The Capitol Pressroom

Jan. 29, 2025 - New York State Office of Cannabis Management Director of Enforcement and Investigations Daniel Haughney provides an update on the state's effort to curb illicit marijuana sales, including changing regulations that expand enforcement efforts and the impact of ongoing legal challenges.

Jan. 29, 2025 - We check in on the state's effort to craft a master plan on aging with Adam Herbst, a former top health official in the Hochul administration and now a partner at the firm Sheppard Mullin.

Jan. 29, 2025 - New York State United Teachers President Melinda Person discusses state funding for public schools, improving literacy teaching, and implementing restrictions on smartphone access for students during the school day.

Jan. 28, 2025 - Sen. George Borrello, a Western New York Republican, shares some highlights of his conference's agenda for 2025, including making New York more affordable.

Jan. 28, 2025 - State Senate Environmental Conservation Committee Chair Pete Harckham, a Westchester County Democrat, discusses the environmental portion of the governor's budget proposal (including what's missing) and provides an update on his effort to reduce single-use plastic packaging waste.

Jan. 28, 2025 - Assemblymember Alex Bores, a Manhattan Democrat, unpacks the governor's efforts to protect New Yorkers from the unintended consequences of artificial intelligence technology. Bores also discusses his legislation creating the New York Artificial Intelligence Consumer Protection Act.

Jan. 27, 2025- New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank Hoare discusses speed cameras in work zones, increased toll collection revenue in 2024, and the renovation of service plazas.

Jan. 27, 2025 - By April, the state is scheduled to transition the administration of a popular home care program utilized by more than a quarter of a million New Yorkers. We get an update on the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program changes from New York Association on Independent Living Executive Director Lindsay Miller and AIM Independent Living Center CEO René Snyder.

Jan. 27, 2025 - Dr. Ann Sullivan, commissioner for the New York State Office of Mental Health, talks about Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget proposal, including an effort to increase the involuntary commitment of New Yorkers and addressing parity with other forms of health care.

Jan 24, 2025 - New York State Budget Director Blake Washington discusses Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget proposal, including the subsidies for film productions, the pace of spending on Medicaid, and the evolving education aid philosophy.

Jan. 24, 2025 - We unpack consumer protection measures being advanced by Gov. Kathy Hochul, including overdraft fee regulations and subscription cancellation standards. Our guest is Chuck Bell, financial policy advocate for Consumer Reports.

Jan. 22, 2025 - Gov. Kathy Hochul has unveiled a $252 billion spending plan for the coming fiscal year, so we unpack the proposal with Patrick Orecki, director of state studies for the Citizens Budget Commission. We explore what is driving costs, consider the impact of changes in the federal government, and much more.

Jan. 21, 2025 - The 2026 Winter Olympics are scheduled for Italy in about a year, but sliding events could end up being held at facilities in Lake Placid if the Italian organizers can't get their bobsled track ready. Ashley Walden, president and CEO of the state's Olympic Regional Development Authority, discusses upstate New York's potential role in next year's games and Lake Placid's potential as a proper host site.

Jan. 21, 2025 - The Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission has a new home, new mandate and new leader. We explored all these moving parts with Zeryai Hagos, the group's recently tapped executive director, who explained regulations for transmission siting that came out in December.

Jan. 21, 2025 - Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, a Queens Democrat, makes the case for the state to subsidize school meals in New York, including at the expense of more target anti-hunger initiatives.

Jan. 21, 2025 - State education officials want to increase educational opportunities for students around New York and promote operational efficiencies among school districts, so they're promoting deeper levels of regional partnerships among school districts. We discuss this effort and its rollout with Jeff Matteson, senior deputy commissioner for the State Education Department.

Jan. 17, 2024 - State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, a Brooklyn Democrat and the chamber's new Codes Committee chair, discusses New York's discovery laws, including his proposal to overhaul how evidence is accessed by prosecutors and changes being pushed by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Jan. 16, 2025 - In 2019, the state enacted a boating safety training requirement for operators of motorized watercraft, which took full effect this year. Lexi Howland, director of the marine services and recreational vehicles division for the State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, discusses the implementation of this law and boating safety more broadly.

Jan. 16, 2025 - Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins responds to the governor's State of the State address and considers what might happen as part of budget negotiations this year. Additionally, in light of the Westchester County Democrat becoming the longest serving Democratic majority leader in the chamber, we reflect on her legacy and future in the state Senate.

Jan. 15, 2025 - In more than three decades of conservation advocacy in the Adirondacks, Peter Bauer has seen the forest preserve grow, won battles at New York's top court, and shaped laws governing the Adirondack Park. In light of him stepping down as head of Protect the Adirondacks in 2024, he joined the show for an exit interview to reflect on his career, the challenges facing the Adirondacks, and the Hochul administration.