👋Timothy Fanning here with your Saturday-edition newsletter.

In today’s CapCon:

• New York nonprofits and colleges barred from making contributions have donated to candidates, political groups and PACs over the last decade.

• A few things that might have slipped by this week, including how much money guberatorial candidate spouses make.

• Let’s go back to 2004, when lawmakers passed the latest budget in modern history.

• Watch Assemblyman Clyde Vanel hoverboard into the People’s House.

Names in today’s CapCon: William E. Sanford, Jeremy Cooney, Todd Hood, Adrienne Adams, Bruce Blakeman, Jenifer Rajkumar, George E. Pataki, Clyde Vanel

💰These colleges and big nonprofits likely made illegal campaign donations

From Emilie Munson

Today, the name William E. Sanford graces the wall of Syracuse University’s world-class rowing center. But in 2002, the university’s longtime men’s rowing coach was running for a seat in the New York Assembly.

That September, Sanford had left the university to focus on his re-election effort. That’s when the university seems to have cut its former employee a check. It was a small donation — $125 toward the Republican’s political campaign.

But for the university, the money has broader significance. The check is one of at least nine payments made by the university to a candidate or political action committee from 2001 to 2024.

As a charitable institution known by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Syracuse University is prohibited by state and federal laws from engaging in election activity, including direct or indirect support for political candidates.

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In today’s CapCon:

• New York’s ban on fracking would be struck down if a new federal lawsuit filed by property owners in Delaware County is successful.

• Here’s what to expect next week in terms of timing on the state budget.

• Energy regulators in New York have ordered energy service companies to refund $71 million to their customers.

• The renomination of an MTA board member is before the state Senate next week.

• Bills on the Move: Polling places in New York’s local jails, disclosing “ghost jobs” and more transparency from NYSERDA.

• New Bills of Note: Empowering tenants to bargain with their landlords, allowing THC beverages at liquor stores and the use of AI by law enforcement.

Names in today’s CapCon: Thomas Woodward, Tyler Fry, Rory Christian, Blanca P. Lopez, Zellnor Myrie, Mike Gianaris, Didi Barrett, Leroy Comrie, Gabriella Romero, Julia Salazar, Clyde Vanel, James Sanders, Jeremy Cooney, Al Stirpe, Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn

⚖️ New York’s fracking ban challenged in new federal lawsuit

When Thomas Woodward and his son purchased 164 acres of land in Delaware County in 2011, they thought it would be a lucrative investment.

They purchased the land and its mineral rights with an intent to lease it for the extraction of natural gas. The property sits on top of the Marcellus Shale and Utica Shale — two areas with large underground reserves of natural gas.

But the method for extracting that natural gas was on hold at the time while the state Department of Environmental Conservation reviewed the potential impact of the practice.

Read more

In today’s CapCon:

• Hochul said she supports an expanded immigrant protections package after talks with legislative leaders but one area raised a red flag with state lawmakers.

• The state Legislature approved a fourth budget extender Thursday with another expected early next week. Here’s where talks stand.

• A state judge has ordered attorneys for the state to appear in court and explain why Bruce Blakeman was rejected public campaign matching funds.

• Lobbying spending reached a new high in 2025. These are the bills that were lobbied on most, which firms earned the most and which lawmakers were lobbied most.

• Rules and Regs: A new rule for how attorneys can use artificial intelligence to prepare legal papers to file in court and medication in New York’s jails.

Names in today’s CapCon: Michael Gianaris, Kathy Hochul, Carl E. Heastie, Natalia Aristizabal, Sanford N. Berland, Steve Cohen, Jeremy Cooney, Michaelle Solages, Peter Harckham, John T. McDonald, Harry Bronson, Shelley Mayer, Amy Paulin, James Skoufis, Jamaal Bailey, Bruce Blakeman, Denise A. Hartman, Todd Hood

🗣️ ‘Slow and steady progress’ in state budget talks as fourth extender passes

Democrats in the state Legislature approved a fourth state budget extender Thursday with a fifth expected next week as negotiations continue.

