Latest news with #Legislators
New York Times
09-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Five Weeks Late, a $254 Billion New York Budget Still Has Its Charms
The late-night scene beneath the New York State Capitol was unusual, even by Albany standards. Lawmakers from the Assembly and Senate, having finally passed the state's $254 billion budget on Thursday evening, streamed down to the Capitol's lower levels to collect their long overdue paychecks from the payroll office. In New York, state legislators do not receive their salaries if the budget lapses, as it did on April 1. But after five weeks without a budget or a paycheck, both arrived on Thursday. Lawmakers, however, were not the only ones to benefit from the budget's official passage. Ms. Hochul was quick to celebrate expansions of the child tax credit, more school funding and a litany of other programs she said would make the state more affordable. Here's a look at some of the budget's more interesting provisions. Legislators helped themselves A quirk of state government is that lawmakers have the power to write or amend laws that regulate their own actions, no recusal required. This year, legislators took full advantage of that power, crafting several significant changes to how they can collect outside income and raise money. In 2022, lawmakers raised their salaries by $32,000 to $142,000 while also placing a $35,000 cap on outside income. The Albany Times-Union reported this year that nearly 40 legislators had outside incomes above the limit. The income cap was supposed to go into effect this year, after several unsuccessful court challenges. But lawmakers included a provision in the budget that would delay enforcement for two years. Along those lines, legislators altered the state's campaign finance matching system. Donations larger than $250 are currently disqualified from the matching program; the agreement provides for the state to match the first $250 of any donation up to $1,000. Elected officials can now also hold onto $50,000 for future campaigns. These tweaks and others appear geared to help incumbents. Lawmakers also created a $10 million slush fund to pay for private lawyers if state officials were targeted by the Trump administration. You get a refund, you get a raise Ms. Hochul has been eager to trumpet her 'inflation rebate' — $2 billion that will be disbursed to New Yorkers in checks of up to $400 per family, $200 per individual. But the budget also contains a number of other financial benefits for people across the state. The per-day pay rate for jurors in state court, for example, is being raised to $72 dollars, nearly doubling the current amount. This is the first time that New York has raised the per diem rate for jurors since 1995, when Gov. George E. Pataki signed legislation that raised rates for those doing their civic duty from $15 to $40 over a three-year period. And some workers at LaGuardia and Kennedy Airports were given a broad benefits-and-wages package that could help to address some of the staffing shortages that have plagued air travel. Assistance for online shoppers It's a familiar frustration for online shoppers: a product that's nearly impossible to return, or a subscription that's nearly impossible to cancel. New York's budget includes new measures to assist shoppers, including a mandate that businesses provide transparent refund-and-return policies. The state will also require companies to offer clear instructions for terminating subscriptions, as well as advance notices of subscription renewals and their cost. The state is also tightening regulations on 'buy now, pay later' companies like Affirm and Klarna. These firms will need a license from the Department of Financial Services, which requires companies to follow state laws governing advertising, interest rates and debt collection. State troopers can be older and prison guards younger One of the biggest and most disruptive developments in Albany this year was a wave of wildcat strikes among corrections officers, which led Ms. Hochul to call in about 6,000 National Guard troops to oversee the state's prisons. About 2,000 officers were fired as a result of the unsanctioned strikes, exacerbating an already profound staffing shortfall. The state currently has 4,500 fewer corrections officers than the budget allows. Ms. Hochul and legislative leaders tried to address the problem in the new budget, which includes language allowing younger people to become corrections officers and removing state residency requirements. The budget also allows for the potential closure of up to three state prisons by next April. Another change raises the maximum age of State Police recruits; they can now be as old as 43 when they join, up from 39. A continued crackdown on artificial intelligence The State Legislature has been looking for more ways to regulate artificial intelligence as it becomes more ubiquitous in our lives. The budget includes a provision requiring A.I. chatbots to be able to detect when people seem to be expressing suicidal thoughts. The New York Times reported in October on a case in Florida, in which the mother of a 14-year-old boy said her son had become obsessed with a chatbot on a role-playing app, before his death. Now chatbots must remind users every three hours that they are not communicating with humans. Lawmakers also altered child pornography laws to outlaw the creation and distribution by A.I. of material featuring minors. They also added almost $100 million in funding for ongoing A.I. research at state universities.
