The Capitol Pressroom

May 21, 2026- Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, makes the case for amending New York's state constitution to accelerate and overhaul the redistricting process to boost his party's edge in the congressional delegation.

May 21, 2026- Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, a Brooklyn Democrat, discusses her legislation making it easier for New Yorkers living in apartments to generate their own solar power.

May 21, 2026- We discuss a potential update to the state's Child Victims Act that would ensure government entities could be found liable for sexual abuse that happens at foster care organizations they contract with. Our guest is attorney Jeff Herman.

May 20, 2026- State Sen. Jake Ashby, a Capital Region Republican, discusses his bill giving New Yorkers more opportunities to change their health insurance coverage if a health care provider they rely on leaves their network.

May 20, 2026- Assemblymember Sarah Clark, a Rochester-area Democrat, explains why she thinks New York needs to level the playing field in home purchases. Her legislation is designed to promote the practice of property inspections for buyers.

May 13, 2026 - Could direct contracting for health care services be a cheaper alternative to employer-sponsored health insurance coverage? We explore how this type of self-insurance is utilized in New York with Courtney Burke, senior fellow for health policy at the Rockefeller Institute of Government.

May 13, 2026 - Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, a Queens Democrat, makes the case for updating New York's stalking laws to make it easier to obtain orders of protection against non-family members.

May 12, 2026- Efforts in New York to scale back the use of a popular coolant that contributes to climate change has generated bipartisan pushback. We discuss what the implementation of these restrictions should look like with Richie Kaur, senior super pollutant reduction advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

May 12, 2026- New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe makes the case for the state to stay on track with the implementation of a 2019 state law designed to reduce the Empire State's carbon footprint. We discuss about regulatory and legislative efforts to curb the ambitious law.

May 12, 2026-We talk about education services in state's prisons and how these programs can help incarcerated New Yorkers return to society. Our guest is Trent Griffin-Braaf, founder of Success Map Initiative.

May 11, 2026- State law requires school districts to adopt zero-emission school buses by 2035, so we discuss the implementation of this controversial mandate with Adam Ruder, director of clean transportation for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

May 11, 2026- The increase in online ordering has driven up the number of warehouses across the state, with environmentalists raising concerns about the concentrated pollution from delivery vehicles. We discuss pending legislation designed to curb the environmental risk with Sasan Saadat, senior research and policy analyst at Earthjustice.

May 11, 2026- Assembly Children and Families Committee Chair Andrew Hevesi, a Queens Democrat, talks about regulatory changes to ensure vulnerable kids are getting the behavioral health services they need. He also makes some last-minute pitches for the state budget and laments this year's budget process.

May 8, 2026- We explore the effort to preserve and grow the Atlantic and Shortnose sturgeon population in the Hudson River. Our guest is Amanda Higgs, a fisheries biologist with the State Department of Environmental Conservation's Division of Marine Resources and Cornell University.

May 8, 2026- We talk to New York State Association of Cemeteries Legislative Director David Fleming about issues facing non-profit cemeteries across the Empire State, including long-term financing of operations.

May 8, 2026- Legislation has been kicking around the Capitol for more than a decade that would promote more specialized care for New Yorkers with sickle cell disease. We discuss this effort with Ginger Davis, president of the Sickle Cell Thalassemia Patients Network.

May 8, 2026- Dan Clark, author of the Capitol Confidential newsletter, fills in some of the details on the proposed state budget, which is finally taking shape, despite the protestations from state lawmakers that there are still many unresolved questions.

May 7, 2026- We check in with New York Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan, as part of mental health awareness month, to talk about the need for mental health services in the Empire State and what the Hochul administration is doing to meet the demand.

May 7, 2026- The state's financial regulators are in the process of implementing a law designed to regulate the evolving "buy now, pay later" lending industry. We consider what the rules should look like with Miranda Margowsky, head of communications for the Financial Technology Association.

April 30, 2026-We consider what happens to people facing criminal charges and are found not guilty because of a medical condition. We talk about reforming the mental health system with Garrett Smith, a statewide organizer for the Center for Community Alternatives, and Jayette Lansbury, a member of the New York State Criminal Justice Committee for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

May 6, 2026- State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, a Brooklyn Democrat, talks about updating New York's sex trafficking laws and hearing from victims of Jeffrey Epstein at a legislative committee meeting.

May 6, 2026- New York is looking for large-scale solar and wind projects to add to its green energy pipeline and receive ratepayer subsidies. We discuss the solicitation effort with Doreen Harris, president and CEO of the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority.

May 6, 2026- Democrat Mary Finneran discusses her bid for a deep-red Assembly seat, including her path to victory and policies she would prioritize.

May 6, 2026- We get to know Assemblymember Keith Powers, a Manhattan Democrat, who won a special election earlier this year after serving eight years in the New York City Council.

May 5, 2026- Assemblymember Joe Angelino, a Central New York Republican, discusses his effort to incentivize more volunteer first responders and reflects on the challenge of moving legislation at the Capitol when you're in the minority.