Latest news with #D-Yonkers
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
N.Y. legislative leaders predict budget progress next week, spending plan nearly four weeks late
Apr. 25—ALBANY — New York's legislative leaders said they're nearly finished with debates over the last parts of the state budget, and could deliver a package of bills for review and approval next week. It's a light at the end of the tunnel for months of closed-door negotiations on the now nearly four-week overdue state spending plan that is looking to collect and spend upward of $250 billion for fiscal year 2025-26 and make some heavily debated changes to various state laws. Discussions are nearing their end but not completed yet. The governor, Senate majority leader and Assembly speaker met for hours on Thursday afternoon and on Friday, wrapping up discussions on a variety of topics that they've largely declined to outline publicly with much specificity. Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul told reporters in the Capitol late Friday that "the process is closing down." Senate Majority Leader Andrea A. Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie gave limited comments to the press in the halls of the Capitol. What they have said indicates that they intend to continue conversations into the weekend and hope to have the legislation put together for voting next week. "Most of the top line is done," Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, told reporters Friday. "The other areas all need to be cleaned up." The leaders said on Thursday that they intended to continue discussions virtually over the weekend in anticipation of finalizing the spending plan next week. For nearly a month now, lawmakers have struggled to come to an agreement on four main topics: involuntary commitment changes, a criminal mask ban, changes to trial discovery laws and a statewide school cellphone ban. Along the way, Hochul, who is empowered to write and submit the budget legislation for approval in the Senate and Assembly, has sought to add in further policy items not directly related to state spending, like lowering the age to hire a corrections officer from 21 to 18, and expanding the state's good behavior and merit time programs to shave down incarcerated people's sentences. Hochul's remarks to reporters Friday indicate that most of those issues have been nailed down, but she didn't list the mask ban as a settled topic, saying that topic had come up later in discussions and was still being debated. Hochul said her "affordability agenda," which included a number of measures aimed at cutting taxes and costs for average New York families, was also settled Friday. Hochul has, since April 1, submitted short-term extender bills to fund state government along the terms of last year's state spending plan while discussions continue. Lawmakers passed another short-term extension through Tuesday, and could either start passing budget bills by then or pass another extender to continue discussions.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Some progress made on discovery reforms as state budget talks continue
Apr. 15—ALBANY — Some progress has been made on the state budget, as lawmakers passed another extender to fund state government to Thursday. Now 17 days overdue, Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul and the legislative leaders, Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, D-Bronx, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea A. Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, have been hammering away at a handful of policy issues in the budget. Hochul and the lawmakers debated a mask ban, a change to the state's involuntary commitment laws for mentally ill people on the streets, and a statewide school cellphone ban. Most controversially, lawmakers have been discussing a plan to tweak language in the state's discovery laws to undo a small part of the 2019 reforms that gave prosecutors strict deadlines and transparency requirements when turning over evidence to the defense in a criminal trial. In that discovery debate, Hochul took the side of district attorneys and the victims of crimes, seeking to connect the issue with cases of domestic violence and sexual abuse. The lawmakers, representing the concerns of their Democratic-led chambers, pushed back. Some lawmakers in the Senate and Assembly said they'd reject any reforms, while others said what the governor originally wanted was too much but they'd be open to other possible changes. At issue is her ask that a part of the law be changed to narrow the focus of what evidence a prosecutor has to turn over to the defense. The law currently requires all "related" evidence, which includes many items that have little to no bearing on the case collected over the course of the investigation. Hochul wants to change that to "relevant," which she says would help cut the volume of evidence the prosecution has to process and hand over to the defense. Additionally, Hochul wants to permit less severe penalties when the prosecution misses a deadline to turn over evidence they've collected, and remove the automatic dismissal statute. She also wants to set a deadline for when the defense can file a complaint over the prosecution's conduct in discovery of 35 days. Heastie told reporters in the Capitol on Tuesday afternoon that he'd been meeting with DAs in New York City over the long Passover weekend, and he and his conference had presented the framework of a deal on discovery reforms to the governor. "We have a framework on having the discovery issues resolved," he said. The governor, meanwhile, was delivering remarks defending her discovery proposals in Kingston, Ulster County, and when asked, told reporters that she was eager to review what the deal was. "I believe there are conversations going on as we speak, which is why I'm anxious to get back to the Capitol," she told reporters in the Hudson Valley city. "There could be a resolution in sight." Discovery has been the main issue holding up progress on the budget in recent days, as Heastie and Stewart-Cousins have told reporters. Hochul has pushed hard on the topic, holding up final passage of the budget and suggesting even this week that the budget could drag on until May. She's maintained that New Yorkers don't care about the budget being passed on time. "I have yet to be asked by a regular New Yorker, who's not a member of the press corps, why the budget is taking so long," she said Monday at a press conference in New York City. "They don't care." Progress could come as early as Wednesday, but lawmakers aren't scheduled to be back in session in the Senate or Assembly until Thursday.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As budget talks continue, Hochul calls for single-ticket primaries grouping governor, lieutenant governor nominees