The top sticking points remain unchanged, state Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris said Thursday.

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In today’s CapCon:

• It’s Tax Day and that means we got a look at the tax filings of Gov. Kathy Hochul and her husband. Here’s what’s in them.

• State law prohibits New York’s ethics agency from publicly posting the financial disclosure statements of candidates for state office. That could change.

• Despite that, I got my hands on the financial disclosure statements of Bruce Blakeman, his running mate and Hochul’s running mate, Adrienne Adams.

• Here’s what’s in those financial disclosure statements and links to each one for you to view yourself.

• One of the three Democrats challenging incumbent state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli is challenging his opponents to a round of debates.

Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul, Bill Hochul, Bruce Blakeman, Adrienne Adams, Thomas P. DiNapoli, Jim Franco, Todd Hood, James Skoufis, Amy Paulin, Drew Warshaw, Raj Goyle, Adem Bunkeddeko, Aaron Ghitelman

💵 How much the Hochuls earned & paid in taxes in 2025

If you haven’t already filed your taxes for the year, you have a few hours left to figure that out. It’s Tax Day.

Hochul’s office allows reporters on this day each year to review her and her husband’s tax filings. It’s not an easy task.

They don’t release her taxes publicly. Reporters have to review the inch-thick stack of papers in a room under the supervision of Hochul’s staff, who are there to answer questions. We’re not allowed to take the documents with us.

There’s a lot of information in those documents, which we’re not allowed to photograph, and it’s easy to miss something if you’re not familiar with the various forms involved.

I flipped through each of the pages provided to see what was in there. Here’s what I found.

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In today’s CapCon:

• Here’s who’s donated to Hochul and Democrats in the state Legislature in the conversation around car insurance. (Full list)

• The conflict between the governor and state lawmakers around those campaign contributions escalated Tuesday.

• Hochul said trial lawyers hold influence over the state Legislature via those donations. A top Democrat said that was “foolish” and clapped back.

• Hochul described her phone calls with President Donald J. Trump Tuesday, including a recent call she received that she said was “hard to describe.”

Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul, Donald J. Trump, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Carl E. Heastie, Dara Khosrowshahi, Michael Gianaris, Tom Stebbins, Sabrina Rezzy, Andrew Finkelstein, Clyde Vanel, James Sanders

🚗 Campaign contributions cloud conversations on car insurance

There’s a chicken-and-the-egg question when it comes to campaign contributions.

Does a person or company donate to a candidate because they support something they’ve already done — or are they trying to influence a future decision?

That’s a question that’s clouding conversations around Gov. Kathy Hochul’s package of proposals intended to lower the cost of car insurance. The legislation would overhaul how litigation seeking damages after a crash is handled in courts.

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In today’s CapCon:

• A third budget extender was approved by the state Legislature Monday. Here’s where negotiations with Hochul stand.

• LGBTQ groups are warning against an online safety provision in state budget talks, saying it could do more harm than good.

• A formerly incarcerated individual won a $390,000 settlement from the state but New York’s “Son of Sam” law is keeping the funding frozen.

• New Bills of Note: More transparency around no-bid state contracts and audits of law firm accounts.

• This Week in New York History: Preserving properties in New York City and New York’s Civil War militia.

Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul, J. Gary Pretlow, Kayla Cummings, Michael Gianaris, Timothy Fanning, Anthony Marshall, David Berkowitz, Donald Trump, Jenifer Rajkumar, Siela Bynoe, Charles Lavine

Today’s Capitol Confidential is sponsored by Environmental Defense Fund

New Yorkers are tired of the fossil fuel price roller coaster🎢. Let’s deliver more clean energy and more savings. Legislators: Follow through on our climate law.

💰 State budget talks continue to stall with fourth extender expected Thursday

Gov. Kathy Hochul wants it her way or the highway when it comes to her proposals intended to reduce the cost of car insurance, according to lawmakers.

