Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Kathy Hochul

Kathy Hochul

  • What's In, What's Out: 2022 State Legislative Session Ends with Major Policy Decisions

    An Albany rally for abortion rights (photo: Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)


    State lawmakers voted on legislation late into the night Thursday, the scheduled end of the legislative session, and while the State Senate finished its business the Assembly continued passing bills throughout Friday and into Saturday.

    A number of major deals were reached in the final week as the session came to a crescendo, while other marquee proposals fell by the wayside.

    And as of Saturday morning, with the Senate on break but the Assembly still wrapping up business, the fate of at least two

    ...
  • Little Being Done to Address New York’s Prison-to-Shelter Pipeline

    A housing rally (photo:John McCarten/City Council)


    Two out of five people returning to New York City from prison last year were released to a shelter or another placement for homeless adults, according to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS). At roughly 2,050 people, it was enough to fill the largest hotel in midtown Manhattan. They often ended up sleeping on the streets.

    Those inside the so-called prison-to-shelter pipeline say cycling through the criminal legal and shelter systems is destabilizing and dehumanizing as they attempt to reenter

    ...
  • Suozzi, Williams Attack Absent Hochul Throughout Democratic Primary Debate

    Jumaane Williams and Tom Suozzi


    At the first debate of this year’s Democratic primary for governor, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi presented a cordial front to one another on Thursday night even as they sought to distinguish their individual political ideologies. The candidates reserved their barbs for Governor Kathy Hochul, who declined to participate in Thursday’s but has agreed to two upcoming debates.

    Over the course of an hour, Williams and Suozzi expressed their similar and differing positions on various issues confronting New York including gun violence, the

    ...
  • Series of Voting and Election Reforms on Table for Final Days of 2022 State Legislative Session

    Out to vote (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    The likelihood of Albany Democrats getting failed elections reforms back on the ballot in the next two years is dwindling as the end of the state legislative session approaches.

    Despite promising to get back on the horse immediately after a surprising referendum defeat last November, Democrats with supermajorities in both houses of the Legislaturedo not

    ...
  • ‘Running on the Issues People Care About’: Tom Suozzi Makes His Case for Governor Ahead of June Democratic Primary

    Rep. Tom Suozzi (photo: Suozzi's office)


    As he runs for Governor of New York this year, U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi is offering his experience and approach as a “common sense Democrat” to voters in the fast-approaching primary. Suozzi, of Long Island, argues his more than two decades in elected office, including executive and legislative roles, record of accomplishment, and vision for the future of the state differentiate him from his opponents and demonstrate his ability to follow through on his campaign promises.

    “Every politician says ‘I’m gonna do this, I’m gonna do that’,” said Suozzi, who

    ...
  • As End of Albany Session Approaches, Legislators Near Consensus on New York Equal Rights Amendment Including Abortion Protections

    A rally for reproductive rights (photo: Don Pollard / Governor’s Office)


    Momentum is building behind an Equal Rights Amendment to the New York State Constitution that would enshrine reproductive rights and a range of anti-discrimination protections into the state's highest governing document.

    Versions of the amendment have circulated in the Legislature for years without being reconciled among the two chambers, the Senate and Assembly. But it has gained new urgency with the expected U.S. Supreme Court demise of Roe v. Wade, as states look to shore up their own abortion

    ...
  • Adams Makes Progress in Pledge to Expand Earned Income Tax Credit for Low-Income New Yorkers

    Mayor Eric Adams (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    The Earned Income Tax Credit is a boon for low-income New Yorkers, putting hundreds, even thousands of dollars back in their pockets each year. Though it is a federal credit, it is matched by New York City and State, and Mayor Eric Adams made expansion a top priority for his administration as part of his agenda to lift up struggling New Yorkers. This year, at the new mayor’s urging, the state enhanced its EITC and the mayor increased the city’s investment in the credit. 

    ...

  • No Movement on Failed Voting Amendments After New York Democrats Vowed to Try Again

    Voters at the polls (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    After the stunning defeat of two voting-related state constitutional amendments on the ballot last fall, Democrats vowed to reinitiate the multi-year process this legislative session in Albany. But no state lawmaker appears to have introduced legislation this year to amend the New York constitution to allow for same-day voter registration and universal absentee voting, raising the possibility that they may not act at all.

