The Capitol Pressroom

Jan, 29, 2026- Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson, a Hudson Valley Democrat, discusses efforts to regulate utility companies, including restricting the use of estimated billing, increasing transparency, and limiting certain profits.

Jan 29, 2026- We explore Gov. Kathy Hochul's plan to expand testing of autonomous vehicles outside of New York City and impose disclosure requirements on artificially generated content. Our guest is Julie Samuels, founder and CEO of Tech:NYC.

Jan. 29, 2026- New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank Hoare talks about the response to the recent snow storm, efforts to improve toll collections, the future of the renovated service plazas.

Jan. 28, 2029 - New York State Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara Guinn talks about the executive budget proposal, including funding to roll out chip-enabled EBT cards and upgrade their infrastructure. We also discuss the administration of public assistance benefits and the commissioner's budget wish list.

Jan. 28, 2026- Assemblymember Sarah Clark, a Rochester-area Democrat, weighs in on Gov. Kathy Hochul's commitment to expanding child care access and considers how the Democratic majorities in the legislature may add to the plan.

Jan. 27, 2026 - Amherst Republican Dan Gagliardo talks about his campaign for a vacant special election in Erie County, why he stopped being a Democrat and addresses some of the issues being discussed in Albany.

Jan. 27, 2026 - State Sen. Rachel May, a Syracuse Democrat, explains how the state's environmental review process has been abused to hold up housing projects and discusses Gov. Kathy Hochul's plan to circumvent the rules for certain projects.

Jan . 23, 2026 - In light of the state attorney general's office investigating the handling of a village election in the Hudson Valley, where local officials allegedly took steps to lower turnout, we explore who should be monitoring village elections and if there is a more reliable election administration option. Our guest is Onondaga County Democratic Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny.

Jan. 23, 2026 - Business Council of New York State President & CEO Heather Mulligan provides an employer perspective on Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget, including extending a corporate tax surcharge, taking a swing a environmental regulations, and increasing spending on child care subsidies without raising taxes.

Jan. 23, 2026 - New York State Budget Director Blake Washington talks about the potential for hard budget choices in the future, the state's ability to replace federal dollars and whether legally present immigrants in New York will fall through the cracks of the social safety net.

Jan. 21, 2026 - The Center for Elder Law & Justice Managing Attorney Kevin Quinn discusses a new consumer protection measure for New Yorkers coerced into taking on debts, like domestic violence survivors and the elderly. We also explore why financial lenders don't stop these debts from being incurred in the first place.

Jan. 22, 2026 - The Capitol Pressroom brand is expanding to television, with host David Lombardo leading a monthly look at New York's state government that will air on PBS stations around the Empire State. In light of this news, we're going to cross the streams today and share an excerpt of our upcoming televised panel discussion. David led a conversation about Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget and the upcoming legislative session with Rebecca Garrard, co-executive director of Citizen Action of New York, Cam Macdonald, General Counsel at the Empire Center for Public Policy, and Jack O'Donnell, managing partner of O'Donnell & Associates.

Jan. 21, 2026 - For tens of thousands of low-income New Yorkers trying to access public benefits, the process of making their case to the state can drag on for months, which has prompted a lawsuit urging faster resolutions. We talk about what's driving this case with Saima Akhtar, a senior attorney at the National Center for Law and Economic Justice.

Jan. 21, 2026 - We review some of the top line figures and trends from Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget proposal with Citizens Budget Commission President Andrew Rein.

Jan. 21, 2026 - New York Focus Albany Bureau Chief Chris Bragg explains how Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration has become more opaque as they get entrenched in the second floor, refusing to release the governor's meeting logs in a timely fashion.

Jan. 19, 2026- In light of Micron Technology breaking ground in central New York, we wanted to explore the work of the state-aligned nonprofit working to support high-tech manufacturing in the Empire State. NY-CREATES President David Anderson weighs in on the Micron developments, creating a workforce for the semiconductor industry and weathering the volitivity at the federal level.

