Blog

Governor Cuomo’s deal with legislative leaders on expanded access to breast cancer screening falls squarely within three unfortunate Albany traditions: It micromanages the health-care industry in ways that add red tape and drive up costs. It singles out a high-profile disease for special treatment. And it accomplishes less than what’s promised by the press release. Read More

With just three work days remaining in the legislative session, a number of bills that would loosen the property-tax cap await consideration in both houses. The pending legislative efforts range from small modifications to the cap formula to allow more spending without triggering the cap’s supermajority requirement, to doing away with the supermajority requirement altogether. Read More

Public elementary and secondary school spending in New York reached an all-time high of $20,600 per-pupil in 2013-14 school year, topping all states and exceeding the $11,009 per-pupil national average by 87 percent, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released today. Read More

Days after saddling New York employers with higher minimum wages and the nation's most generous paid family leave mandate, Governor Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders announced in early April that they had formed a temporary Business Regulation Council to come up with ideas for improving the business climate. The panel's recommendations are, to virtually no one's surprise, underwhelming. Read More

The state Senate is considering a measure to force New Yorkers to buy heating oil blended with biodiesel—but it’s not the kind of environmentally friendly, “green” policy its supporters would have you believe. Read More

For the first time in decades, at least one house of the Legislature may be ready to advance reform of New York's State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR), long identified as a major obstacle to growth across the state. Read More

Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas have introduced what they're calling “The World’s Greatest Healthcare Plan.” It’s hard to see how it amounts to a workable plan at all. Read More