    Barring a

    ...
  • Max Politics Podcast: Tom Suozzi on His Run for Governor

    Tom Suozzi is running for Governor; with Lieutenant Governor running-mate Diana Reyna (photo: @Tom_Suozzi)


    May 12, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Tom Suozzi on His Run for Governor

    Congressman Tom Suozzi joined the show to discuss his run for Governor, in which he's first attempting to win the Democratic primary against Gov. Kathy Hochul and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. Suozzi discussed his qualifications for the top job, the pillars of his campaign, why he believes Hochul does not deserve to be elected to the position for a full term, housing, transit, and

    ...
  • This Train is Not Ready to Leave the Station: Why the State Must Rethink the Plan for Penn

    Penn Station area rendering under current proposal (photo: MTA)


    New York State’s plan to reconstruct and expand Penn Station through a complete redevelopment of the blocks surrounding the station will have one of the most transformational effects on our community for the next century. The current station is the result of one of the worst planning decisions ever made in this city: razing the architectural marvel that was the former Penn Station and replacing it with the claustrophobic underground maze we deal with today. It is critical we use this moment to be bold and

    ...
  • New York Voting Rights Act Begins Moving in Senate But Remains Stalled in Assembly

     

    Voters at the poll-site (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    A sweeping voter protectionbill, theJohn R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York (NYVRA), moved

    ...
  • New York City Electeds, Advocates Outline Priorities for State Climate Action Council

    Mayor Adams and others discuss wind energy plans (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)


    New York’s sweeping Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019 set the state on a path to reaching net-zero emissions over the next three decades. The law established a Climate Action Council that drafted a framework for achieving that goal, and is now more than halfway through the process of seeking public input on its proposed plan. 

    The Council held its seventh public hearing on Tuesday in Brooklyn, out of

    ...
  • Should New York Adopt a Two-Term Limit for Statewide Elected Officials?

    Governor Cuomo sworn in for a third term (photo: office of Andrew Cuomo)


    Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in the early 19th century that "intrigue and corruption are a natural vice of elected governments; but when the head of state can be reelected these vices spread beyond bounds and compromise the very existence of the country.”

    Governor Kathy Hochul apparently agrees. In her January State of the State message, delivered five months after Governor Andrew Cuomo resigned under threat of impeachment and she assumed office, she

    ...
  • Explainer: New York Abortion Rights and Proposals for Additional Pro-Choice Actions

     

    Gov. Hochul speaks at an "abortion justice" event (photo: Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)


    A draft majority opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court, which was leaked and reported on by Politico on Monday, would strike down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that granted a federal constitutional right to an abortion. Though the opinion — on Dobbs v. Jackson

    ...
  • WATCH: Making Sense of the New York Lieutenant Governor Situation

    Gov. Kathy Hochul & Brian Benjamin (photo: Darren McGee/Office of the Governor)


    What's next after Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin's shocking arrest on federal corruption charges and resignation? On a special new episode of Represent NYC from Manhattan Neighborhood Network four experts break it down on the procedural and political fronts. Host Ben Max of Gotham Gazette talks with Susan Lerner of Common Cause NY, Camille Rivera of New Deal Strategies, and Jon Campbell of WNYC radio/Gothamist. Watch:

  • Hochul Announces New State Workforce Development Office

    Gov. Hochul at an announcement (photo: Office of Governor Hochul)


    Governor Kathy Hochul announced the launch of a new state office Tuesday intended to spearhead regional workforce development initiatives across New York.

    The Office of Strategic Workforce Development will be housed under Empire State Development (ESD), the state entity responsible for most major economic development projects. The arrangement is intended to coordinate workforce training programs with employers' needs, especially in growing sectors, as New York continues its economic recovery from the devastation of the

    ...
  • Benjamin's Resignation Shakes Up Democratic Primary for Lieutenant Governor Ahead of June Vote

    Ana Maria Archila, Brian Benjamin, Diana Reyna (l-r)


    This year’s race for New York Lieutenant Governor took a major turn with the recent resignation from office of Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin, who had been in the role less than eight months. Benjamin -- a state senator appointed to the position by Governor Kathy Hochul when she ascended from Lieutenant Governor upon the resignation of then-Governor Andrew Cuomo last August -- resigned after being indicted on federal corruption charges related to a fundraising scandal.

