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Hochul Wants to Save for a Rainy Day. Lawmakers Say It’s Already Pouring.

Budget negotiations center on one crucial question: should New York save or spend?

Sam Mellins   ·   March 24, 2022
Loopholes Hobble Hochul’s Proposal on Conviction-Based Housing Discrimination, Critics Charge

Advocates organizing for similar laws say loopholes in Hochul’s proposal make it “virtually meaningless,” and are encouraging the governor to withdraw the measure.

Chris Gelardi   ·   March 22, 2022
Here’s What You Need to Know About the 2022 State Budget

How the three budget proposals from the governor, Assembly and Senate stack up.

Sam Mellins   ·   March 21, 2022
Legislature Likely to Propose Health Coverage But Not Cash Relief for Undocumented New Yorkers, Sources Say

Both chambers are set to release budget proposals that will represent a mixed bag for New York’s undocumented population.

Sam Mellins   ·   March 11, 2022
Retired NYC Workers Celebrate Medicare Switch Court Win

The court ruled retirees who opt-out of the switch to Medicare Advantage plans can keep their current insurance free of charge. The Adams administration is appealing the ruling.

Sam Mellins   ·   March 3, 2022
Hochul’s Proposed 421-A Replacement Is In For a Fight, Key Lawmakers Signal

“By April 1, it will be out or modified. It will not be this program,” one legislator predicted.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   February 7, 2022
On Medicaid, Hochul’s Budget Departs from Cuomo Era

Hochul proposed raising the cap on Medicaid spending, which Cuomo created, and boosting reimbursement rates, which Cuomo cut.

Sam Mellins   ·   January 21, 2022
Hochul’s Budget Charts a Middle Path on Climate

The $216 billion budget would ban gas in new construction, but otherwise offers few dramatic moves on climate.

Sam Mellins and Lissa Harris   ·   January 20, 2022
Smokestacks Loom Over New York’s Clean Energy Plan

New York is building renewables - but it doesn’t have a plan to shut down the plants they’re supposed to replace.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   January 18, 2022
Hochul at Divide with Lawmakers on Child Care, Once A Top Priority

Child care used to be Hochul’s marquee issue. Now, she’s proposing a modest expansion—but only if Congress doesn’t act.

Sam Mellins   ·   January 12, 2022
Hochul Proposes Medicaid Expansion for Seniors and Disabled, Marking a Shift From Past Governors

Two proposals in Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State would constitute the most significant expansion of New York’s health plan for low-income individuals in years.

Sam Mellins   ·   January 7, 2022
State Lawmakers Push to Scale Back Fossil Fuel Subsidies

The state spends $1.6 billion a year subsidizing oil and gas. Lawmakers are trying to eliminate about one-fifth of that spending.

Sam Mellins   ·   December 23, 2021
As Utility Shutoff Freeze Nears End, New Yorkers in Debt Fear Shutoffs

Millions of New Yorkers are behind on their utility bills, and advocates say the state is doing a poor job distributing federal assistance.

Andrew Giambrone   ·   November 22, 2021
Retired City Workers Voice Opposition to New City Health Plan in Chaotic Public Hearing

More than 50 retirees said they opposed the plan. Zero said they supported it.

Sam Mellins   ·   November 11, 2021
New York’s Excluded Workers Fund is Running Out of Cash

Tens of thousands of undocumented workers could be left out. Advocates are pushing to add more funds.

Sam Mellins   ·   October 6, 2021
Will ‘Blue Collar Mayor’ Adams Give City Unions What They Want?

With deep ties to both organized labor and the city’s business elite, Mayor Eric Adams will face tough tradeoffs on union contracts.

Doug Turetsky   ·   September 21, 2021
Why Isn’t New York Offering Paper Applications for COVID Rent Relief?

The $115 million state contract for administering the program required a paper application. Without it, tenants who can’t access technology may be getting left behind.

Andrew Giambrone   ·   September 2, 2021
Schumer Announces New York’s Latest Semiconductor Deal, to Subsidy Watchdogs’ Chagrin

New York is showering microchip manufacturers with billions in subsidies—on top of massive federal incentives.

Julia Rock   ·   July 26, 2021
NYC Jails Have Far More Correction Officers Than Any Other City. Why Are They Hiring 400 More?

Rikers Island and other city lockups employ five officers for every three incarcerated people. As some call for a reduction in officers, the City Council okays a budget plan that boosts the ranks by 400.

Lauren Gill and Reuven Blau, THE CITY   ·   July 11, 2021
Wage Theft Got Worse During Covid. A Stalled Bill Could Give Workers Leverage To Fight Back

Cuomo pledged to deal with rampant wage theft this year, then failed to deliver. Now, a bill to recover stolen wages is unlikely to pass the legislature.

Amir Khafagy   ·   June 10, 2021
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