That remains the top sticking point in state budget negotiations, lawmakers said Monday. Hochul sent a third state budget extender to lawmakers Monday to keep state workers paid as talks continue. It included $3.4 billion in spending.

A fourth extender is expected to be approved by lawmakers Thursday. If it reflects what we saw last year, that would run through early next week.

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👋Timothy Fanning here. We’re trying something new. Respond to this email to let us know what you think.

• State regulators have so far rejected a push from clean energy developers to get more money for wind and solar farms they say are impacted by Trump tariffs.

• A quick roundup of items you might have missed this week.

• Watch the Assembly speaker leave a gaggle of reporters. He does it this way almost every time.

• Watch Dan explain how he reports during New York’s secretive budget hearings.

Names in today’s CapCon: Deanna Cohen, Kathy Hochul, James Skoufis, Tony Simone

⚡Stand off between state, clean power developers threatens grid

From Ezra Bitterman

Nearly two dozen of New York’s clean energy projects may be scrapped because they are financially impractical, which will exacerbate the state’s struggling efforts to meet increasing power demands while also ensuring the electric grid becomes less dependent on fossil fuels.

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In today’s CapCon:

• Hochul is seeking to delay arguments in its appeal of the Climate Act decision that prompted her push for amendments. Here’s why.

• Supportive housing advocates are warning of a systemic “crisis” if lawmakers don’t secure more funding in the state budget.

• State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins says she expects a deal on the state budget sometime in April.

• New Bills of Note: Creating stronger incentives and protections for whistleblowers and banning prediction markets activity by state officials.

• This Week in New York History: New York’s prohibition law and the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Names in today’s CapCon: Dustin Brockner, Rachel Spector, Rebecca Zangen, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Ben Max, Carl E. Heastie, Phil Steck, James Skoufis, Kevin Parker, Micah Lasher

Today’s Capitol Confidential is sponsored by Environmental Defense Fund

New Yorkers are tired of the fossil fuel price roller coaster🎢. Let’s deliver more clean energy and more savings. Legislators: Follow through on our climate law.

⚖️ Appellate court to consider request to delay Climate Act arguments

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s push this year to amend the state’s mandates to reduce carbon emissions has been hinged on a court decision handed down last October.

That decision ordered the state Department of Environmental Conservation to promulgate regulations that would allow the state to meet those mandates by the deadlines prescribed by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

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In today’s CapCon:

• The state DEC didn’t properly apply the state’s environmental review law in promulgating broad regulations, a judge ruled.

• Hochul said she’s still not budging on raising taxes as a way to help New York City fill its budget gap as state spending talks continue.

• Rules and Regs: The state has adopted new regulations around what’s required of utilities when gas supply is constrained, including an eye on alternatives.

• New York’s regulations around its tax credit for film productions are getting a proposed overhaul now open for public comment.

• New Bills of Note: A new bill would require the state to maintain a public database of spending earmarked by specific lawmakers in the state budget.

Names in today’s CapCon: Amanda Lefton, Richard M. Platkin, Kathy Hochul, Zohran Mamdani, Barry Diller, Brahvan Ranga, Phil Steck, Luis Sepúlveda, Tony Simone, James Skoufis

Today’s Capitol Confidential is sponsored by Environmental Defense Fund

New Yorkers are tired of the fossil fuel price roller coaster🎢. Let’s deliver more clean energy and more savings. Legislators: Follow through on our climate law.

⚖️ DEC didn’t comply with New York’s environmental review law in authoring regulations, judge rules

This one has a bit of irony to it.

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In today’s CapCon:

• Hochul rolled out a new initiative to combat auto insurance fraud Wednesday but was interrupted by hecklers — who she then defended.

• Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for governor, is suing the state over its decision to deny his campaign public matching funds.

• Lawmakers in Congress are seeking information from the IRS after reporting, including from the Times Union, showed nonprofits involved in political activity.

