Some climate activists want the mayor to take a stronger stance. He previously said the state’s climate law “is not a suggestion. It is a mandate.”
Some climate activists want the mayor to take a stronger stance. He previously said the state’s climate law “is not a suggestion. It is a mandate.” ·  View in browser
NEWSLETTER
The climate fight is the latest example of Mamdani’s efforts to avoid antagonizing the governor. Photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
Some climate activists want the mayor to take a stronger stance. He previously said the state’s climate law “is not a suggestion. It is a mandate.”
By Nick Garber and Colin Kinniburgh

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is staying on the sidelines as a fight over the state’s climate law reaches a boiling point.

Mamdani has pointedly avoided taking a position on Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed rollbacks to the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, or CLCPA, even as his socialist allies in the legislature rail against the proposals. Asked directly by New York Focus on Wednesday, Mamdani twice declined to say whether he has a position on Hochul’s push, saying only that he supported the original law.

The New York Health Information Privacy Act would limit the ability of digital health product companies to collect and sell users’ health data without their consent. Photos: Sergey Nivens, pixelshot, Titima Ongkantong/Canva; Robin Marty/Flickr; Wikimedia Commons | Illustration: Leor Stylar
Amid abortion bans and rising digital surveillance, Albany lawmakers are revisiting an effort to stop companies from selling sensitive health information.
By Leah Clark and Gabriella Limón

From fitness watches to period-tracking apps, health products are increasingly collecting personal data from everyday activities. The issue has drawn increased attention since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, amid reports of data being used to target anti-abortion ads at clinic visitors and to prosecute people seeking gender-affirming care across state lines.

Last year, Albany lawmakers passed a bill to prohibit companies from collecting and selling health data without users’ consent — but business groups argued its provisions were too far-reaching, and Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed it. Now, legislators have introduced a narrower version they hope can make it past the governor’s desk.

Each year, the New York state legislature passes more bills than any other — but the vast majority receive no press coverage. New York Focus is partnering with NYU journalism and law school students to report on undercovered bills and regulations. Sign up on Substack to get Under the Radar stories in your inbox. 

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