New York state lawmakers want to keep their foot on the gas — er, accelerator pedal.
Senate and Assembly Democrats are so far rejecting Governor Kathy Hochul’s push for a budget-season rollback of the state’s climate mandates.
NEW: President Donald Trump’s historic cuts to federal benefits put massive holes in New York’s safety net. But while budget proposals from the Senate and Assembly would beef up the state’s investments in health care and food security, neither would fully avert the fallout.
NEW: The state legislature is proposing a major increase in funding to help immigrants defend themselves in court amid President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
nysfocus.com/2026/03/11/i...
In January, Governor Hochul unveiled proposals to cut red tape for home builders and give tax breaks to affordable housing operators. The state Senate’s budget proposal, released Monday night, includes variants of both proposals. The Assembly’s proposal didn’t include either measure.
NEW: State lawmakers have signed off on the governor’s sweeping child care plan with few changes, but they remain divided on how to best fund New York schools.
NEW: Since New York tacked an extra fee onto auto insurance bills to help the state combat auto theft and insurance fraud, the fee has multiplied tenfold — from $1 to $10.
But a smaller and smaller proportion of those fees has gone specifically toward addressing fraud and theft.
NEW: With the deadline to pass New York’s state budget legislation less than a month away, governing bodies aren’t battling over the criminal justice system as they have in the past.
Yet they also aren’t proposing major reforms.
NEW: While lawmakers await Hochul’s next move on potential larger climate rollbacks, the two chambers’ unified push for a fresh $1 billion clean energy fund — a key demand from advocates — sets up this year’s clearest fight over New York’s next steps on the green transition.
if anyone is taking the train to/from albany today or for the next few weeks...there is a secret surprise at the amtrak station. if you see it, text me.
nysfocus.com/newsletter
NEW: Measures to speed up housing construction and incentivize the repair of affordable housing are gaining momentum in the state budget process, but the state Assembly could be the holdout.
nysfocus.com/2026/03/10/n...
NEW: In their budget proposals released Monday night, the state Senate and Assembly both included tax increases for high earners and corporations.
They’re both similar in scope to the legislature’s proposals last year.
nysfocus.com/2026/03/10/s...
NEW: Two New York lawmakers called on the state prison agency to investigate apparent suicides and allegations of deteriorating conditions at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, following New York Focus reporting last week that three people died over four weeks at the women’s prison.
In case you’re not up to speed on the fight over New York’s climate law, here’s my primer as we enter Albany’s budget crunch time: nysfocus.com/2026/03/10/c...
NEW: New Yorkers’ energy bills are spiking, and moving ahead with the state’s climate law is only going to make things worse, Kathy Hochul says.
What is Hochul proposing? We don't know.
nysfocus.com/2026/03/10/c...
NEW: State lawmakers gave their stamp of approval to many of the tax increases pushed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, adding fuel to his campaign to pressure Governor Kathy Hochul into approving the revenue-raisers.
nysfocus.com/2026/03/10/s...
This year’s budget could reshape pre-K access across New York.
nysfocus.com/2026/03/09/u...
New York Focus reached out to all 49 school districts that offered no state-supported pre-K at all.
Many of those superintendents said the same thing: There’s not enough state money, space, or private providers to share the load.
nysfocus.com/2026/03/09/u...
Dozens of school districts have opted out of the state’s universal pre-K program.
Will the governor’s proposed funding boost be enough to help school districts close the gaps?
Funding local news is more important than ever, and it will take a village to succeed. Join us in our work to rebuild local journalism as a pillar of democracy in New York.
nysfocus.com/donate
New York Focus reached out to all 49 school districts that offered no state-supported pre-K at all.
Many of those superintendents said the same thing: There’s not enough state money, space, or private providers to share the load.
New York state has long subsidized public pre-K with the goal of making it available to all 4-year-olds. But roughly 4,600 eligible kids didn’t have the option to apply for a state-funded seat last school year.
Get the best of New York Focus in your inbox. Sign up for our daily newsletter and weekly roundup to receive reporting updates, behind-the-scenes peeks into our newsroom, communications about live events, and more.
nysfocus.com/newsletter
NEW: Dozens of school districts have opted out of the state’s universal pre-K program.
Will the governor’s proposed funding boost be enough to help school districts close the gaps?
Three people have died at Bedford Hills, NY's maximum security prison for women, in the last four weeks. Two of them died by suicide amid deteriorating conditions at the prison, according to currently and formerly incarcerated people I spoke to for @nysfocus.bsky.social
In January, @jesswash.bsky.social wrote about the conditions at Bedford Hills, which local experts say are akin to solitary confinement. interc.pt/45tpHAE
Over his more than two decades as a clean energy entrepreneur and commentator, Jigar Shah has established himself as one of the most prominent voices calling for a more decentralized, flexible grid.
He sat down with New York Focus for a Q&A:
nysfocus.com/2026/02/28/v...
Funding local news is more important than ever, and it will take a village to succeed. Join us in our work to rebuild local journalism as a pillar of democracy in New York.
nysfocus.com/donate
Funding local news is more important than ever, and it will take a village to succeed. Join us in our work to rebuild local journalism as a pillar of democracy in New York.
nysfocus.com/donate
Get the best of New York Focus in your inbox. Sign up for our daily newsletter and weekly roundup to receive reporting updates, behind-the-scenes peeks into our newsroom, communications about live events, and more.
nysfocus.com/newsletter
