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.

The NYS budget process has an interesting rhythm. It tends to ebb and flow, with quieter stretches of slow progress followed by periods of rapid movement.

Earlier this week, lawmakers expressed little optimism about the trajectory for reaching a final budget agreement, emphasizing that negotiations were still in the early stages, with substantial ground still to cover. On Monday, Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris indicated that Governor Hochul was focused on resolving the non-budget policy issues before moving on to the budget issues. At that time, no policy agreements had been reached, and no table targets had been set. These tough to negotiate policy issues, including climate law changes and auto insurance law modifications, have led to the stalled budget negotiations.

Midweek, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins told reporters that the Governor’s proposal to streamline the environmental quality review process for new housing and critical infrastructure was the closest to a deal. Senator Gianaris separately said that the latest discussions had been more promising, with slow but steady progress underway, adding that significant progress appears to be within reach.

However, by the end of the week, the overall sentiment of comments was much more positive, indicating that momentum has picked up and negotiations have been much more fruitful. Governor Hochul told reporters that they had made “substantial progress in the last few days with legislative leaders,” and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie reported that all major issues have shown some movement. Senator Gianaris echoed that significant progress is expected next week on multiple issues.

Although Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins stated on Wednesday that negotiations were closest to a deal for the environmental quality review process proposal, the immigrant protections package has emerged as the first largely developed agreement, with only a few outstanding details left to resolve. The proposal generally states that local law enforcement should be focused on public safety – addressing crime, responding to emergencies, and focusing on violent offenders and gun trafficking. Discussions are continuing over how state and local law enforcement are to interact with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but negotiations have made noticeable progress.

The positive remarks from the Governor, Senate Majority Leader, and Assembly Speaker, along with progress on the immigration protections package, indicate that additional agreements may be starting to take shape.

In the meantime, the Legislature continues to work on non-budget related items. As of today, the Senate has passed 457 bills, the Assembly has passed 263 bills, and the Governor has signed 93 into law, while vetoing one, since January 1st 2026.

For a number of lawmakers who announced they will not be running again, this will be their final budget cycle and their last opportunity to advance legislation before the end of session in June.

City & State’s Who’s Who in Government Relations 

We’d like to take a moment to draw special attention to one of our own, Olivia Marfleet Time, Senior Legislative Associate, for being recognized in City & State’s 2026 Who’s Who in Government Relations!

City & State’s Who’s Who in Government Relations recognizes some of the most influential and notable figures influencing policy in New York. This list includes staff at law and government affairs firms, companies, trade associations, advocacy organizations, and other entities.

We are so proud of Olivia for all that she has accomplished at Hodes & Landy and are lucky to have her on our team.

Here is the excerpt from Olivia’s feature:

Olivia Marfleet Tine was hired by Hodes & Landy in 2021 and has since spearheaded the legislative priorities for many of the woman-owned government affairs firm’s health care and life sciences clients. Last year, Marfleet Tine supported efforts to establish a state health registry and increase patient access to diagnostic testing and treatment, and she also won funding for community-based health services. She has worked with patient advocacy organizations and everyday New Yorkers to build coalitions toward developing patient-friendly policies and reducing health inequities across the state.

Please join us in congratulating Olivia, and congratulations to all of the honorees!

As always, H&L is closely monitoring developments, tracking key updates, and we will continue to keep you informed as the process unfolds!  

 

H&L Team