Policy Outsider

It's not just an availability issue. While governments continue to invest in expansion of broadband infrastructure, high costs and poor digital literacy have hindered adoption of high-speed internet even where it is available. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, guest Kevin Schwartzbach, a graduate research assistant at the Rockefeller Institute, shares his research on broadband policy and i...

A recently passed bill would enact a two-year moratorium on specific types of cryptocurrency mining in New York and require an environmental impact assessment of mining operations if signed by Governor Kathy Hochul. On the latest episode of  Policy Outsider , NYS Assemblymember Anna Kelles, the bill's sponsor, joins host Alex Morse to discuss what's in the bill, what the legislature hopes to...

Changing the way we understand and talk about mass shootings can help us implement more effective gun policy. As National Gun Violence Awareness Month winds down, this episode of Policy Outsider presents a recorded Twitter Spaces conversation between the Rockefeller Institute's Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium Interim Executive Director Jaclyn Schildkraut and New Jersey Gun Violence Resea...

While federal inaction to address gun violence persists, local officials face significant challenges preventing and responding to gun violence in their communities. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider , Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan discusses the state of gun violence in Albany, what the city is doing to address illegal firearms and gun violence, and what resources local governments need from fe...

Solar arrays, agriculture, pollinator plantings—these are some of the potential uses for roadside right-of-ways (ROWs), the grassy areas that run alongside the highway. Collectively, across the United States, ROWs make up an area larger than the state of New Jersey. In this follow up to her analysis, " All the Above: The Many Ways to Use Roadside Right-of-Ways ," Nathan Fellow Kaitlin Stack Whitne...

Higher education is a powerful tool that can help improve economic standing and mobility. For many families, however, the expense of college  presents prospective students with a dilemma: delay or forego higher education or incur significant debt in pursuit of a degree. On this episode of Policy Outsider , guest Leila Bozorg, Chief of Strategy & Policy at NYC Kids RISE, explains how her o...

Over the weekend, and about a week after it was due, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law a $220 billion budget for the 2023 fiscal year. The budget includes significant investments in sectors hit hard by the pandemic, such as healthcare, a full funding of foundation aid (the state's public education funding formula), and $4.2 billion for the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs...

Complex government programs, such as Medicaid, are often accompanied by strict registration and eligibility requirements. These administrative burdens can frustrate and stymie potentially eligible individuals, limiting individuals’ access to public programs and legally-entitled benefits. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider , University at Albany Associate Professor Ashley Fox discusses her re...

New York City's top fiscal official, Jacques Jiha, Ph. D., joins  Policy Outsider  to discuss how the City managed its budget through the turbulence of the pandemic, how the City's budget process differs from the State's, and how the City and State work together to maintain fiscal stability in the largest metropolitan region of the country.

Fresh off delivering 30-day budget amendments to the NYS Legislature, NYS Budget Director Robert Mujica joined host Alex Morse and Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna for a conversation about this year's budget, the delicate art of negotiations, and what it's like to lead the Division of the Budget through the budget process

Too many young children and families lack access to proper health care and early education. To address this need, the New York State Department of Health put forward the First 1,000 Days on Medicaid initiative, which aims to improve lifelong education and health outcomes for underserved children by focusing on early childhood development programs and interventions. In a new episode of Policy Outsi...

Bob Megna, president of the Rockefeller Institute of Government and former New York State budget director, joins  Policy Outsider  host Alex Morse to discuss the behind-the-scenes of the New York State budget process. The conversation covers the budget development timeline, the players involved, and how the current economic landscape, including the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pand...

Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced New York State will help resettle as many 1,143 Afghan nationals evacuated from Afghanistan in cities across the state. On this episode, guests Camille Mackler, founder and executive director of Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative (ARC), and Professor Sarah Rogerson, director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the Albany Law School, discuss the status...

Production of concrete, the worlds most used building material is a major contributor to total global carbon emissions each year. On this episode of Policy Outsider , Matt Adams, a Richard P. Nathan fellow at the Rockefeller institute, and Nicola Armacost, mayor of the village of Hastings-on-Hudson, in Westchester County, NY, join host Alexander Morse to discuss a local policy initiative in Hastin...

The expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) has the potential to dramatically reduce child poverty, improve child and parent health, and smooth fluctuations in available funds for lower-income families. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, Leigh Wedonoja, senior policy analyst at the Rockefeller Institute, discusses changes to the child tax credit, how those changes make the credit operate more like...

The New York State 2021 legislative session wrapped up late last week with a handful of firearm bills passing the Senate and Assembly. On a new episode of Policy Outsider , Joe Popcun, executive director of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium and director of policy and practice at the Rockefeller Institute, and Nick Simons, project coordinator at the Rockefeller Institute, discuss the ma...

On May 8, in response to an executive order from President Biden, the Department of Justice proposed a new rule to limit the proliferation of "ghost guns," or firearms that do not have a unique serial number. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider , Rockefeller Institute Project Coordinator Nicholas Simons explains what is in the new rule, how it may impact the use of ghost guns, and the next st...

New York State will legalize adult-use recreational marijuana. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute Director of Operations and Fellow Heather Trela breaks down what is in the 77,529 word marijuana legalization bill and, importantly, what is not in the bill. Trela, a federalism expert turned marijuana policy maven, brings valuable context to the discussion, comparing reve...

On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute Deputy Director of Research Laura Rabinow discusses her recent research examining the capacity of the Environmental Protection Agency to support the Biden administration's ambitious climate and environmental goals following regulatory and administrative changes at the agency under the Trump administration and years of staffing and bud...

On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute Nathan Fellow Rebecca Natow joins host, Alex Morse, to discuss her latest analysis examining the retirement of US Senator and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chair Lamar Alexander, the role of the HELP Committee in setting congressional agendas and actions in higher education, and the likely choice for n...

The Rockefeller Institute recently examined ballot initiatives in Oregon and Washington DC that would decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms ("magic mushrooms"). In this episode of Policy Outsider , guest Heather Trela, director of operations and fellow at the Institute, provides an update on the outcome of magic mushroom and marijuana ballot initiatives, discusses how the liberalization of marijuana...

In this episode of Policy Outsider , Rockefeller Institute researchers and fellows share remarks on the important policy issues facing the winner of the presidential election. Researchers in economic development, education, climate, gun policy, and healthcare present some of the key questions, concerns, and policy challenges that lie before the nation and consider the approach the next presidentia...

Under the Trump administration, the agencies and processes of the federal bureaucracy—i.e. the "Administrative State"—have been targeted for deconstruction and reorganization. In this episode of Policy Outsider , Rockefeller Institute Fellow and Professor at Daemen College Lisa Parshall discusses the Trump administration's approach to governing, including how presidents have limited the power and...

COVID-19 has raised many questions about voting in the 2020 election: how do we keep poll workers and voters safe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic? What changes can be made to make voting more accessible? What are some of the challenges voters still face? In this episode of Policy Outsider, guests Laura Bierman, executive director of the League of Women Voters (LWV) of New York State, and J...

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has a long history of technological innovation. It is, and has been, central to the project of democracy in the US, enabling the growth and free exchange of newspapers and information and connecting citizens to each other across the nation's expanse. In this episode of Policy Outsider , guest David Hochfelder, associate professor at the University at Albany,...