Well-founded or not, a majority of New Yorkers who voted in 2021 had misgivings on the merits of no-excuse absentee voting. They rejected the same scheme the Early Mail Voting Law now imposes. They voted to maintain the status quo of the prior 55 years and their will should prevail because the Early Mail Voting Act is unconstitutional as a matter of legal interpretation and the history and tradition in New York's Constitution. Read More
New Yorkers will to vote this November on Ballot Proposal 1—a proposition to amend equal protection clause of the state Constitution. If approved by the voters in November, Prop One’s changes to the state’s equal protection laws could throw New York civil rights into turmoil. Read More
The Board of Directors of the Empire Center for Public Policy today announced the appointment of Zilvinas Silenas as President and CEO. Zilvinas (also goes by “Z”) will succeed Tim Hoefer, who joined the Empire Center in 2008 and has led the o Read More
New York's per capita Medicaid spending jumped 14 percent in 2023, moving it further ahead of the rest of the country, recently released nationwide data show. In the federal fiscal year that ended last September, New York spent $94.6 billion Read More
A new report from New York’s electric grid operator highlights the uncertainty around the state’s plan to power most of the economy using wind turbines and solar panels. Read More
In this episode of Messages of Necessity, Empire Center Executive Director Z sits down with Roger Caiazza, our newest Adjunct Fellow with an extensive background in energy policy. Together, they discuss Roger's views on the Climate Leadership and Com Read More
just announced that the state will hold a “Future Energy Economy Summit” next month, at which “global experts [will] discuss the role of next generation clean energy technologies and strategies to accelerate renewa Read More
The number of retirees eligible for $200,000 or more in pensions from the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) reached 78 in the 2024 fiscal year, according to, the Empire Ce Read More