Legislation introduced by the politically potent state Senate Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) with Republican support would scrap a decades-old worker protection and make it more difficult for government employees to change their mind about paying dues to a labor union. Read More
The tax cap effect was on full display in yesterday’s school budget voting. School budgets were approved at a record-high rate of 99.3 percent, adding to evidence that districts can live within a property tax cap set at either 2 percent or the prior year’s average rate of inflation, whichever is less. Read More
The Cuomo administration has proposed modifications to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR), which has long hindered growth and development in New York State. While the changes under consideration by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) would represent at least one important step in a pro-growth direction, the proposed tweaks to SEQR would also clear a smoother path for key Cuomo priorities, such as the development of vast solar panel farms and wind turbine installations required by the governor’s renewable energy push. And in some other respects, the proposed SEQR changes would create even more development red tape. Read More
START-UP NY lost almost as many new job commitments as it added during 2016, signaling the end may be near for the economic development program that Governor Andrew Cuomo once touted as “the greatest economic savior” for upstate New York. Read More
Calls to “defund” New York’s SAFE Act gun-control law have become standard fare during the budget process—but the goal is completely impractical. Read More
State regulators last week shot down efforts by utilities to show ratepayers the amount by which their electric bills are being driven up by New York's new Clean Energy Standard. Read More
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget pulls the plug on the state’s disappointing START-UP NY program. Read More
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget makes important changes to several secretive slush funds first brought to light by the Empire Center. Read More