Capitol Confidential

Assemblywoman Pamela J. Hunter is both the referee and the conductor of Assembly proceedings. As speaker pro tempore, she presides over session in the Assembly, where she keeps things moving while keeping the peace. But there’s a lot you probably don’t know about her, like how she also leads a national group of legislators who work on insurance law. We spoke about her work, what led her to this moment and a new call to change the Sex Offender Registration Act. Who you’re hearing: Dan Clark (social links) Assemblywoman Pamela J. Hunter (social links) Sign up for Capitol Confidential Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie has been criss-crossing the state for his annual summer tour but news that Republicans in Texas planned to redraw that state’s congressional maps brought him back to Albany this week. We spoke with Heastie about New York’s redistricting process, why he has beef with former Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and what he expects next year amid changes in federal funding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado is the only Democrat who’s challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul for their party’s nomination in next year’s race for governor. He says she’s not leading on key issues important to New Yorkers. We talk about why he jumped into the race, how New York could lower energy prices for ratepayers and why the cost of health care is so high. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inspector General Lucy Lang’s job is to investigate alleged misconduct at state agencies. But her office also plays a role in investigating the aftermath of a situation gone wrong. That’s what happened 10 years ago, after two men led police on a wild goose hunt after escaping a state prison in Dannemora. We chat with Lang about the breakout and what her office is focused on now, including the state’s prison system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s new opposition to movements grounded in the values of diversity, equity and inclusion in today’s politics and that presents a new challenge for advocates like L. Joy Williams, the president of the NAACP New York State Conference. The NAACP was first founded in New York more than a century ago and, while a lot has changed, the fight for equity remains strong. We sat down with Williams to chat about her vision in New York and her plan for achieving it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The big buzzword at the state Capitol this year was “affordability,” with lawmakers trying to find ways to lower New York’s cost of living. Whether you think they made headway there depends on which side of the aisle you’re on. We never get to just sit and talk about affordability. So, this week, we sat down with Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt for an open-ended conversation about what he sees as the easiest solutions to New York’s cost of living problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence is evolving at a pace that’s been hard for regulators to match. Some systems can now generate videos, images and sound that mirrors what you would expect in the real world. That kind of power comes with a lot of risk. So what can New York do to prevent artificial intelligence from being used in nefarious or problematic ways? We talk about that this week with Assemblyman Alex Bores, a Democrats who’s been focused on A.I. since he joined the Legislature in 2023. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York just approved the latest state budget in 15 years, prompting criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle over how the spending plan comes together each year. Sen. James Skoufis is one of those lawmakers and joins us with his thoughts. Physician-assisted death, also called medical aid in dying by supporters and physician-assisted suicide by opponents, is a top end-of-session bill that’s prompted a lot of questions. We answer them with Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, its sponsor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York has considered building high-speed rail for decades. Gov. George Pataki made a push for it when he was in office but it lost steam. Senate Transportation Chair Jeremy Cooney talks about how New York could get on track. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a while but we’re back. You’ll now start seeing new content from the CapCon podcast in your feeds, starting with this episode. State Budget Director Blake Washington joins us to talk through ongoing negotiations on the state budget, what’s happening behind the scenes and what potential cuts from the federal government will mean down the line. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York’s top executive sat down with Times Union Capitol Correspondent Dan Clark this week for an exclusive interview at Hearst Tower. They talked about the 2024 elections, her support for President Biden, climate change, congestion pricing, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge is a 3-mile span over the Hudson river that connects Rockland and Westchester counties, just 25 miles north of New York City. It's a major commuter route, and bears hundreds of thousands of vehicle crossings each day. It replaced the long-ailing Tappan Zee Bridge in 2017, amid much fanfare from state and local officials. Now a comprehensive report from Brendan Lyons, the Times Union's managing editor for investigations, details a whistleblower’s account of the alleged coverup of potential structural flaws in the construction of the bridge — a dispute at the heart of a court case that remains under seal.  On this episode of the Capitol Confidential podcast, Times Union Editor Casey Seiler speaks to Lyons about the story, and its implications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is facing perfect storm of threats to his administration, finding himself both in the crosshairs of an investigation by the FBI and the Justice Department into his handling of nursing home deaths due to COVID-19, and accused of sexual harassment by multiple women. Cuomo addressed the sexual harassment allegations during a press conference this week, in which he apologized for his behavior. On this episode of Capitol Confidential, Times Union Capitol Bureau Managing Editor Brendan Lyons speaks to an alleged victim of sexual harassment, who says Cuomo's apology falls short and he should resign immediately.