Apr. 8—ALBANY — Budget negotiations seem to have ground to a halt in the state Capitol, and Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul has added a new ask into her negotiations to change how candidates for lieutenant governor are picked. At a press conference Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Andrea A. Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, said negotiations were at a standstill. "We are at the very beginning of the end, with what I would label as a pause," she said. While negotiations continue, Stewart-Cousins said on Tuesday that the governor's office had added in a new ask for the final package, another issue unrelated to spending that could benefit her politically. Reports first published by Politico New York, and confirmed by some close to the budget discussions, detailed how Hochul is asking for a change to how the state's lieutenant governor is picked. Hochul wants to set up a system where the governor and lieutenant jobs are picked as a single ticket by voters in the primary elections. The current system has the governor and lieutenant run separately for their parties line in the general, but generally the governor and lieutenant governor run as a ticket, asking voters to pick both names on their ballots. That leaves the possibility that voters make their picks from separate tickets, putting two non-aligned people in the leadership seat of the state's executive branch. For Hochul, that could pose a problem next year. After her first pick for lieutenant governor, Brian Benjamin, faced corruption charges that were later dropped, Hochul has had only marginally better luck with current Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who has announced he won't run for the job again next year. With an open seat on the table, Hochul seems to be looking for the power to make sure her pick for the job stays with her through the campaign. This new request is adding to the list of issues to be settled in budget talks, Stewart-Cousins said. "It's one of those additional policy items that showed up and we briefly spoke about it," she said. "There's mixed feelings about it, but again it's something we will consider. Does it belong in the budget? Probably not, but here it is." The majority leader said that discussions on discovery, where the governor wants to lessen the burden on district attorney offices in when and how they're supposed to turn over evidence for a case to the defense counsel, and lessen the penalty for missing certain deadlines, are continuing and close to completion as well. Lawmakers in the Senate and Assembly have expressed concern that changes to the discovery reforms of 2019 could hurt people defending themselves from criminal charges, and some have pledged to hold their votes from a budget bill that includes significant rollbacks of those reforms. Stewart-Cousins said her conference is pushing for a plan that would make some changes while still preserving the rights of the accused, and to give more judicial discretion when deadlines are missed and cases are up for dismissal because of it. "We've got some really smart people working on language that says that," she said. Speaker of the Assembly Carl E. Heastie, D-Bronx, told reporters later Tuesday that his team had sent the governor and Senate legislative language that would make some discovery changes. The governor had asked to change the qualification of what must be turned over from prosecutors to defense counsel from "related" to the crime to "relevant" to the crime, lowering the scope of what must be turned over, and Heastie said he had put forward a plan that would address that ask. He also said that his plan included a time limit for when defense lawyers can file a complaint over issues related to discovery in a criminal case, and was using a case decided by the state Court of Appeals in 2023, which found that the prosecution has to show the court a concerted effort to gather and share evidence before they can file the document that declares the discovery process has been completed appropriately. "To show that we're willing to compromise, we've even said we're willing to consider prejudice and we're willing to consider the judge having the ability to determine the proportionality of a sanction," Heastie said. He said it was now up to the DAs, who have been talking with Hochul about what they will and will not accept, to accept what the legislature put forward. As talks continue, Stewart-Cousins said the legislature is preparing to cancel their scheduled two-week break that starts after the end of session Wednesday, and return to Albany next week to continue negotiations and extension bills. The extender that's currently funding the government expires midday Wednesday.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NY lawmakers lining up behind Gov. Hochul's ‘bell-to-bell' school cell phone ban
With just days left to finalize the state budget, New York lawmakers are getting behind Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature plan to ban cell phones all school day. The proposal, known as a 'bell-to-bell' policy because it separates students from their devices upon arrival until dismissal, had initially been met with some reluctance in the Legislature. Hochul's sweeping $13.5 million plan would be in effect even during lunch and free periods. 'We believe that our young people in school should be focused on learning, and they do not need the distraction of the cell phone,' state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, told reporters Wednesday. 'As of around yesterday, the majority of the members are more comfortable with a bell-to-bell approach.' 'This isn't happening today. It would happen during the next school year,' she added. 'We want to make sure there's appropriate flexibility (for exceptional circumstances). But our general consensus is bell-to-bell makes sense.' In their responses to the governor's budget proposal earlier this year, the Senate suggested that schools permit cell phone access during 'noninstruction time.' Meanwhile, the Assembly left out the measure from its draft plans, raising concerns that schools could need more funding to implement the restrictions. The proposed ban has also faced opposition from statewide groups representing school boards, superintendents and building administrators, saying they have already adopted policies to address the dangers of cell phones. Some parents, too, worry about not being able to reach their children — though lawmakers insist there are measures baked into the plan for that. 