Dan Clark

Gianaris, deputy Senate leader, won't seek reelection: 'A new role' And state cannabis regulators sent a bill to lawmakers to fix the school distance debacle.

Gianaris is leaving the state Legislature and Ra is stepping up. Here's your Monday CapCon: www.capitolconfidential.com/p/gianaris-d...

- Blakeman has a running mate (for real this time)
- What's up at the Cap tomorrow
- The cannabis school distance debacle now has a fix
- & more

Nassau County's own Ed Ra was chosen as the new Republican leader in the state Assembly Monday, succeeding Will Barclay. Here's what Ra said: www.timesunion.com/capitol/arti...

Hochul to issue second pocket veto since becoming governor And here's what's up at the Capitol next week, including a Mamdani visit.

Hochul intends to issue her second pocket veto since becoming governor www.capitolconfidential.com/p/hochul-to-...

- What's up at the Cap next week, including a Mamdani visit
- a SUNY connection to the Winter Olympics
- & more

Child care, Raise the Age and SNAP fraud eyed by New York lawmakers And Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay is stepping down.

Child care, Raise the Age and SNAP fraud eyed by New York lawmakers
www.capitolconfidential.com/p/child-care...

- Barclay stepping down and leaving after 23 years
- New cyber regs for utilities proposed
- & more today

CLARK: You had said I think last year, November, December, that you wanted to engage with the legislature on those climate mandates, the 2030, 2040, 2050, from the Climate Act. Have you talked to them about that? Is that something that’s still on the table? And is that something that you want as part of the budget this year possibly? HOCHUL: What I want and what I have to deal with are two different things. I wanted to meet those goals, okay? They’re great, it’s always fun to be nation-leading. But two dynamics here. One is that the legislature, before my time, put in place a measurement standard that is only used by one other state. And if we were not held to a stricter standard for engaging emissions, we have, more than you need to know, but 20 years versus 100 years, we’d be one of the top in the nation for reducing greenhouse emissions. We’d be almost number one. But we’re held to a very different standard. It’s like, why is that? ‘Cause we’re always gonna look like we’re coming up short despite our best efforts. So that’s the dynamic over there. In terms of hitting the goals, if we miss it by three years, yeah, judge says we’re not in compliance. What would you like me to do about the fact that we had a pandemic that cut

In terms of hitting the goals, if we miss it by three years, yeah, judge says we’re not in compliance. What would you like me to do about the fact that we had a pandemic that cut off supply chain networks that were supposed to be building more of our wind and offshore wind and onshore wind, as well as transmission, that all stopped during the pandemic. You come out of the pandemic, you’re now dealing with inflation. You come out of inflation, although it’s not quite out of it, now you’re dealing with Trump tariffs, which affect the cost of all the supplies to build out the infrastructure to deliver the energy that was hoped for back in 2019 when this was passed. I just say to the legislature and others, where am I gonna go? I’m trying my best to meet these goals. They’re great, fine. But change the calculation will look a lot better. We met our goals a year early for community solar, but that’s because Donald Trump didn’t eliminate it. And he didn’t take away the incentives. If you take away the financial incentives for wind and solar from the federal government, they’re not gonna build wind and solar. CLARK: And electric cars too. HOCHUL: That’s right. All of our electrification efforts, they’re great goals. I want to meet them desperately. We just have to look at what options are on the table. I have to deal in reality.

… CLARK: So on the climate goals, would you rather, I don’t know, what’s your dream scenario? Do you want to renegotiate the dates of them, or would you rather renegotiate the formula for accounting? Or both? HOCHUL: For my all-of-the-above approach. CLARK: Yeah, this is your all-above approach. HOCHUL: These are the conversations I want to have with the legislature. I don’t want to get ahead of it because this is something that they’re very proud of, and I have to recognize that this is something that is hard for people to change when they really believe in something they did. I get that. I’m just gonna be having conversations with them on, okay, let’s look at the reality. What do you think we should be doing differently? How are we gonna get power? how I’m gonna power this state and make sure, because I have to focus on affordability. I have to focus on resiliency. I cannot have this state go dark.

Hochul, speaking to @danclarkreports.bsky.social just now, makes clear that she wants to change NY’s emissions accounting standards and maybe revisit other CLCPA deadlines.

