Gov. Kathy Hochul seeks to spend an additional $10 billion to help pull New York out of its COVID crisis — sums topped by the legislative leaders she’s negotiating a final deal with. Business leaders warn New York can’t afford extensive new commitments.
Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Posted inClimate Change
Permanent Disaster Relief Fund Eyed for Undocumented New Yorkers in Ida’s Wake
A state and city fund created to help undocumented immigrants shut out of federal disaster relief after remnants of Hurricane Ida wreaked havoc could become a permanent fixture as extreme weather becomes more routine, top officials said Monday. At a news conference unveiling the $27 million program, Gov. Kathy Hochul didn’t rule out instituting an […]
Posted inRedistricting
‘Independent’ Redistricting Panel Draws Partisan Battle Lines in Congress Fight
A bipartisan commission charged with reforming political mapmaking fails its first test as New York Democrats and Republicans deliver dueling congressional and state legislative maps. The gridlock came as House midterm elections loomed.
Posted inAlbany, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Andrew Cuomo, Carl Heastie, Coronavirus, Covid-19, Employment, Essential Workers, Immigrants, Kathy Hochul, Rent, Schools, Vaccinations
New Governor Kathy Hochul to New Yorkers: You Can Trust Me
In her first day in office, the state’s 57th governor moves to rebuild trust damaged by secrecy and sexual harassment under Andrew Cuomo. On her agenda: cleaning up Albany, speeding up rent and worker aid — and vaccine mandates.
Posted inMarijuana
Cuomo-Controlled Legal Marijuana ‘Cannabis Board’ Rolling In for Summer
New York’s new Cannabis Control Board — which will set up and oversee the state’s rollout of legalized recreational marijuana — is expected to be in place before the beginning of summer, THE CITY has learned. The five-member board, with three appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, will be charged with working with an advisory committee […]
Posted inAndrew Cuomo
Weakened Cuomo, Lawmakers Reach Deal on Massive $212 Billion Pandemic Budget
Additional reporting by Allison Dikanovic State lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo reached a deal on the state’s $212 billion budget Tuesday, agreeing to tax increases on wealthy New Yorkers and to create a fund for undocumented workers shut out of financial assistance during the pandemic. Buoyed by a $12.6 billion infusion from the stimulus package […]
Posted inWork
Hunger Strikers Demand $3.5B Relief Fund for Undocumented New Yorkers in State Budget. Will Cuomo Come Through?
Before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold last spring, Verónica Leal was used to working up to six days a week cleaning homes for “professionals, lawyers, educators — people like that.” But as coronavirus cases mounted last March, the 35-year old Washington Heights resident began getting text messages from clients telling her that they no longer […]
Posted inPolitics
Cuomo Called Lawmakers in Scramble for Support After Resignation Demands
Gov. Andrew Cuomo spent Sunday calling lawmakers to dissuade them from issuing statements calling for his resignation, even as more allegations of sexual harassment surfaced, several who heard from him told THE CITY. Cuomo argued that such comments would undermine an investigation being readied by state Attorney General Letitia James, call recipients said. The phone […]
Posted inAlbany
New York’s State Senate Democrats Gain a Supermajority. What Could They Do With It?
Nearly three weeks after Election Day, Democrats in New York’s State Senate say they’ve won enough seats to give them a veto-proof supermajority — giving them power to push everything from additional pandemic eviction protections to further taxing the rich. After a count of mail-in-ballots, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) declared Monday that Democrats […]
Posted inJustice
New Jersey No-Bail System Eyed By New York Leaders Reckons With Bias Risk
Sign up for “THE CITY Scoop,” our daily newsletter where we send you stories like this first thing in the morning. Seeking to adjust a bail overhaul hailed by reformers but deemed unworkable by many judges and law enforcers, Gov. Andrew Cuomo didn’t have to look far for a model — just across the Hudson […]