Good afternoon — It’s Thursday and Tourism Day.
In today’s CapCon:
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a state budget agreement Thursday.
Here’s everything we know about the agreement, including auto insurance costs, school aid, SEQRA, immigration policy, protest buffer zones, Climate Act changes, the price of utility bills, 3D gun laws, super speeders and online safety for minors.
But Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie and Democrats in the state Legislature immediately came out against Hochul’s announcement, declaring no deal.
Here’s what they said, including what Heastie says he plans to do in response.
Names in today’s CapCon: Carl E. Heastie, Blake Washington, Andrew Finkelstein, Brian Mahanna, Stephan Edel
News on the state budget, including proposals, negotiations and results.
Hochul at her budget deal announcement Thursday (Timothy Fanning/Times Union)
💰 Deal or no deal: Hochul and lawmakers disagree over status of state budget
The day at the Capitol began with optimism Thursday when Gov. Kathy Hochul announced an agreement with Democrats in the state Legislature on the budget.
“I’m very proud to announce that we’ve reached a general agreement for the fiscal year 2027 state budget,” Hochul said in the Red Room where many of the close-door negotiations have taken place.
She proceeded to lay out a long list of what was included in the agreement, including changes to state law intended to lower the cost of car insurance, respond to a surge in federal immigration enforcement and delay the state’s strategy to combat climate change.
The deal, Hochul said, also includes measures to prevent the proliferation of 3D printed guns, restrict protests around houses of worship and protect children from online predators.
But moments after Hochul’s announcement, Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie had a blunt rebuttal.
“There’s no deal,” Heastie said. “I said to her last night I was comfortable with her saying to you all that we were close. It is close.”
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