CBC
06-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Province hopes to stop huge property tax jumps with one-year assessment freeze
If passed, legislation that would freeze assessments for a year would benefit the owners of about 430,000 properties, New Brunswick government says.
Associated Press
29-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
TWO DOZEN STATE LEGISLATORS JOIN NATIONAL GUARANTEED INCOME COALITION
Mayors for a Guaranteed Income announces Legislators for a Guaranteed Income WASHINGTON, April 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI) and Counties for a Guaranteed Income (CGI) announced the expansion of its network of elected officials advocating for unconditional cash aid policies. Legislators for a Guaranteed Income (LGI) is starting with 23 founding members in 17 states. They join a network of over 230 Mayors and county officials championing unconditional cash policies. So far, MGI and CGI have launched a total of 72 guaranteed income pilots, which have distributed about $335 million in direct economic relief. Currently, there are 25 bills introduced in 11 states for some form of statewide guaranteed income program. At a time when key federal aid programs are being dismantled, the abundance of guaranteed income legislation in statehouses shows the increased leadership that state leaders are taking to pick up the slack and bolster economic stability for residents. LGI members have introduced legislation including: 'We need leaders of moral courage who see the world as it is and are ready to fight for a vision of what it can be,' said Tennessee State Representative Justin J. Pearson. 'The call for guaranteed income that Dr. King put out is being answered today by hundreds of cities and counties across the nation, and I'm proud to expand the movement by joining Legislators for a Guaranteed Income.' Partnering with independent researchers, this democratic groundswell is producing the largest body of data proving guaranteed incomeworks. Independent researchers have found higher rates of employment, improved financial stability, better housing and food security, and more time spent together as families, among other benefits. 'I began championing a guaranteed income as a County Supervisor in Santa Clara County, where we launched a pilot program for foster youth aging out of the system. In the California State Senate, I'm proud to have launched the first statewide GI program for foster youth and pregnant women in 2022 and this year I introduced SB 33 to provide homeless high school students with a guaranteed income to help them transition into college and careers,' said California State Senator Dave Cortese. 'A version of this legislation has already been piloted at the county level with state funding I secured. I believe youth in poverty deserve more than just survival—they deserve a real chance to thrive. That's why I'm proud to be a founding member of Legislators for a Guaranteed Income.' As the cost of living rapidly outpaces wage growth, more and more Americans are struggling to get by, despite working multiple jobs. More than one in three are considered working poor, and 63% of working Americans don't have enough saved to cover a $500 emergency–an increasingly common scenario as prices rise on many essentials. 'With the launch of Legislators for a Guaranteed Income, we are expanding our movement from one mayor in one city to more than 250 leaders in local and state government across the nation who believe we can increase economic opportunity with better policy,' said Michael D. Tubbs, founder and Co-Chair of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. Founding members of Legislators for a Guaranteed Income: CA State Senator Dave Cortese CA State Assemblymember Matt Haney HI State Senator Chris Lee IA State Representative Elinor Levin IL State Senator Graciela Guzman IL State Senator Ram Villivalam MA State Representative Marjorie Decker MD State Senator Cory McCray MD State Delegate Gabriel Acevero MN State Representative Athena Hollins MN State Senator Clare Oumou Verbeten NC State Senator Natalie Murdock NY State Senator Andrew Gounardes OH State Representative Dontavius Jarrells OR State Senator Wlnsvey Campos PA State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta TN State Representative Justin J. Pearson TN State Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari TX State Representative Ron Reynolds VT State Representative Jubilee McGill WA State Senator T'wina Nobles WA State House Speaker Laurie Jinkins WI State Assemblymember Francesca Hong Visit to learn more. Founded in June of 2020 by former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, Mayors for a Guaranteed Income is a coalition of more than 180 mayors committed to advancing a federal guaranteed income – direct, recurring cash payments to middle and low-income people. Expanding to include city and county legislators in 2023 with Counties for a Guaranteed Income, the network acts as a research and resource hub for municipal pilots around the country–over 70 and counting. An award-winning documentary film, It's Basic, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2023, follows recipients and illuminates the life-changing impact of guaranteed income programs on families' economic security and opportunity. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Mayors for a Guaranteed Income