A recent admission by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s top aide, Secretary Melissa DeRosa, that they withheld nursing home coronavirus data to state legislators over fear that President Donald J. Trump would use the data against New York continues to roil the governor’s administration. In turn, a federal investigation into Cuomo’s handling of the virus in the long-term care facilities is on the docket and legislators are seeking to impeach the governor. On this episode of the Capitol Confidential Podcast, Times Union Capitol Bureau Managing Editor Brendan Lyons and reporters Amanda Fries and Ed McKinley discuss the latest news surrounding Cuomo and his administration, and the legislature's unrest. We also hear from Assembly Minority Leader William Barclay and Assemblyman John McDonald and get their take on the nursing home controversy that has engulfed New York. 

New York Attorney General Letitia James released a searing report this week finding that the state Department of Health underreported the deaths of nursing home residents who died from COVID-19 by as much as 50 percent. The 76-page report follows a months-long investigation by the attorney general’s office into allegations of patient neglect and other conduct that jeopardized the health and safety of residents and employees. State health officials responded by again defending their actions, and pointed to specifics in James’ report that reaffirm the findings in a state-commissioned study released in July. On this episode of the Capitol Confidential Podcast, Times Union Capitol Bureau Managing Editor Brendan Lyons and reporters Amanda Fries and Chris Bragg break down the report and its implications.  

This week, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo unveiled two budget proposals. Both are contingent upon how much New York state receives from the federal government. Cuomo even threatened to sue if the state doesn't get the $15 billion in federal aid that he has requested. That's enough to fill the budget gap that the governor and budget officials have cited for months. Capital Confidential host Amanda Fries talks with reporters about what the executive budget means for the region. What happens if the state doesn't get the requested federal aid? Capital reporter Edward McKinley answers that question and the possible revenue generators that could help close the gap. The executive budget paints a bleak picture for localities – especially those that rely on state aid. Albany reporter Steve Hughes shares what this means for the region's cities, and how they're preparing for the reduction in state aid. There are some promising elements in the proposal that would help revive the economy and support small businesses, business re

North Country Representative Elise Stefanik has been a steadily rising star in the Republican party since she joined Congress in 2014. Her stock rose sharply during the Trump presidency, when she aligned herself with the administration and actively supported its policies. She won a fourth term representing New York's 21st district handily this past November, with widespread support from local leaders and lawmakers. Yet more than a week after a violent siege at the U.S. Capitol and the second impeachment of Donald Trump, she remains steadfastly supportive of the outgoing president and his unfounded claims of election fraud. And that stance has produced blowback from both inside and outside of her district—signaling potential cracks in a previously sound red wall.

As a violent mob of President Trump's supporters broke into the United States Capitol Wednesday afternoon, a smaller protest also turned violent outside the New York State Capitol. Times Union Managing Editor Brendan Lyons, Washington correspondent Emilie Munson and State reporter Ed McKinley discuss the events of this week, New York lawmakers' reactions, and what it all means for government at both the federal and state levels.   *This podcast was recorded on Thursday, a day after the protests.

The first FDA-approved coronavirus vaccines have arrived in New York this week, and the state has started vaccinating front-line healthcare workers. Times Union Capitol Bureau reporter Amanda Fries leads a discussion of the state's plan for the initial doses with reporter Ed McKinley and Washington correspondent Emilie Munson.  Also on this episode, the latest on sexual harassment allegations leveled against Governor Andrew Cuomo this week, and an interview with State Senate-elect Michelle Hinchey.

This week New York State Senate Democrats declared that they'd gained a history-making "supermajority," after the absentee ballot count in several key races swung the results in their favor.  Times Union Capitol Bureau reporters Amanda Fries and Chris Bragg join Managing Editor Brendan Lyons to talk about the development, and what it means for legislative priorities going into the year. Will they address progressive agenda items like recreational marijuana? And will they exercise their veto-proof majority to go over Governor Andrew Cuomo's head? That all remains to be seen as the Legislature prepares for the new session in January. Also on this episode, Brendan Lyons checks in with Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Michael Gianaris, for his take on the supermajority.