bid to succeed Rep. Elise Stefanik, who is likely headed to the United Nations in 2025. We discus…

Dec. 2, 2024 - New York Law Journal litigation reporter Brian Lee talks about a unique case before the state's top court that questions the effective date of the Child Victims Act.Por WCNY

Dec. 2, 2024 - Assemblymember John McDonald, a Capital Region Democrat, discusses new regulations addressing the relationship between pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers and explains what they could mean for consumers.Por WCNY

Dec. 2, 2024 - Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha, a Hudson Valley Democrat, argues the Hochul administration could be more aggressive in its development of state-owned renewable energy projects and defends the costs associated with taking on more projects.Por WCNY

Dec. 2, 2024 - Assembly Member Anna Kelles, an Ithaca-area Democrat, makes the case for mandating a certain number of electric-vehicle charging stations for state-run parking lots and in off-street parking for new residential construction.Por WCNY

This spring, state lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul - after a contentious battle over education funding in the state budget - directed the Rockefeller Institute of Government to examine how the state doles out the bulk of school funding and consider how to improve this process. We discuss the think tank's report with their president, Bob Megna, who …

Nov. 27, 2024 - A proposed update to the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan that is supposed to provide greater access to New Yorkers with disabilities by expanding the use of motorized vehicles is getting pushback from environmentalists. We explore these concerns and the master plan more broadly with Protect the Adirondacks Deputy Director Cla…

Nov. 27, 2024 - A state program intended to provide consistently lower energy bills for New Yorkers and small businesses hasn't always delivered on its promise. We discuss the implementation of the Community Choice Aggregation program and whether it can be improved with John Howard, former chair of the state Public Service Commission.…

Nov. 27, 2024 - We explore what the state is doing and should be doing to provide health care services to rural New Yorkers with Alison Coates, president of the board of directors for the New York State Association for Rural Health.Por WCNY

Nov. 27, 2024 - This fall the state Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council has put together a list of recommendations intended to cut child poverty in half. We talk about the problem of child poverty and the path forward with Kate Breslin, president and CEO of the Schuyler Center for Analysis and a member of the council.…

Nov. 26, 2024 - We explore what the second Trump administration could mean for environmental policies impacting New York, with the help of Judith Enck, a regional administrator for the EPA in the Obama administration and president of the advocacy group Beyond Plastics.Por WCNY

Nov. 26, 2024 - This campaign season was marked by competing visions of the anti-discrimination language voters were being asked to add to the state constitution. We explore how the new protections might be utilized in the future with Evan Davis, former counsel to Governor Mario Cuomo and a proponent of the Equal Rights Amendment.…

Nov. 26, 2024 - An audit from the state comptroller's office suggests the Hochul administration could have done a better job tracking how more than $14 billion in Medicaid dollars spent on personal and home care services. We discuss the findings with Tina Kim, deputy comptroller for the office's Division of State Government Accountability.…

Nov. 25, 2024 - State Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government Executive Director Sandy Berland discusses the government watchdog's wish list for the 2025 legislative session and addresses initiatives championed by good government advocates.Por WCNY

Nov. 25, 2024 - New nuclear energy projects appear to be part of Gov. Kathy Hochul's agenda, as she is formally looking for input on developing "advanced" nuclear technologies in the Empire State. We discuss this process, including why the governor's plans are limited to upstate, with Doreen Harris, president & CEO of the New York State Energy Rese…

Nov. 22, 2024 - New York State Chief Cyber Officer Colin Ahern talks about recruiting his team, protecting the power grid from digital threats, and responding to the hack of the state legislature in the spring.Por WCNY

Nov. 22, 2024 - New York State Higher Education Services Corporation President Guillermo Linares discusses efforts to promote FAFSA completion, the challenges of distributing tuition assistance, and the rate of engagement with the Excelsior Scholarship.Por WCNY

Nov. 11, 2024 - Assembly Agriculture Committee Chair Donna Lupardo, a Southern Tier Democrat, discusses a recent hearing that explored the agriculture workforce, future opportunities for the hemp industry, and seafood processing.Por WCNY

Nov. 21, 2024 - A judge in the Hudson Valley has declared New York's Voting Rights Act unconstitutional, but her arguments has left some legal scholars scratching their heads. We explore the decision with Richard Briffault, a professor of legislation at Columbia Law School.Por WCNY

Nov. 21, 2024 - Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, shares his thoughts on the 2024 election results, including the partisan enthusiasm gap and ticket splitting in New York.Por WCNY