“We’re held to a very different standard… we’re always gonna look like we’re coming up short despite our best efforts”

Heastie, Stewart-Cousins react to Hochul's new ICE proposal And a judge in Brooklyn has resigned over alleged 'financial impropriety.'

Heastie, Stewart-Cousins react to Hochul's new ICE proposal www.capitolconfidential.com/p/heastie-st...

New York's pandemic price gouging rules are finally here And NYSED will soon publish a report on Hochul's universal pre-K plan.

At the start of the pandemic, price-gouging became a major concern in New York. Lawmakers passed a law allowing the AG's office to write new regs to strengthen enforcement against price-gouging in response.

Those regs were finally adopted this week: www.capitolconfidential.com/p/new-yorks-...

New York's climate mandates face uncertain future And the state's utility regulator has an eye on New Jersey's recent actions to benefit ratepayers.

New York's climate mandates are facing an uncertain future www.capitolconfidential.com/p/new-yorks-...

- NY looking at NJ utility relief actions
- Lawmakers rally for immigrant protections
- State Senate GOP's affordability report
- At the Cap for Jan. 29
- & more

New York projected to lose 2 seats in Congress, new data shows And fears remain high for New York's farmers, the state's agriculture commissioner said.

New York's population grew for a third consecutive year but not enough to stave off the likely loss of 2 seats in Congress, new census data released Tuesday shows www.capitolconfidential.com/p/new-york-p...

- Farmers fear ICE raids in NY
- Rikers remediator named
- At the Cap tomorrow
- & more

Redistricting is back in New York. Here's what's next. And lawmakers clashed with Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration Thursday over new Con Ed rates.

Redistricting has been ordered to reopen in New York. Here's what's next in that and what the potential outcomes could be www.capitolconfidential.com/p/redistrict...

- Lawmakers and the PSC clashed over Con Ed rate hikes
- The NYGOP HQ in Albany was broken into last night
- & more

Redistricting is back in New York. Here's what's next. And lawmakers clashed with Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration Thursday over new Con Ed rates.

Redistricting has been ordered to reopen in New York. Here's what's next in that and what the potential outcomes could be www.capitolconfidential.com/p/redistrict...

- Lawmakers and the PSC clashed over Con Ed rate hikes
- The NYGOP HQ in Albany was broken into last night
- & more

What you missed in Hochul's budget, line-by-line Here are more than 20 proposals that have been overlooked.

Here are more than 20 items in Hochul's executive budget proposal that you might have missed www.capitolconfidential.com/p/what-you-m...

Among them are profit caps for traveling nurse agencies, an overhauled Financial Disclosure form for elected officials, rules on fake retail sales and more.

READ: Hochul's 2026 state budget book and toplines Here's the full book on Hochul's $260 billion proposed state budget.

READ: Hochul's 2026 state budget book and toplines
www.capitolconfidential.com/p/read-hochu...

New York lawmakers plot more AI regulations after RAISE Act And could New York create new counties? A new bill would make it possible.

New York lawmakers are far from done with regulations for AI tools, a hearing Thursday showed www.capitolconfidential.com/p/new-york-l...

- A new bill (from a Democrat) would allow NY to create new counties
- Pension fund follows the rules, report finds
- & more today

Bruce Blakeman visits the state Capitol to rebut Hochul's 2026 agenda And environmentalists have a new top priority for this year's legislative session.

Bruce Blakeman was at the Capitol today to rebut Hochul's State of the State. But what's he looking for in a lieutenant governor? www.capitolconfidential.com/p/bruce-blak...

- Environmentalists target data centers
- New Senate Judiciary and Econ. Dev. chairs
- On The Bill: The REST Act
& more

Hochul targets utilities over New York's high energy bills Hochul’s proposals show a state government that’s clearly skeptical of the business practices of those companies.

Hochul is targeting utility companies over New York's high energy bills
www.timesunion.com/state/articl...

What's in Hochul's 2026 State of the State agenda We went through the 161-page book to save you time.

What's in Hochul's 2026 State of the State agenda
www.capitolconfidential.com/p/whats-in-h...

(Sorry, arrived in inboxes a few hours ago. Subscribe if you don't get it!)

