Series
New York's 2025 Budget Battle

New York Focus is covering the fault lines in this year’s $250 billion state budget negotiations.

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Carl Heastie, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Kathy Hochul stand in front of a large pile of papers.
Your Guide to the 2025 State Budget Fight

We read the governor’s, Senate’s, and Assembly’s budget proposals — so you don’t have to.

New York Focus   ·   March 17, 2025
The New York State Department of Labor office in Brooklyn, New York.
Lawmakers Propose Unemployment Bailout — But No Permanent Fix

The compromise would reduce business taxes and raise the benefit level, but leave the program inadequately funded.

Julia Rock   ·   March 17, 2025
Akash Mehta, Colin Kinniburgh and Bianca Fortis sit at the conference table at the New York Focus office in Brooklyn. They are on their laptops.
How New York Focus is Tackling the 2025 State Budgets

A peek behind the curtain of how our reporters were able to analyze hundreds of pages of complicated budget documents (without losing their minds).

Alex Arriaga   ·   March 15, 2025
The Upper Class Will Save the Most From Hochul’s ‘Middle-Class’ Tax Cut

The biggest winners from the proposed break make well above New York’s median income.

Sam Mellins   ·   March 14, 2025
Lawmakers Push for Fairer School Funding, Higher Aid

The governor’s proposal could leave 24 districts with less Foundation Aid than expected. The one-house budgets aim to fix that.

Bianca Fortis   ·   March 13, 2025
Legislature Proposes Boost to Nonprofits and Safety Net Programs Serving New York’s Neediest

Nonprofits form the backbone of the state’s social service sector, and they may be getting some overdue relief in this year’s budget.

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   March 13, 2025
Heastie and ASC in front of a prison
Hochul and Legislators, Urging Action on Prisons, Are Poised for a Fight on Other Public Safety Policies

The legislature rejected Hochul’s central public safety policy priorities while embracing proposals to increase prison oversight.

Chris Gelardi   ·   March 13, 2025
Climate Left to the Margins of Budget Plans

Here’s where the Senate, Assembly, and governor stand on funding New York’s green transition.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   March 12, 2025
Heastie and ASC in front of a child care classroom
Legislature Proposes More Money for Child Care, But Not Enough to Avert Funding Cliff

The budget plans set up a fight with Governor Kathy Hochul, who did not propose substantial new investments at all.

Julia Rock   ·   March 12, 2025
Millionaire Tax Hikes? Inflation Rebate Checks? New York’s 2025 Budget Showdown

Here’s what the key players in the state budget process are proposing on spending and taxes.

Sam Mellins   ·   March 12, 2025
How the New York State Budget Is Made

We answer your questions on the state’s notoriously opaque budget process.

Sam Mellins   ·   March 12, 2025