• ‘Big shoes to fill’: Lawmakers react to the surprise retirement of Assembly Majority Leader Crystal People-Stokes.

• New Bills of Note: A new private right of action over conversion therapy, paid sick leave for delivery app drivers and clarifying New York’s insurance law.

Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul, Bruce Blakeman, Mike Gianaris, Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Leah Halton-Pope, Carl E. Heastie, Joe Morelle, Latrice Walker, John T. McDonald III, James Skoufis, Jabari Brisport, Jamaal Bailey, Gustavo Rivera, Amy Paulin

Today’s Capitol Confidential is sponsored by Environmental Defense Fund

New Yorkers are tired of the fossil fuel price roller coaster🎢. Let’s deliver more clean energy and more savings. Legislators: Follow through on our climate law.

🗣️ Hochul defends hecklers while highlighting auto insurance proposals

It was a quiet day at the state Capitol but not in New York City, where Gov. Kathy Hochul encountered a group of protesters at a press event.

Hochul was highlighting her proposals targeted at reducing car insurance rates during a visit to the International Auto Show in Manhattan. I’ve written more than once about her proposals related to payouts after a crash.

She rolled out another plank of that plan Wednesday that was included in her State of the State but didn’t need to be carved into her executive budget proposal.

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In today’s CapCon:

• Another state budget extender was approved Tuesday. Here’s what’s holding up talks and when lawmakers will be back at the state Capitol.

• The later state budget talks drag, the bigger a specific problem grows for Democrats in the state Legislature. (It’s not their pay.)

• Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger has suffered a mild stroke but is expected to make a full recovery.

• Bills on the Move: Democrats in both chambers have now passed two parts of Hochul’s executive budget proposal as standalone bills.

• New Bills of Note: The state would be required to create a reporting system and database for road defects under a newly introduced bill.

• Bills With New Amendments: A newly amended bill would prohibit mortgage lenders from penalizing borrowers who make more frequent payments.

Names in today’s CapCon: Mike Gianaris, Carl E. Heastie, Kathy Hochul, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, J. Gary Pretlow, Phil Palmesano, Zohran Mamdani, Edward P. Ra, Liz Krueger, Andrew Hevesi, James Skoufis, Amy Paulin, Andrew Gounardes, Emerita Torres

Today’s Capitol Confidential is sponsored by Environmental Defense Fund

New Yorkers are tired of the fossil fuel price roller coaster🎢. Let’s deliver more clean energy and more savings. Legislators: Follow through on our climate law.

💰 Lawmakers approve week-long extender with no state budget in sight

I happened to catch Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie on the way out of a meeting Tuesday morning with Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.

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In today’s CapCon:

• I asked the auto insurance companies who’ve lobbied on Hochul’s cost-savings proposals how much they would cut premiums for policy holders.

• Here’s what each of them said — and didn’t say — as a response to my inquiry, including whether they would commit to lowering those costs.

• Hochul, meanwhile, says she’s taking a hard look at whether to cut the state’s profit cap for auto insurers as another way to provide relief.

• New Bills of Note: A new bill would bolster New York’s emergency management resources by partnering with nearby states and provinces.

• Bills With New Amendments: A newly amended bill would allow more people to enter the child care workforce.

Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul, Lisa Stewart, Cassandra Anderson, Andrew Hevesi, Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, Jamaal Bailey

Today’s Capitol Confidential is sponsored by Environmental Defense Fund

New Yorkers are tired of the fossil fuel price roller coaster🎢. Let’s deliver more clean energy and more savings. Legislators: Follow through on our climate law.

🚗 Will car insurance companies actually lower costs if Hochul’s proposals pass? I asked them

There are times when I forget that, as a journalist, I’m allowed to ask private companies questions in the public interest.

That’s what I remembered last week when I learned that Democrats in the state Legislature weren’t convinced car insurance companies would lower costs for consumers if a set of proposals from Gov. Kathy Hochul become law.

