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New York's unfunded liability for state government retiree health coverage has reached $90.5 billion—an increase of $3 billion over last year's estimate, and nearly $13 billion in just two years, according to the just-released First Quarterly Update to the state's FY 2019 Financial Plan. The liability for other post-employment benefits, or OPEB, reflects the net present value of continuing state health insurance coverage available to all employees who retire directly from a state government payroll after at least 10 years of service. Read More

At least 856 New York state and local government employees under age 65 have received special permission to collect both public pensions and full government paychecks, according to data posted today on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s transparency website. Read More

This is only the latest instance in which politics seem to be taking precedence over public interest at a consumer-focused regulatory agency. Read More

As the state awaits the RAND Corp.’s analysis of a proposed single-payer health plan for New York, the organization’s study of a similar plan in Oregon offers a potentially instructive preview. Read More

Nearly three-quarters (307) of the 416 firefighters and fire officers who retired from the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) during 2017 are eligible to collect pensions of at least $100,000, according to data posted today to SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s transparency website. Read More

Congressional Republicans today unveiled a summary of their plans for permanently extending last year's federal income tax cuts—presumably (but not explicitly) subsidized by a permanent $10,000 cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions. Read More

As the state prepares to collect $2 billion in proceeds from the sale of Fidelis Care, the Cuomo administration has quietly revised its statement on how it will use the money, shifting to an emphasis on service for the needy rather than support for providers. Read More

The New York-led multi-state lawsuit challenging the new federal tax law is not as weak as you might have heard. If anything, it's even worse—a 141-page mashup of half-baked numbers, dubious factual assertions and (largely well-founded) political arguments masquerading as constitutional jurisprudence. Read More