The Capitol Pressroom

July 10, 2026- We examine the role licensed home care agencies play in the continuum of care for seniors and New Yorkers with disabilities. We also discuss the licensing and oversight of these agencies with Gwen Crossett, founder of ConstantCare247.

July 10, 2026- Democrats in Albany want the Hochul administration to study the viability of smart guns that would only fire in the hands of an authorized user. We discuss the potential of this technology with Kerri Raissian, executive director of Yale School of Public Health's Firearm Injury Prevention Team and a member of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at the Rockefeller Institute...

July 10, 2026- Assemblymember Catalina Cruz, a Queens Democrat, makes the case for legislation ensuring that people giving statements to the police are translated accurately when they aren't proficient in English.

July 10, 2026- We consider legislation that would ban a controversial herbicide that has been linked to Parkinson's Disease and has been restricted by countries. Our guest is Zach Hardy, senior state government relations manager at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

July 9, 2026- We get to know Samantha Kattan, a Democratic Socialist working at a housing nonprofit, who is the presumptive next representative for a western Queens Assembly District after winning an open primary in June.

July 9, 2026- Southern Brooklyn Democrat Chris McCreight explains why he is running for the Assembly again and weighs in on the future leadership of the Brooklyn Democrats.

July 9, 2026- A decade ago New York prohibited elephants from being part of circuses and now Gov. Kathy Hochul will have to decide whether other large animals can be part of traveling exhibitions. We discuss legislation approved at the Capitol with Brian Shapiro, state director in New York at the Humane World for Animals.

July 9, 2026- We talked with New York State Council of Professional Geologists Executive Director John Nadeau about legislation reshuffling the state's geological survey bureau and creating a state geologist post in order to make New York eligible for federal geology funds. We also consider how many geologists the state should have on staff.

July 8, 2026 - Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest, a Brooklyn Democrat, makes the case for legislation requiring private insurance companies cover name-brand drugs at the same price as generic alternatives when there is a shortage of the generic drug.

July 8, 2026 - We’re getting to know the politicians destined to join the state legislature, so we’re checking in with Christian Celeste Tate, a progressive Democrat who unseated a Brooklyn Assemblymember in the June primaries. We talk about his expectations for office and his commitment to being present in his district.

July 8, 2026 - Assemblyman Patrick Carroll, a Rockland County Democrat, makes the case for updating New York's protections for consumers of new and used cars. We also reflect on his first term in office.

July 8, 2026 - SUNY Chancellor John King provides an update on the state's free community college initiative, discusses higher education in prison, the funding needs for a unique SUNY campus, and protections for college athletes.

July 7, 2026- Former Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, an Oswego County Republican, joins the show for his exit interview. We discuss his first bid for the Assembly, reflect on his special election loss in 2008 and explore his relationship with Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.

July 7, 2026- We're getting to know the politicians destined to join the state legislature, so we're checking in with Brian Romero, who won an open Democratic Assembly primary to represent a part of Western Queens.

July 7, 2026- The state court has updated its rules for advertising by lawyers, eliminating restrictions on when solicitation efforts could begin. We discuss this changing landscape with New York State Bar Association President Taa Grays.

July 6, 2026- The Trump administration is suing the state for alleged Medicaid fraud in the operation of a multi-billion dollar home care program serving seniors and New Yorkers with disabilities. We discuss the latest chapter in the transition of the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program with Bill Hammond, senior fellow for Health Policy at the Empire Center for Public Policy.

July 3, 2026- We consider the benefits of a statewide right to counsel for New Yorkers facing eviction with Malika Conner, coalition director for The Right to Counsel Coalition.

July 3, 2026- We check in with Assemblymember Michael Cashman, a Plattsburgh Democrat, who reflects on his first legislative session. We discuss his legislative approach, partnerships he developed and expectations for the 2027 session.

July 3, 2026- New York lawmakers approved a number of employee protections this past legislative session, so we get the employer perspective on some of the proposals with Frank Kerbein, director of the Center for Human Resources at the Business Council of New York State. We discuss AI reporting requirements, guaranteeing access to personnel files and an expansion of workers compensation benefits.

July 2, 2026- Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz, a Bronx Democrat, makes the case for collecting information about binding arbitration results between customers and businesses.

July 2, 2026- Assemblymember Michaelle Solages, a Long Island Democrat, discusses a new tax rate proposal for vape products and lays out potential guardrails for college athletes.

July 2, 2026- We talk about legislation and regulatory actions that impact utility customers in New York with Laurie Wheelock, executive director Public Utility Law Project of New York. We discuss $1 billion for rebate checks, a commission to review utility costs, and an investigation into utility billing practices.

July 1, 2026- The Hochul administration is taking steps to further the development of new nuclear projects and shedding light on what the future will look like. We explore the latest developments, including a state report, with Tim Knauss, a watchdog reporter on the Public Affairs Team at Syracuse.com and Syracuse Post-Standard.

July 1, 2026- State lawmakers are looking to root out elder abuse by imposing new training requirements on New Yorkers who work with the elderly. We explore this proposal and the hidden world of abuse with Kelly Zunner-Daniels, division leader for the Upstate Elder Abuse Center at Lifespan of Greater Rochester.

July 1, 2026- We discuss legislation requiring the disclosure of generative AI used by news organizations. Our guest is Sam Wheeler, executive director of the Writers Guild of America East.