Jan. 19, 2026- Following an investigation into the use of algorithmic pricing by Instacart, the state attorney general's office is asking for information from the third-party shopping service. We explore the use personal data to set prices and efforts to regulate these practices with Justin Brookman, director of technology policy for Consumer Reports, which helped expose the tactics of Instacart.

Jan. 19, 2026 - In an excerpt of Monday's Dispatches from Planet Albany podcast, Rockefeller Institute of Government President Bob Megna discusses the significance of the latest cash report from the state comptroller's office.

Jan. 13, 2026- Gov. Kathy Hochul is looking to boost housing production, but are her policies making a difference? We explore recent actions at the Capitol and consider other means of producing more affordable housing with Lisa Damiani, executive director of the Western New York Property Owners Association, and Tim Foley, CEO of the Building and Realty Institute.

Jan. 16, 2026- Office of the New York State Comptroller Deputy Comptroller for State Accountability Tina Kim discusses an audit that highlighted room for improvement in the state's dispersal of funds to replace lead service lines in the Empire State.

Jan. 13, 2026- Consultant Jenn O'Connor and Marion Waldman, executive director of Teach My Kid to Read, make the case for state grants to libraries so they can fill the gaps in efforts to promote early literacy.

Jan. 15, 2026- New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports Commissioner Dr. Chinazo Cunningham makes the case for New Yorkers to drink less alcohol and gives an update on efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.

Jan. 15, 2026- Dutchess County Mental Health Commissioner Jean-Marie Niebuhr explains how the 9-8-8 crisis hotline can help people with mental health problems and addressed the lack of awareness of the number in parts of the state.

Jan. 15, 2026- Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, a Central New York Republican, responds to Gov. Kathy Hochul's State of the State address, including where there was consensus, where there was disagreement, and where he thought the speech was lacking.

Jan. 15, 2026- Gov. Kathy Hochul is looking to lower car insurance costs, with drivers in New York generally paying well above the national average. We discuss what is driving up costs and how to respond with Brianna January, director of State and Local Governments in the Northeast at the Chamber of Progress.

Jan. 14, 2026- Assemblymember Jonathan Rivera, a Buffalo Democrat, discusses his dissatisfaction with the process of selecting candidates for special elections after finding himself shut out from running for a vacant state senate seat. But he says he will pursue a full term in the role when the general election rolls around.

Jan. 14, 2026- New York policymakers have adopted a law to regulate the lawsuit lending industry, but how impactful will it be? We consider the future of these consumer protections with Tom Stebbins, executive director of The Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York.

Jan. 14, 2026- New York Civil Liberties Union Senior Policy Counsel Justin Harrison shares concerns about Gov. Kathy Hochul's effort to create a free speech buffer zone outside of houses of religious worship.

Jan. 14, 2026- In an excerpt of an upcoming Dispatches from Planet Albany episode, we talked about the tumult in the Empire State's marijuana oversight with Herb Barbot, former director of operations for New York Office of Cannabis Management and chair of the Empire State Green Standard Alliance.

Jan. 13, 2026- Assemblymember Alex Bores, a Manhattan Democrat, and State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, a Brooklyn Democrat, discuss the fate of their 2025 bill to regulate cutting-edge artificial intelligence development, which was the subject of intense lobbying and got tweaked by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Jan. 12, 2026- Oswego County Administrator Phil Church, president of the New York State Association of Counties, explains the counties' Albany wish list, which includes state help responding to federal changes.

Jan. 12, 2026- Iroquois Healthcare Association President & CEO Kevin Kerwin talks about the support hospitals will need in 2026 from the state, in part due to the fallout from actions championed by President Donald Trump and his allies in Washington D.C.

Jan. 12, 2026- New York State Dental Association Executive Director Michael Herrmann reflects on legislative actions taken in 2025 and shares the priorities for dentists in 2026 at the Capitol.

Jan. 12, 2026- New York Insurance Association President Cassandra Anderson discusses workers' compensation fraud, including more resources for state regulators and an anti-fraud measure vetoed by the governor.

