Skip to content
Topics Budget
Stay Focused
Sign up for our free newsletter, and we'll make sure you never miss a beat.
Governor Kathy Hochul speaks before a screen with a Shirley Chisolm quote, reading: "You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines... You make progress by implementing ideas."
Hochul Inches Toward Health Insurance for Undocumented Immigrants

While the governor awaits guidance from the federal government, thousands of undocumented New Yorkers can’t afford to go to the doctor.

Sam Mellins   ·   May 19, 2023
An empty Belmont Park Winners Circle on May 4, 2023.
Half a Billion in the Bank — And Next to No One in the Stands

At Belmont Park’s opening day, local brass celebrated a windfall of state cash. Hardly any fans showed up.

Sam Mellins   ·   May 8, 2023
New York’s Minimum Wage Hike Has a Big Catch

New York tied its minimum wage to inflation — but exceptions in Governor Hochul’s plan will likely cancel wage increases in many years.

Sam Mellins   ·   May 5, 2023
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins before three tall stacks of paper.
Your One-Stop Guide to the 2023 New York State Budget

It’s finally here. Late Tuesday night, lawmakers voted on the last of New York’s 10 budget bills. We broke down what’s in them.

New York Focus   ·   May 3, 2023
A bail bonds sign
Here’s What the Budget Would Do About Bail

Budget legislation released Monday night includes eight pages of bail law markups — significantly more than the governor announced last week. A vote is imminent.

Chris Gelardi   ·   May 2, 2023
Updates: New York ‘Conceptually’ Has a Budget

Kathy Hochul and the legislators are closing in on a final state budget. As they settle their differences, we’ll keep you up to date on the latest.

New York Focus   ·   April 25, 2023
Housing Nixed in Latest Budget Talks

“It’s done. It’s not happening,” an Assembly source told New York Focus. Lawmakers are poised to reject measures to boost housing supply and protect renters.

Sam Mellins   ·   April 20, 2023
The State Assembly Is Foreclosing Hochul’s Housing Supply Plan

Democratic Assembly leaders refused to entertain the governor’s primary tactic to achieve housing growth and affordability.

Sam Mellins   ·   April 18, 2023
Why You’re Still Paying for Someone Else’s Gas Line
New York law requires utilities to build out gas infrastructure at customers’ expense. The Senate wants to close the spigot.
Colin Kinniburgh   ·   April 18, 2023
Inflation Is Putting Food Out of Reach in New York Prisons
The confluence of rising commissary prices, stagnant wages, and a package ban are making basic items inaccessible.
Freddy Medina   ·   April 11, 2023
New York City Pensions to Divest Future Private Equity Holdings From Fossil Fuels
Comptroller Brad Lander is scrutinizing the climate impacts of private equity investments — an area his counterpart in Albany has yet to address.
Lilah Burke   ·   April 6, 2023
Hochul Throws Climate ‘Grenade’ Into Budget Talks
Last-minute legislation would transform New York’s climate law, allowing significantly higher emissions over the next decade.
Colin Kinniburgh   ·   April 4, 2023
Hochul Has a New Bail Proposal. It’s a Lot Like Her Old One.
With budget talks at a stalemate, Hochul offered the legislature new draft language on bail. It would accomplish largely the same result as her previous plan: a dramatic expansion in judges’ ability to set bail.
Chris Gelardi   ·   March 31, 2023
Hochul Quietly Bets on Police to Battle Fentanyl
The governor buried policies in her budget proposal that would give police and prosecutors more leverage over people with opioid addictions.
Spencer Norris   ·   March 30, 2023
Inside the Fossil Fuel Industry’s ‘Existential’ Battle Against New York’s Climate Plan
Deceptive Facebook ads, hundreds of thousands of mailers to customers, six-figure lobbying campaigns — here’s how fossil fuel companies are fighting to keep electrification at bay.
Colin Kinniburgh   ·   March 27, 2023
Albany to Suburbs: We’ll Pay You to Build Housing. Suburbs to Albany: No Thanks
Mayors said they aren’t interested in state grants to expand housing. “You can’t dig a hole in the ground for that kind of money,” one told New York Focus.
Sam Mellins   ·   March 23, 2023
Lawmakers Aren’t Sure Their Own Plan to Build More Housing Will Work
The legislature signed on to Hochul’s goal of 800,000 new homes. But they aren’t confident their plan can get there.
Sam Mellins   ·   March 20, 2023
Here’s Your Guide to the 2023 State Budget Fight

We added up the governor and the legislature’s joint priorities and broke down their major divisions. The splits will define the year’s big legislative battles.

New York Focus   ·   March 16, 2023
The New Belmont Park Could Become the Country’s Deadliest Track for Horses
Dozens of horses die at the Long Island track each year. Governor Hochul — and now the state legislature — want to give it a state-funded renovation.
Sam Mellins   ·   March 14, 2023
Fossil Fuel Companies Enlist Customers to Fight New York’s Climate Law
National Fuel urged customers to oppose a gas appliance ban. It’s just one strategy in the fossil fuel industry’s mounting offensive against climate action.
Colin Kinniburgh   ·   March 7, 2023
1 2 3 4 5 →