Governor Hochul’s pick to replace the resigning Court of Appeals Chief Judge could break up the conservative bloc that controls the court—or entrench it.
A new four-judge bloc has consistently voted together in its most recent term, impacting criminal defendants, workers and people suing police.
New York Focus reached four voters listed as signatories who said they never signed. A review of other signatures suggests they might not be the only ones.
With less than a week left before the primary, two groups boosting moderate Democratic candidates for the state legislature have not submitted disclosures required by campaign finance law.
“We’re basically being blocked out in the process of even trying to bid on the work,” said one union leader.
New York elections could soon be more vulnerable to hacks, after lobbyists, the NAACP, and the Assembly elections committee chair teamed up to kill an election security bill.
Hundreds of thousands of city workers and their dependents could have their healthcare shifted to a cheaper plan by 2024, documents show.
After New York Focus revealed that Hochul had failed to disclose the individuals behind corporate donations to her campaign, she provided that information for recent donors — revealing major support from a nursing home industry powerhouse.
The comptroller sounded the alarm that the budget includes $18 billion in “unnecessarily opaque” spending, most of it under Hochul’s control.
A bill to increase kidney donation rates is stuck in the “traffic jam” of the Assembly.
After New York Focus reported that the elections board wasn’t enforcing a landmark transparency law, it sent delinquent donors a letter requesting that they comply. Thousands did within weeks.
The state legislature has passed a measure intended to counter a court ruling that made it easier for lenders to win cases against homeowners.
Legislators opposed to a bill enacting a temporary moratorium on proof-of-work cryptocurrency mining are warning that it could harm New Yorkers often excluded from traditional financial markets, sources say.
After New York Focus reported on illegal contributions to candidate Russell Squire, his campaign announced it would return the money.
The state’s grand plan to convert unused hotels into affordable housing hasn’t gotten off the ground. Lawmakers just boosted funding — but developers and housing advocates say that won’t help without lifting onerous zoning restrictions.
A comprehensive tracker of the issues at stake in New York’s budget.
The legislature wants to spend $250 million to combat homelessness. Hochul says it’ll actually cost $6 billion.
New York Focus obtained and analyzed a proposal presented by Senate leadership to the chamber’s Democratic caucus.
The governor’s projected price tag is five times higher than estimates by the legislature and outside researchers—but she hasn’t said how she arrived at her figure.
Budget negotiations center on one crucial question: should New York save or spend?