Capitol Conversations: Bureau Reporters Break Down The Latest

New York Public News Network | By Jimmy Vielkind, Samuel King

New York state budget talks are inching forward as Gov. Kathy Hochul puts new proposals on the table.

Hochul dropped a big one on Tax Day — she finally found a tax increase that she supports. But not the income or corporate tax hike sought by progressive lawmakers and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. It’s a pied-a-terre tax on second homes in New York City.

The governor also moved on some immigration-related legislation, including new support for an existing bill that would prevent ICE agents from wearing masks while interacting with the public. But other parts of her immigration proposals are still raising concerns at the Capitol.

And Hochul’s Republican opponent in November, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, says he would scrap the state’s climate law and other green energy initiatives if he becomes governor.

The New York Public News Network’s Jimmy Vielkind and Samuel King discuss those proposals and reactions at the Capitol.

Image: The New York State Capitol on April 30, 2025 in Albany, NY. (Patrick Dodson/New York Public News Network)