State budget deal 'very close' with handshake agreement possible

And the Trump administration is suing Rochester over its "sanctuary city" policies.

Good afternoon — it’s Friday, and Arbor Day.

In today’s CapCon:

• A budget deal hadn’t been announced Friday afternoon … but that doesn’t mean a handshake agreement is off the table before Monday.

• Legislative leaders met with Hochul on Friday morning before heading back to brief their conferences. But that briefing was not a deal.

• Here’s what to expect Monday and next week, including the first meeting of the year for the Senate Ethics Committee.

• The city of Rochester is being sued by the Trump administration over its “sanctuary city” policies.

• A new bill would open more opportunities for victims injured by toxins to file a lawsuit against the entity allegedly liable.

Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Carl Heastie, Malik Evans, Hector LaSalle, Michaelle Solages, Gabriella Romero, Jonathan Jacobson

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The state budget was due April 1. We’re keeping you updated on negotiations around the spending plan.

(Will Waldron/Times Union)

💰 A handshake state budget deal could still happen Friday

The final pieces of the state budget are coming together, and a handshake deal between Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature could be reached within the next several hours.

If that happens, you can expect another CapCon to land in your inbox with that news. If it doesn’t, have a great weekend.

I told you yesterday that there wouldn’t be a final deal announced before Monday based on what we heard from legislative leaders. That’s still true.

But Hochul could do what she did last year and announce a handshake “framework” of a deal before it’s buttoned up. In 2024, there was about a week between when she announced the “framework” and when the budget actually passed.

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said after emerging from a meeting with Hochul and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie that the big issues are just about settled. She was heading to her office to (virtually) brief her conference.