Read more

In today’s CapCon:

• With the penny no longer in production, New York lawmakers are moving a bill to give businesses guidance to avoid short-changing customers.

• Arrests made by ICE agents in New York spiked from November to January, new data analyzed by the Times Union shows.

• A former president of the Public Employees Federation has died after a car crash.

• Bills on the Move: Both chambers have passed a bill to combat bonus wage theft and bills that would require more detailed decisions from judges and give workers access to their personnel records are on the move.

• New Bills of Note: Loans disguised as checks would be prohibited in New York under a recently amended bill; a newly introduced bill targets the energy grid.

• At the Capitol: What we know about what’s happening next week at the state Capitol.

• This Week in New York History: The first U.S. House speaker and the first dance marathon

Names in today’s CapCon: John McDonald, Donald J. Trump, Paula Kay, James Skoufis, Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, Andrew Gounardes, Jo Anne Simon, Luis Sepulveda, Landon Dais, Rachel May, Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, Angelo Santabarbara

🪙 How New York could have businesses handle the phaseout of the penny

Assemblyman John T. McDonald III, a Democrat from Albany County, agrees with President Donald J. Trump on at least one thing: the penny’s days are over.

“He’s right. It costs us 3.5 cents to make a penny.” McDonald said. “The penny has to go off into the sunset.”

The federal government stopped production of new pennies last November for that reason. At the time, the cost of producing a penny had risen to 3.69 cents, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

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• Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to expand access to child care is missing a key plank that could jeopardize its success, stakeholders say.

• Rules and Regs: New York is significantly expanding three state programs that help municipalities fund infrastructure changes to reduce carbon emissions.

• The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision is seeking to change regulations around contraband drugs and disciplinary measures.

• Bills on the Move: The state Senate and Assembly have passed a bill that would require the Hochul administration to set new lead hazard standards.

• New Bills of Note: New York’s mandate for school districts to purchase electric buses exclusively starting in 2027 would be delayed by a new Democrat-sponsored bill.

Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul, Dede Hill, Pete Nabozny, Marina Marcou-O’Malley, Carl E. Heastie, Daniel F. Martuscello III, Julia Salazar, Cordell Cleare, Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Chris Ryan, James Skoufis, Angelo Santabarbara

💰 What else Hochul’s child care plan needs to be successful, according to stakeholders

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democrats in the state Legislature have not yet begun to hammer out the details of what’s expected to be an agreement to expand access to child care in New York.

That’s good news for some advocates, who say the plan proposed by Hochul in January and largely favored by Democrats in the state Legislature is missing a key plank that could jeopardize its success.

Those advocates don’t oppose Hochul’s plan. They support it but they view it as a foundation for investments that could be made in this year’s state budget to ensure the state’s efforts to reach universal access to child care succeed.

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• Hochul is holding up the immigrant protections package, lawmakers say.

• Immigrant advocates blocked entrances to both chambers of the state Legislature Wednesday.

• State Budget Director Blake Washington stopped by with an update on talks about Tier 6 changes, corporate tax hikes and the Climate Act.

• Democrats may have found a solution for more than 400,000 people in New York set to lose health coverage.

Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul, Karines Reyes, Gustavo Rivera, Tony Simone, Blake Washington, Brendan J. Lyons, Amy Paulin, Donald J. Trump, Elisabeth Benjamin, Carl E. Heastie

🗣️ Lawmakers say Hochul is the obstacle to an immigrant protections package

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democrats in the state Legislature have said for months they want to approve a package of new immigrant protection bills as soon as possible.

Despite that desire, negotiations around such a package have languished in recent weeks.

Several Democrats in the state Legislature rallied at the state Capitol Wednesday morning with a unified message on what’s behind the impasse. It’s Hochul, they said.

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• The first of what could be several state budget extenders passed Tuesday with a deal between Gov. Kathy Hochul and lawmakers not expected anytime soon.

