In unusual move, Albany mayor hires top lobbyist

And we have more details on the budget extender.

Good afternoon — It’s Monday and Doctors’ Day.

👋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.

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Will Waldron/Times Union

💰 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.”