Greetings from Albany, NY  

In this edition, we provide an update on the enacted NYS budget and what to expect during the last week of session.

We Have a Budget 

Just shy of midnight on Wednesday, the $286.5 billion New York State budget passed both houses of the Legislature. The Governor has already signed into law the Article VII legislation, while the remaining appropriations measures are on her desk awaiting signature, with action due by June 9.

This is the latest budget since 2010, leaving the Legislature with just six scheduled session days to address remaining priorities (four days after today).

Overall, the budget delivers major investments in education and infrastructure, while advancing auto insurance reforms, expanding child care access and affordable housing initiatives, and strengthening worker and immigrant protections. It also includes enhancements to public safety, changes to the Tier 6 pension system, and a new tax on nicotine pouches. In addition, it enacts a NYC pied-à-terre tax, pushes back the timeline for key climate measures and objectives, and delays the electric school bus mandate, among other provisions.

Governor Hochul stated, “This Budget includes sweeping changes to lower costs, enhance public safety, protect our communities from federal overreach, and invest in the future of New York families.” 

Several high-profile policy issues emerged as major sticking points throughout this year’s negotiations. Here’s where each issue ultimately landed:

• Immigration protections
  • Prohibits formal working agreements between Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local law enforcement, allows New Yorkers to pursue claims for constitutional rights violations, and designates sensitive locations where ICE cannot enter without a signed warrant;
• Auto insurance reforms
  • Prohibits insurers from using consumer data like zip code, education level and homeownership to set individual premiums, redefines serious injury, among other provisions;
• Housing and infrastructure environmental quality review process
  • Streamlines the review process and exempts certain entities from the review process;
• Modifications to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA)
  • Delays the deadline to implement required regulations to reach designated climate goals;
•  Pied-à-terre tax in NYC
  • Imposes a surcharge on luxury second homes valued at $5 million or more and condominiums valued at $1 million or more;
• Tier 6 pension reform
  • Allows teachers statewide to retire at age 58 after 30 years of service instead of 63, reduces pension contribution requirements for state and public workers, and increases the amount of overtime that can count toward retirement benefits.

Greetings from Albany, NY  

Budget Timeline 

As of May 1st, the New York State budget is just over one month past its deadline, making it one of the later budgets during Governor Hochul’s tenure.

For comparison, last year’s conceptual budget agreement was announced on April 28th and was fully approved by both houses following debates on May 8th.

This week, the Legislature unanimously passed the eighth budget extender, allowing the current spending plan to remain in effect until May 4th. The Senate and Assembly are scheduled to return to Albany for session Monday morning, with a ninth budget extender expected, though its duration remains unclear.  In an informal gathering with the press late today, Governor Hochul indicated that more progress and updates on the budget could be announced next week.

In this edition, we share the latest on the NYS budget, highlight legislators who have announced they will not seek re-election, and recognize a member of our own team for her recent achievement.

Budget Timeline

April 1st marked the deadline for adopting the New York State budget, but the date passed without an agreement. Lawmakers are still actively negotiating as they work to iron out the details.

This week, the Legislature passed the fourth budget extender, allowing the current spending plan to remain in effect until April 20th. The Senate and Assembly are scheduled to return to Albany for regularly scheduled session Monday morning, where sources indicate that another budget extender will likely be needed, though the length of the fifth extender remains unclear at this juncture.

Thus far, all budget extenders have passed unanimously, with the exception of one opposing vote on the most recent extender from Senator Alexis Weik (R – 8), who cited ongoing delays and the lack of table targets. Only time will tell what Monday’s floor discussions will bring and what the vote on the fifth budget extender will be.

Greetings from Albany, NY  

Budget Timeline

As expected, the April 1 deadline for adopting the New York State budget passed without a final agreement. This has become a familiar pattern—over the past five years under Governor Hochul’s leadership, as each budget has been finalized after the deadline. Last year, the budget was enacted 38 days late, slipping into May, though there is hope that this year’s delay will be shorter.

Members from the majority and minority parties hold differing views on the late budget. Senate Finance Committee Chair and member of the majority party, Liz Krueger, has emphasized that while she would prefer an on-time budget, a delayed budget that fully meets the needs of New Yorkers is ultimately better than one that is on time but falls short. Whereas Assembly Minority Leader Ed Ra told reporters it appears there doesn’t seem to be any desire, or any urgency, to meet this deadline.

Greetings from Albany, NY  

In this edition, we bring you up to speed on the budget process: one-house budgets have been released, the first joint budget conference committee meetings are complete, and we spotlight the key issues currently on lawmakers’ minds. 