    Hochul's Ordered Review of New York's Covid Response 'Underway'

    Then-Gov. Cuomo & then-Lt. Gov. Hochul (photo: Darren McGee/Governor's Office)


    An internal review of New York State's response to the COVID-19 pandemic is quietly "underway," a spokesperson for Governor Kathy Hochul has confirmed, though what stage it is in remains unclear.

    The governor's office has been tight-lipped about its scope and timeline but acknowledged that a review is being discussed, at least among top administration officials, in response to Gotham Gazette inquiries. Those questions followed Gotham Gazette reporting last month on the possibility of an investigatory

    ...
  • During Earth Week, Advocates Press New York State and City Leaders to Go Bolder on Climate Policy

    Climate action (photo: Paige Polk/Mayoral Photography Office)


    With the global climate crisis heading to the point of no return, dozens of climate activist groups are rallying ahead of Earth Day, April 22, calling on Governor Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature to pass a a raft of bills they say are crucial to the local and global effort to fight climate change, global warming, and their ill effects.

    The bills include efforts to cut carbon emissions, build green infrastructure, reduce the state’s reliance on fossil fuels, prevent harmful cryptocurrency mining, and create tens of thousands of

    ...
  • What's The [Data] Point? $220 Billion, with Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger

    State Senator Liz Krueger (photo: NY Senate Media Services)


    What's The [Data] Point? Episode 117 -- $220 Billion, with State Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger [You can find What's The [Data] Point? wherever you get your podcasts, including on iTunes]

    $220 billion is the reported size of the New York State fiscal year 2023 budget that the Governor and Legislature adopted on April 10. The budget includes a property tax rebate and a tax holiday, and increases State spending about $14 billion, with more money for education aid, day care, rent relief, health care, and a new

    ...
  • 12 Issues to Watch in Albany's Post-Budget Legislative Session

    Legislative leaders Stewart-Cousins and Heastie (photo: Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of the Governor)


    With a whopping $220 billion state budget approved, Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature now move on to the post-budget legislative session with a long list of issues to address. The governor and two legislative majorities, all Democrats, have their own priorities, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams also has unfinished state business that he is hoping to accomplish before the session is over.

    But the clock is ticking, with the legislative session scheduled to end June 2, just

    ...
  • State Budget Roundup: Ethics, Transparency, Spending Accountability, Campaign Finance, and Voting

    Gov. Hochul signs orders (photo: Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of the Governor)


    Good government groups and reform-minded officials have for years called for New York State’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) to be scrapped and replaced with more independence from the elected officials it is meant to regulate. But since the details of a deal to replace the troubled commission began to emerge last month, reformers have raised alarms that the new body would hardly be better than the old.

    A new state ethics commission is one of several measures related to government ethics and

    ...
  • What Adams Did and Didn't Get in His First State Budget as Mayor

    Mayor Adams in Albany (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)


    Governor Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature delivered a $220 billion state budget over the weekend, nine days late and packed with last-minute additions that proved controversial, including changes to state bail laws and a massive state subsidy for a new Buffalo Bills stadium upstate. For Mayor Eric Adams, it contained funding and policy decisions to meet some of the new mayor’s major priorities, while not fulfilling other aspects of his state agenda. 

    State Budget Includes Big Boost for CUNY

    City University of New York (photo: CUNY)


    The $220 billion state budget passed by Governor Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature over the weekend included a significant increase in operational and capital funding for CUNY, the City University of New York that educates roughly 275,000 students across 25 schools.

    The new funding will help cover student tuition assistance, faculty hiring, child care programs, fringe benefits for staffers and more. But while significant, the increase of roughly $240 million in CUNY

    ...
  • Max Politics Podcast: Bob Hardt on the Subway Shooting and Lieutenant Governor's Resignation

    Gov. Hochul announcing Brian Benjamin as her Lt. Gov. (photo: Darren McGee/Office of the Governor)


    April 13, 2022 - Max Politics Podcast: Subway Shooting, Lieutenant Governor Resigns & What's Next in New York Politics

    Bob Hardt, New York political director for Spectrum News, joined the show to discuss the major events of the week: the Brooklyn subway station shooting and the resignation of Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin, and what comes next.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think, on Twitter ...