New York lawmakers target utility companies over increased costs And ending all odd-year elections is still on the table, lawmakers say.

Democrats in New York say they have the momentum to do something about rising utility bills this year www.capitolconfidential.com/p/new-york-l...

- Moving all local elex to even years still on the table
- Hochul's chat with Robert Brooks' family
- Delgado qualifies for matching funds
- & more

New York's high car insurance costs eyed by Hochul And U.S. Rep. John Mannion's Republican opponent has suspended his campaign.

Hochul will announce a plan to curb high car insurance rates through the courts www.capitolconfidential.com/p/new-yorks-...

- A $3.75b clean water investment
- At the Capitol next week
- John Mannion's GOP challenger drops out
- Privacy at pregnancy centers
- & more

Hochul, lawmakers push ICE opposition ideas after Minnesota shooting And a federal judge says John A. Sarcone's appointment as U.S. attorney was unlawful.

Hochul and lawmakers are pushing ICE opposition ideas after the fatal shooting in Minnesota www.capitolconfidential.com/p/hochul-law...

- Here's a portal of 15+ immigrant protection bills lawmakers have intro'd
- John Sarcone's appointment was unlawful, judge rules
- & a lot more today

New York's 2026 legislative session has begun at the state Capitol And another State of the State proposal from Hochul.

What happened in Albany on the first day of the 2026 legislative session www.capitolconfidential.com/p/new-yorks-...

- Hochul unveiled another SOTS proposal
- CapCon Q&A: Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins
- Here's the new RAISE Act language

What you're missing at the CapCon Pro launch event! We still have a few chairs open if you want to swing by.

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and various lawmakers, lobbyists and dedicated subscribers will be here!

Things kick off at 4 p.m.

Hochul teases State of the State protest buffer zones proposal And New York plans to sue the Trump administration over child care funding.

A second State of the State proposal has entered the villa www.capitolconfidential.com/p/hochul-tea...

- NY will sue Trump over child care funding
- Hochul & DEC not happy re: Constitution Pipeline
- Goldman vs. Lander
- A new bill on START-UP. Another on coercive control
- & more

New York pipeline project seeks to skip the state's review And here's a rundown of the first day of session Wednesday.

The Constitution Pipeline project has been revived (again) www.capitolconfidential.com/p/new-york-p...

- What to expect on the 1st day of session
- Bills to curb sports-betting and modernize fortune-telling
- & more

5 things to expect from the 2026 legislative session in New York The new legislative session begins next week. Here are 5 things to expect this year.

Here are 5 things you can expect to be part of the 2026 legislative session in New York www.capitolconfidential.com/p/5-things-t...

5 things that shaped New York politics in 2025 And a full list of the 715 bills introduced this year since the end of session.

- 5 things that shaped New York politics in 2025
- Full list: 715 bills intro'd since end of session, categorized
- Republicans use Mamdani to challenge even-year elections
www.capitolconfidential.com/p/5-things-t...

New York isn't done with prison overhaul, state lawmakers say ahead of 2026 Lawmakers intend to pursue new legislation next year targeted at New York’s prisons and the people who live and work within them.

State lawmakers say they're not done with prison overhaul in New York
www.timesunion.com/state/articl...

Hochul expected to veto final undecided bill on judicial districts And overdose deaths have declined in New York for a second year.

Hochul is expected to veto a bill that would add and reshuffle judicial districts upstate www.capitolconfidential.com/p/hochul-exp...

- Overdose deaths are down
- Bottle bill in the budget?
- & more

New York courts explore how AI fits into the justice system And New York's ethics agency has set its legislative agenda for 2026.

New York's judiciary is exploring how AI could be used in the state's court system, per its new budget request www.capitolconfidential.com/p/new-york-c...

- COELIG's legislative agenda
- NYC-DSA expands its slate of Assembly endorsements
- & more

Hochul blindsided by White House halting of offshore wind projects And we have a new candidate for state Senate in Manhattan.

Hochul said Monday she was blindsided by the Trump administration's decision to halt two offshore wind projects
www.capitolconfidential.com/p/hochul-bli...

- Republicans rally around Blakeman, Hochul opines on Stefanik
- @ebottcher is running for state Senate
- Only 1 bill left for Hochul
& more