• Here are 5 things to know about state budget talks as negotiations continue.

• Employees at a lobbying firm that was hired by Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs donated to her campaign last year, as did some of their family members.

• Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman was denied public campaign matching funds by a state board Tuesday.

• But Blakeman has also narrowed Hochul’s lead in the race for governor, suggesting momentum for his muted campaign. (Free link)

Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul, Dorcey Applyrs, Bruce Blakeman, Liz Krueger, Tom O’Mara, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Ashley Ranslow, Edward P. Ra, Chris Ryan

🚨 CapCon Note: As state budget talks continue, I’m curious about what I’m not covering that you view as important to the state’s spending plan, particularly if there’s a disagreement or conflict you think has flown under the radar.

I also want to know what topics outside of the state budget you want to read more about. Let me know by replying to this email. Thanks!

💰 The first state budget extender has passed as talks drag between Hochul and Democrats

It’s the final day of the state fiscal year in New York. That means the state budget is due.

But without an agreement with Gov. Kathy Hochul, Democrats in the state Legislature approved the first state budget extender of the year Tuesday. It will keep state workers paid through next Tuesday, April 7.

While lawmakers will return to the Capitol for a few hours Wednesday, they won’t return again until next Tuesday, when a new spending plan or budget extender will be due.

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👋Timothy Fanning and Brendan J. Lyons here, filling in for Dan Clark.

• Albany’s mayor, whose office is steps from the Capitol, broke precedent when she tapped a lobbying firm.

• Gov. Kathy Hochul’s feud with the influential trial lawyers lobbying group got a little spicier.

• A new report says insurance changes could be a boon to local governments.

• The state comptroller’s office is disputing that taxpayers should have to pay more than $700,000 in legal fees to attorneys for Cuomo’s former secretary.

• Bills on the move: A bill that adds age verification for online platforms used by minors is scheduled to move through committee this week.

• New bills of note: Three new bills of note, including additional protections for sellers who break the rules on Amazon and other online marketplaces.

• At the Capitol: The state Senate budget extender bill is expected to drop soon. And heads up, some Senate committee meetings have either been postponed or had time changes.

Names in today’s CapCon: Dorcey Applyrs, Jerry Jennings, Zipporah Hommel, John T. McDonald III, William F. Brazill, David N. Wineraub, Ike Brannon, Andrew M. Cuomo, Melissa DeRosa.

💰 Albany mayor, whose office is steps from the Capitol, hires lobbying firm

From Brendan J. Lyons

Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs earlier this month ordered a hiring freeze as she warned that a $15 million budget deficit could swell to $22 million in the next fiscal year without action. Her administration also ordered department heads to begin crafting plans on how to trim their budgets up to 15%.

The austerity measures were announced a couple weeks after Applyrs had taken the unusual step of hiring the Albany-based lobbying firm Brown & Weinraub Advisors to “provide legislative and regulatory representation in New York state.”

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• New York outlined its reasoning for approving the controversial NESE pipeline in a new court filing this week.

• Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democrats in the state Legislature have reached a three-way deal on a pair of health care bills.

• Budget Brief: Hochul is getting support for her proposed changes to the state’s Climate Act mandates from co-op and condo owners in New York City.

• New Bills of Note: Senate Health Chair Gustavo Rivera has introduced legislation to address the loss of Affordable Care Act premium tax credits.

• Bills on the Move: A bill to allow body scanners in youth detention facilities has cleared a key hurdle and both chambers have passed a bill to require health insurance coverage of lactation consulting services.

Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul, Gustavo Rivera, Carl E. Heastie, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Erik Dilan, Jamaal Bailey, Amy Paulin, Toby Ann Stavisky, Jane Menton, Andrew Hevesi, James Skoufis, Julia Salazar, Luis Sepulveda,

⚖️ New York defends permit approval for controversial NESE pipeline

When New York decided in November to approve permits for a controversial natural gas pipeline to run from New Jersey to Queens, environmental advocates were stunned.