'Most importantly, the teachers are not able to get through to their students in the classroom,' said Sen. John Liu, D-Queens, chairman of the New York City Education Committee. 'And if we are to actually effectively educate schoolkids, this cell phone ban is necessary.' For now, Liu thinks the $13.5 million allocation is enough: 'It is sufficient, certainly as a first go-around. If experience (bears) out that more money is needed, I think we will address that.' He estimated New York City schools would receive roughly $8 million of that statewide set-aside. Assembly Democrats indicated this week that they, too, were coming around to Hochul's bell-to-bell policy, as first reported by Politico. 'I think the vast majority of the members are probably more comfortable with bell-to-bell,' Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, told reporters Tuesday. 'Every school district has their own issues, ideas. But I would say the conference is probably much closer to the bell-to-bell.' The proposal has received strong support from New York state and city teachers unions. Mayor Eric Adams and his schools chancellor, Melissa Aviles-Ramos, also back Hochul's plan, though they have asked for more funding from the state to implement it. 'We strongly believe cell phones should be banned in school,' Adams said during a school mental health news conference last week at Public School 35 in the Bronx. 'The science is clear that cell phones are really distracting our students, our teachers. It's adding to bullying, it creates an unhealthy environment.' 'The help from the state will help a lot. The dollar amount that the governor put in to accomplish this is not going to meet the real financial challenge. But that is our goal: We would like to go into the next school year with a real plan.' Hochul, in introducing her proposal, had framed a school cell phone ban as a logical next step after she pushed through legislation last year to regulate social media companies' dealings with minors. In a statement released by her office Wednesday, she described additional restrictions as essential. 'After speaking with students, teachers, parents, administrators and mental health experts, Gov. Hochul proposed bell-to-bell restrictions on cell phone use. The governor will continue advocating for this critical policy as budget negotiations continue,' the statement read. A final state budget is due by April 1. _____
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NY lawmakers lining up behind Gov. Hochul's ‘bell-to-bell' school cell phone ban
With just days left to finalize the state budget, New York lawmakers are getting behind Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature plan to ban cell phones all school day. The proposal, known as a 'bell-to-bell' policy because it separates students from their devices upon arrival until dismissal, had initially been met with some reluctance in the Legislature. Hochul's sweeping $13.5 million plan would be in effect even during lunch and free periods. 'We believe that our young people in school should be focused on learning, and they do not need the distraction of the cell phone,' state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, told reporters Wednesday. 'As of around yesterday, the majority of the members are more comfortable with a bell-to-bell approach.' 'This isn't happening today. It would happen during the next school year,' she added. 'We want to make sure there's appropriate flexibility (for exceptional circumstances). But our general consensus is bell-to-bell makes sense.' In their responses to the governor's budget proposal earlier this year, the Senate suggested that schools permit cell phone access during 'noninstruction time.' Meanwhile, the Assembly left out the measure from its draft plans, raising concerns that schools could need more funding to implement the restrictions. The proposed ban has also faced opposition from statewide groups representing school boards, superintendents and building administrators, saying they have already adopted policies to address the dangers of cell phones. Some parents, too, worry about not being able to reach their children — though lawmakers insist there are measures baked into the plan for that. 'Most importantly, the teachers are not able to get through to their students in the classroom,' said Sen. John Liu, D-Queens, chairman of the New York City Education Committee. 'And if we are to actually effectively educate schoolkids, this cell phone ban is necessary.' For now, Liu thinks the $13.5 million allocation is enough: 'It is sufficient, certainly as a first go-around. If experience (bears) out that more money is needed, I think we will address that.' He estimated New York City schools would receive roughly $8 million of that statewide set-aside. Assembly Democrats indicated this week that they, too, were coming around to Hochul's bell-to-bell policy, as first reported by Politico. 'I think the vast majority of the members are probably more comfortable with bell-to-bell,' Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, told reporters Tuesday. 'Every school district has their own issues, ideas. But I would say the conference is probably much closer to the bell-to-bell.' The proposal has received strong support from New York state and city teachers unions. Mayor Eric Adams and his schools chancellor, Melissa Aviles-Ramos, also back Hochul's plan, though they have asked for more funding from the state to implement it. 'We strongly believe cell phones should be banned in school,' Adams said during a school mental health news conference last week at Public School 35 in the Bronx. 'The science is clear that cell phones are really distracting our students, our teachers. It's adding to bullying, it creates an unhealthy environment.' 'The help from the state will help a lot. The dollar amount that the governor put in to accomplish this is not going to meet the real financial challenge. But that is our goal: We would like to go into the next school year with a real plan.' Hochul, in introducing her proposal, had framed a school cell phone ban as a logical next step after she pushed through legislation last year to regulate social media companies' dealings with minors. In a statement released by her office Wednesday, she described additional restrictions as essential. 'After speaking with students, teachers, parents, administrators and mental health experts, Gov. Hochul proposed bell-to-bell restrictions on cell phone use. The governor will continue advocating for this critical policy as budget negotiations continue,' the statement read. A final state budget is due by April 1. _____
