Olivia Vecchio has joined the H&L Team as a Legislative Intern to assist with all aspects of bill tracking and analysis, media monitoring, and special projects. Olivia is a current student at the University at Albany, SUNY, studying global political science and brings along experience from her time working on the staff of a State Senator and serving on a NY Congressional campaign.
New York Capital Brief:
NYS Senate Dems Declare Historic Supermajority
This morning, nearly three weeks after Election Day with a record number of absentee ballots counted, Hudson Valley incumbent Senator Pete Harckham declared victory. The conclusion of this year’s most costly NYS legislative race ensures the Senate Democrats a minimum of 42 of 63 seats, the largest majority and the first Democratic supermajority in State history.
New York Capital Brief:
Several Democrats Declare Victory in Key Senate Races
This week, six Democrats declared victory in highly contested New York Senate races, bringing the Democrats closer to reaching a supermajority and quite possibly the largest Democratic majority in the New York’s history. Currently, the Senate Democrats hold 40 seats and need to pick up two additional seats to reach the veto-proof majority.
New York Capital Brief:
Cuomo Announces New Statewide Restrictions
On Wednesday, Governor Cuomo announced new statewide COVID-19 restrictions on bars, restaurants, gyms, and residential gatherings in New York State.
New York Capital Brief:
Mail-in Voting Impact on NYS
The stakes remain high for both Democrats and Republicans in NYS legislative races, as the Democrats look to gain a supermajority in the State Senate and expand their party’s influence in the State Assembly. Although many candidates hold generous leads after the conclusion of early and in-person voting, the final tabulation of mail-in-ballots will determine the results in several too-close-to-call races.
New York Capital Brief:
The Countdown to November 3
With a current $15 billion budget deficit in New York, Governor Cuomo and lawmakers continue to hold out for federal aid before acting on final deficit reduction measures. As a temporary stopgap measure, several months ago Cuomo began withholding a portion of funding for local governments, schools, and hospitals.
New York Capital Brief:
Cuomo Releases Book: American Crisis
In March, Governor Cuomo gained national attention when New York became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, as New York’s positivity rate hovers around 1%, Cuomo gives what he calls a “halftime review” in his new book American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic.
New York Capital Brief:
Cuomo Announces Cluster Action Initiative
This week, Governor Cuomo announced the creation of the Cluster Action Initiative in response to the increase in COVID-19 cases in concentrated areas within Brooklyn, Queens, Orange and Rockland counties.
New York Capital Brief:
Cuomo Announces New COVID Smartphone App
Governor Cuomo announced today the launch of a new mobile contact tracing app called COVID Alert NY. The app will notify users if they’ve been potentially exposed to a COVID-19 positive person.
New York Capital Brief:
Comptroller Audit – Millions in Medicaid Overspending
This week, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released five audits of the Department of Health’s Medicaid program that identified approximately $706.6 million in “unnecessary, improper, or questionable” payments. These audits come just as Governor Cuomo and the Legislature contend with solutions to bridge the growing budget deficit, which is partially driven by Medicaid spending and further worsened by the COVID pandemic.