In early April, Governor Andrew Cuomo and his fellow Democrats in New York’s legislature agreed to a record $209 billion budget that will raise taxes by billions of dollars a year on the state’s top earners and most profitable corporations—even though higher taxes were no longer needed to make up for pandemic-driven revenue losses.

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Another Voice: Albany’s MTA congestion pricing battles have implications for Western New York

Gov. Kathy Hochul has taken blistering criticism for postponing congestion pricing, a long-planned $15 toll on drivers entering lower Manhattan meant to reduce traffic — and collect $15 tolls. Most of the drama may be playing out in New York City, but pay attention, upstate: you stand to lose — or win — in this fight. Read More

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Court’s mail-in voting decision is a slap in the face to NY’s voters

So much for “no means no.” That’s the message from the state Court of Appeals, which ruled last week that New Yorkers don’t need an excuse to cast an absentee ballot by mail when they’re otherwise able to vote in person — even though the voters themselves have directly rejected such a measure. Read More

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