New York Public News Network (NYPNN) -- 2025
Paper Trail of Suppression, Protectionism,
Blackballing & Election-Rigging

ILLUSTRATIVE REPORTING --

February 19, 2025
"NY's top court rejects Andrew Cuomo's push to blow up state ethics board"
Gothamist (Jon Campbell)

February 21, 2025
"State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says fellow Democrat and Governor Kathy Hochul’s budget proposal is vulnerable"
WAMC -- Legislative Gazette

March 6, 2025
The Capitol Connection - David Lombardo, Host of The Capitol Pressroom
WAMC (David Guistina)

March 20, 2025
"How the New York state budget is made"
NCPR -- from NY Focus

March 28, 2025
"Talks for NY's $252 billion budget proposal at standstill over pretrial discovery"
Gothamist (Han)

March 29, 2025
"With budget deadline looming, New York Lawmakers continue negotiations"
WAMC (Samantha Simmons, Jimmy Vielkind)
ssimmons@wamc.org

March 31, 2025
"Another late budget, with Washington looming"
WAMC (Blair Horner)

April 1, 2025
"State officials fail to pass a budget on time. North Country reps point finger at Governor Hochul"
North Country NOW (Jeff Chudzinski) Jeff@NorthCountryNow.com

April 1, 2025
"What's holding up the state budget?" -- David Sommerstein
North Country Radio -- Story of the Day
"no jokes here, only the truth..."
"So what's holding up the state budget isn't really budgetary stuff. Gov Hochul and state lawmakers have  struggled to reach consensus on policy items that the Governor has inserted into budget talks...Jimmy Vielkind and Jeongyon Han are two Albany reporters from the NY Public News Network got together to break it all down"." --
not revealling that closed doors...
contrived exchange between Vielkind, Han

April 2, 2025
"Discovery reform..."
WAMC (Jesse King)

April 3, 2025
"Budget deadline missed for sixth straight year"
WAER (Evan Fay)

April 3, 2025
"The Capitol Connection - Jimmy Vielkind, public media reporter at WNYC"
WAMC (David Guistina)

April 4, 2025
"Gov Hochul's public mask ban hits roadblock in state budget talks"
WXXI (Jimmy Vielkind)
"During private talks in the majority Democratic state Senate last week, only a few members of the governor's party spoke in favor of her proposal, according to two officials who were not allowed to speak publicly...."

April 9, 2025
"NY top legislator wants to curb Gov Hochul's power as budget talks stall"
Gothamist (Jon Campbell)

"A top New York lawmaker wants to remove much of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s leverage in the state budget process as negotiations over a more than $250 billion spending plan drag on.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Bronx Democrat, will introduce a bill that would allow state lawmakers to keep receiving their paychecks when they miss the state’s April 1 budget deadline — but only if the governor includes unrelated policy items in her budget proposal.
Gothamist obtained a draft of the legislation Tuesday. A spokesperson for Heastie said the speaker intends to introduce it Wednesday morning. Under current law, the state withholds lawmakers’ pay if a budget isn’t in place by April 1, giving the governor significant leverage once negotiations go into overtime. The lawmakers’ checks are released once a final budget is approved.
Heastie has long expressed frustration with governors inserting unrelated policy measures in the state budget process, which he says distracts from discussions about the budget’s actual dollars and cents. Under his proposal, governors would still be able to propose policy in the budget — but only if they give up their strongest leverage when the budget is late.
'This is why, year after year after year, budgets are late,'Heastie said Tuesday, referring to non-budgetary policy initiatives. 'It's never late because of the numbers — never late.'”

April 10, 2025
"Tariff turmoil could complicate New York's already-late state budget"
Gothamist (Jimmy Vielkind)
-- AUDIO -- "Who cares if the state budget is late?"  Jon Campbell & WNYC's Elizabeth Kim
Heastie -- new proposal speaks to how poorly budget negotiations going on.  He's long railed against governor's inserting policy proposals ...that's what holding up budget now. 

April 10, 2025
"Capital Region lawmakers rue late New York State budget as talks continue"
WAMC  (Samantha Simmons)

April 11, 2025
"New York's budget is on track to be two weeks late"
contrived exchange -- Vielkind -- Han --
Heastie proposal -- introduced; legislators will get paid if because of policy
also interview with Reinvent Albany-Keany -- "nonprofit that pushes for more transparency"
3 people in the room -- built in feature; NY not really bad i n that way
discussion all private -- in chambers, decisions have been made; 
less public debate on budget than everyday unexciting bills
"it is very secretive, the entire process"; "basically an undemocratic and opaque process"; 
but why would lawmakers vote to make it more transparent? -- Guistina
open up the process more;  budget and budget process has become the monster that eats everything.
Goveernor's power grows more and more -- budget -- Governor has

because of some state, highest court of decisions -- Pataki -- could put policy in the budget & legislature can't strip it out"
 
Legislative Gazette -- David Guistina  WRVO --Samantha Simmons
comments: Blake Washington; McDonald;
--working through policy initiatives; McDonald:  long standing position not putting policy into budget -- it would never survive on the floor"; Ashby: "policy...worth it because distress issues have caused"; Fahey:  "all the senate and assembly can do is amend. It's frustrating..."; 

April 14, 2025 --
"Story of the Day" -- "The state of play in Albany" David Sommerstein -- Vielkind -- Han
"Albany has this wierd tradition..."  (4min/40 secs) (same as above) 

May 2, 2025
"NY lawmakers say they still lack details despite announced budget agreement"
WAMC (Jesse King)

May 3, 2025
"New York lawmakers continue to hash out details of the $254 billion state budget, says WNYC's Jon Campbell"
WAMC Samantha Simmons

"Religious school reprieve from NY education standards to be included in state budget"
Jimmy Vielkind

May 9, 2025
"Morning Headlines: New York Lawmakers Agree on State Budget..."
WNYC Now  (Michael Hill)
$17 million more than last year's

May 9, 2025
"New York lawmakers approve $254B budget as Trump cuts loom"
Gothamist (Jon Campbell)
"The budget relies on more than $90 billion in federal funds"

May 10, 2025
"New York State has a budget. State Assemblyman Scott Bendett weighs in"
WAMC (Samantha Simmons)

May 10, 2025
"NY Sen. Skoufis targets Gov. Hochul for 'disgraceful' budget process"
WAMC (Jesse King)
"There is a constitutional imbalance in budget negotiations....Now high time for the legislature to do something about it. 
advance constitutional amendment to fix imbalance;
typically get a surge in nominations...with rare exceptions do we not confirm nominees...

May 28, 2025
The Capitol Connection - State Senator Liz Krueger
WAMC -- David Guistina

May 29, 2025
"Your Guide to the June 2025 NYC primary elections"
Brigid Bergin, Elizabeth Kim, Maia Hibbet