One-House Budgets

Early last week, the Senate and Assembly released their respective one-house budget proposals, and late last week they adopted their budget resolutions. These proposals respond to the Executive’s budget proposal released in January and outline each chamber’s budget priorities, serving as the starting point for three-way budget negotiations ahead of the April 1st budget deadline.

The proposals highlight several key areas of disagreement between the Legislature and the Governor, including proposed increases in income and corporate taxes, higher Medicaid funding for hospitals and nursing homes, and new regulatory measures affecting utilities and other industries. Lawmakers also declined to include several of the Governor’s policy proposals related to public safety, health care workforce scope-of-practice changes, environmental review reforms intended to accelerate housing development, and certain tax policy changes.

In addition to modifying or omitting portions of the Governor’s budget, both chambers also included new initiatives not proposed in the Executive Budget, such as energy rebate programs, additional tax credits, and new health care and consumer protection measures.

Taxes and climate issues have emerged as major points of contention, underscoring a philosophical divide between the Governor, Senate, and Assembly that may be difficult to resolve. The legislature proposes raising taxes on high income earners and large businesses — especially in the Assembly — while the Governor resists broad tax hikes. On climate, the Governor is pushing to soften or delay parts of the state’s climate law, while the legislature largely pushes back, setting up for tough negotiations over mandates and affordability.

Greetings from Albany, NY  

In this edition, we’re breaking down the latest developments in the Gubernatorial race, spotlighting key special elections, and unpacking where things stand in the New York State budget process. We’ll also take a closer look at which legislators are not seeking re-election, who’s eyeing a new seat, and what all of it means as we head into the next few critical weeks of legislative session.

With important elections happening nationwide, there is much to watch in New York as we head toward the state primaries in June and the general election in November.

Happy New Year – Greetings from Albany, NY

As we turn the page on the past year, this newsletter offers a snapshot of the 2025 legislative session – summarizing key actions and setting the stage for what is on the horizon in 2026.

But first, we would like to pause and take a moment to honor and reflect on the impact and legacy of our dear colleague and friend, Ginger Lynch Landy, former President and Partner at Hodes & Landy. We would like to personally thank you for your kind thoughts and support this past year, particularly during December.

Ginger has been part of the Hodes & Landy team for 25 years and will always be remembered for her dedication, kindness, strong leadership, and passion for this work. We intend to honor Ginger’s legacy and persistence and assure you that the level of Hodes & Landy services and commitment to our clients will continue, just as they have before. We appreciate that she personally chose the Hodes & Landy team to carry on her remarkable legacy, and we are sincerely thankful for the opportunity to serve our clients.

We look forward to working with you in 2026 – it is shaping up to be quite a busy year ahead!

NYS Democratic Primary Updates

Several NYS municipalities held primaries on Tuesday, June 24th the most noteworthy of which resulted in a primary night concession speech by former New York Govenor Andrew Cuomo to Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani as the winner of the Democratic primary for NYC mayor. Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani unexpectedly beat the former Governor by 7 points in the first round of ranked choice voting. Media reports indicate that Cuomo is weighing the feasibility of running as an independent in the general election. The ballot will also include incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, who dodged the Democratic primary and will run on an independent line, and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa.

State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal is on pace to win the Democratic primary for Manhattan Borough President and will likely win election to that office in November leaving his longtime NYS Senate seat open.

In Upstate mayoral races, Albany City Auditor Dorcey Applyrs handily won the Democratic primary for Albany Mayor with 52% of the vote. Dan Cerutti, the next closest challenger, had 28% of the vote. Applyrs is positioned to go on to be Albany’s first Black mayor. In Buffalo, State Senator Sean Ryan secured the Democratic nomination with 47% of the vote, beating out acting Mayor Chris Scanlon. However, Scanlon may run on an independent line. Assuming Ryan goes on to win the general election, there will be another vacant seat in the NYS Senate. In Rochester, incumbent Mayor Malik Evans won the nomination with 57% of the vote overcoming Mary Lupien, the next closest challenger. In Syracuse, Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens took the nomination with 62% of the vote. She would be Syracuse’s first Black mayor if she goes on to win the general election.

Medical Aid in Dying Passes Both Houses

The Medical Aid in Dying Act (“MAID”), sponsored by Assemblymember Amy Paulin and Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal (A.136/S.138) was passed by the Senate this week by a vote of 35-27. This legislation was previously passed by the Assembly at the end of April by a vote of 81-67. This legislation has been pending for 10 years and allows the terminally ill with six months or less to live to be prescribed and self-administer drugs to end their life. Proponents of the bill argue the bill promotes personal autonomy in allowing the terminally ill to die with dignity, if they so choose. Opponents of the bill have characterized it as a disrespect for life. It is unclear where Governor Hochul stands on the issue. If signed by the Governor, New York would be the 12th state in the nation to allow this practice.