Jan. 9, 2026- We explore concerns of the long-term care industry, including being excluded from a round of state infrastructure funding, dealing with inadequate Medicaid rates, and struggling to find staff. Our guests are Sebrina Barrett, president and CEO for LeadingAge New York, and Jeremy Rutter, president and CEO of Community Wellness Partners.

Jan. 9, 2026- Gov. Kathy Hochul is looking to make a big investment in child care this year, so we explore the outlines of what she's proposing and consider what else needs to be done to boost access to care with the help of Meredith Chimento, executive director of the Early Care & Learning Council.

Jan. 8, 2026 - Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha, a Hudson Valley Democrat, makes the case for a state takeover of an investor-owned utility with a suspect record in the Hudson Valley. We explore what the new entity would look like it and why she thinks drastic changes are necessary.

Jan. 8, 2026- The controversial transition of the administration of a popular home care program is complete, but how is it working now? Not well, according to Ilana Berger, the New York political director for Caring Majority Rising, which wants state policymakers to make changes to the status quo.

Jan. 8, 2026- In December, state law was strengthened to protect New Yorkers who request reasonable accommodations in public places, like at work. We explore the significance of this anti-retaliation measure and consider the merits of updating New York's paid medical leave program with Jesse Workman, a senior staff attorney with A Better Balance.

Jan. 7, 2026- A decade ago the state changed the way it administered Medicaid payments for behavioral health providers in order to save money and improve outcomes, but the plan hasn't worked according to providers. We consider returning to a fee-for-service model with Lauri Cole, executive director of the New York State Council for Community Behavioral Health Care.

Jan. 7, 2026 - Center for Effective Lawmaking co-Director Craig Volden discusses who were the effective state lawmakers during the legislative sessions in 2023 and 2024 in New York. This is an excerpt of a conversation for an upcoming Dispatches from Planet Albany episode.

Jan. 7, 2026- Progressive criminal justice activists are hoping this is the year that state policymakers take action to expand access to treatment courts. We discuss this diversion program with Casey Dalporto and Stephanie Bazell, senior policy attorneys with the New York County Defender Services.

Jan. 7, 2026- In advance of New York implementing a law allowing the terminally ill to legally end their lives with the help of a doctor, we check in with Medical Society of the State of New York President Dr. David Jakubowicz to explore how the program should be rolled out.

Jan. 6, 2026- Diane Eber, the executive director of the unique performing arts center at the Capitol complex, known as The Egg, discusses a major renovation of the venue and her vision for the future.

Jan 5. 2025- In the face of the Trump administration attempting to roll back Biden-era drinking water standards, environmental officials are calling on the Hochul administration to proactively backfill federal protections. We discuss the effort to increase state regulations of PFAS in drinking water with Rob Hayes, senior director of clean water at Environmental Advocates NY.

Jan. 5, 2025- Times Union Managing Editor Brendan Lyons talks about his coverage of the New York State Police and the union representing state troopers during 2025, which was a tumultuous year for both institutions.

Dec. 30, 2025- New York Farm Bureau Director of Public Policy Renée St Jacques talks about the overtime threshold for farmworkers and her organization's agenda for the legislative session in 2026.

Dec. 26, 2025- In light of Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani becoming mayor of New York City in a few days, we dug into The Capitol Pressroom archives and we're dedicating the entire show to some of our past conversations. The appearances include the summer of 2020 after winning a Democratic Assembly primary, March of 2021 during his first few months at the Capitol, May 2022 when we dove into "Stranger Things," and a 2023 exploration of West Bank politics. We hope these interviews shed a little light on the personality and evolution of the future leader of the Big Apple.

Dec. 24, 2025- Assemblymember Demond Meeks, a Rochester Democrat, discusses the implementation of the "Raise the Age" law in New York, including the needs to spend allocated resources.

Dec. 24, 2025- The issue of title insurance is getting increased attention in New York because of efforts to curb deed theft and changes to the state's land acquisition process. We discuss these moving parts and more with John Kenealy, a vice president for Chicago Title in their Syracuse office.

Dec. 23, 2025- Politico New York reporter Marie French discusses the significance of the recently adopted state energy plan and what it indicates about the future priorities of the Hochul administration.