New York had previously rejected permits for the Northeast Supply Enhancement Project. Based on those prior rejections, the advocates decided to ask a federal appellate court to invalidate the state’s approval of the pipeline last year.

The case is now before the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, where attorneys for New York filed a brief this week outlining the state’s justification for its approval of the pipeline’s permits.

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In today’s CapCon:

• A state budget deal is not expected to come together before the April 1 deadline or soon after, top lawmakers said Thursday, with two top sticking points.

• Wall Street bonuses rose again last year, reflecting record profits in the industry, the state comptroller’s office said.

• Rules and Regs: New York’s medical cannabis industry is expected to soon be subject to new regulations intended to expand access.

• Rules and Regs: New York requires entities that produce a lot of food waste to donate or recycle it. New rules would subject more entities to that law.

• New Bills of Note: New York isn’t liable for damages to vehicles caused by road defects. A new bill aims to hold the state accountable.

• Bills on the Move: The Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act moved through a key committee for the first time since Hochul vetoed it in 2023.

Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul, Michael Gianaris, Liz Krueger, J. Gary Pretlow, Carl E. Heastie, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Thomas P. DiNapoli, Andrew Hevesi, James Skoufis, Latrice Walker, Andrew Gounardes, Karines Reyes

News on the state budget, including proposals, negotiations and results.

🗓️ The earliest to expect a state budget deal, per top lawmakers

If you were still holding out hope that Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democrats in the state Legislature would reach a state budget deal by the April 1 deadline, I have bad news.

Lawmakers in both chambers gaveled out Thursday afternoon and went home to their districts with no expectation that such an agreement would materialize by the time they’re scheduled to return to Albany Monday.

“I can assure everyone here we will not have budget bills completed before the April 1 deadline,” state Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger, a Democrat from Manhattan, said on the floor Thursday.

Krueger was debating the first of 10 budget bills lawmakers will have to approve to finalize the state’s spending plan for the next fiscal year, which begins next Wednesday.

That bill, the debt service bill, passed both chambers of the state Legislature Thursday. It’s always the first to pass because it lays out the state’s debt payments ahead of the start of the new fiscal year.

With the remainder of the state budget bills not expected by then, lawmakers expect to approve an extender of current spending next Tuesday, March 31.

“Normally it would be for a week,” Assembly Ways and Means Chair J. Gary Pretlow said on the floor Thursday. “But the calendar this year is really working against us in this entire budget process.”

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In today’s CapCon:

• Lawmakers said they still haven’t seen language from Hochul’s office on her Climate Act amendments, putting negotiations at an impasse.

• Upstate public transportation agencies made a final push for more funding in this year’s state budget, warning of service interruptions as early as May without it.

• Hochul’s auto insurance proposals have a new set of supporters: disability rights groups and nonprofits who serve those individuals.

• Housing advocates are seeking funding in the budget to expand a housing assistance program for people with HIV and AIDS outside New York City.

• State Police were told not to arrest advocates for immigrant protections who blocked an entrance to the state Capitol Tuesday.

• The first of 10 bills that make up the state budget is expected to pass Thursday.

Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul, Jo Anne Simon, Liz Krueger, Raj Goyle, Pat Fahy, Steve Hawley

🔥 Lawmakers aren’t budging on Hochul’s proposed Climate Act push

Some Democrats in the state Legislature have signaled a willingness to amend New York’s energy and emissions mandates at the request of Gov. Kathy Hochul.

But compared to those who oppose Hochul’s proposed amendments to those mandates, established by the Climate Leadership and Community and Protection Act of 2019, they might as well not exist.

Several of the lawmakers who oppose Hochul’s proposals rallied alongside hundreds of advocates at the state Capitol Wednesday to make their position clear. They did not beat around the bush.

“Nothing we have heard thus far from the governor’s office makes any damn sense,” said Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon, a Democrat from Brooklyn.

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