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May 5, 2025 - Biosolids are billed as a cheap alternative that farmers can use instead of fertilizer, but environmentalists and public health officials are now warning that these treated materials could be dangerous. We discuss legislation pausing the use of biosolids in New York with Claire Walsh Winsler, director of food agriculture and land use policy for Environmental Advocates New York. ESCUC...

May 2, 2025 - The process of selecting a firm to manage the Long Island power grid took a dramatic twist this week, so we're unpacking the drama with Mark Harrington, a reporter with Newsday. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=light&playlist=show&playlist-continuous=true&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=t...

May 2, 2025 - The medical cannabis industry is leery of language they claim Gov. Kathy Hochul is advancing in the budget that would effectively limit the market for medical marijuana patients. We discuss the potential fallout from the governor's plan with Katie Neer, who is of counsel for Dickinson & Avella and represents the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉ht...

May 2, 2025 - Assembly Insurance Committee Chair David Weprin, a Queens Democrat, considers what can be done to restrain New York's constantly increasing car insurance costs. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=light&playlist=show&playlist-continuous=true&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=true&hide-like...

May 2, 2025 - Three decades ago the Health Care Reform Act was adopted to create new efficiencies at hospitals, but it has evolved (or devolved?) into basically a multi-billion dollar tax that funds the status quo in health care. We consider removing this tax and changing how health care is funded with John O'Malley, of CWA Local 1180, and Richard Winston, a lobbyist with State & Broadway. ESC...

May 1, 2025 - Environmental Advocates NY Senior Director of Clean Water Rob Hayes explains why not all discharge to waste water treatment plants can be completely processed and calls for closer monitoring of industrial activities. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=light&playlist=show&playlist-continuous=true&chapters-image=true&episo...

May 1, 2025 - State health officials have launched an online dashboard that makes it easy to track and analyze data on sexually transmitted diseases in New York. We explore this public facing tool with Wilson Miranda, surveillance director for the Office of Sexual Health and Epidemiology at the State Department of Health, and John Lake, evaluation specialist for the Office of Sexual Health and Epi...

May 1, 2025 - Dr. Robert Zayas, executive director of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, addresses the concerns about public and private schools competing in high school sports playoffs against each other. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=light&playlist=show&playlist-continuous=true&chapters-image=true&episo...

April 30, 2025 - Frederick Kowal, president of United University Professions, argues that SUNY and CUNY leaders should be part of a vocal, coordinated rebuttal to President Donald Trump's effort to disrupt the status quo on college campuses, including stifling academic freedom. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=light&playlist=show&playlist-c...

April 30, 2025 - The state's paid medical leave benefit has been stagnant for more than three decades, which hinders the ability of cancer patients to access care, according to Michael Davoli, senior New York State government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and Stacy Betler, a cancer survivor. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id...

April 30, 2025 - New York State Troopers PBA President Charles Murphy makes the case for a state law ensuing troopers have up to 30 days of paid leave to process their direct involvement with a use-of-force incident that leads the death or serious injury of another person. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=light&playlist=show&playlist-contin...

April 30, 2025 - New York is poised to become the latest state to restrict access to smartphones during the school day, based on a state budget deal announced Monday. The Capitol Pressroom's J.T. Stone examined the policy scheduled to take effect for the 2025-2026 school year and talked with education stakeholders from around New York. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_i...

April 29, 2025 - On Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a budget deal was reached with the Democratic majorities in the state legislature. And while the bills still need to be printed and final details agreed upon, we review the broad strokes of the agreement with Dan Clark, author of the Capitol Confidential newsletter for the Times Union. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?epis...

April 29, 2025 - Sen. Monica Martinez, a Long Island Democrat, talks about why she is pushing plastic packaging waste legislation that is an alternative to a proposal with waste reduction mandates that has been under consideration for years. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=light&playlist=show&playlist-continuous=true&chapters-image=tru...

April 29, 2025 - New Yorkers are used to high insurance costs, for everything from property coverage to a foster care program, and now the cost of car insurance has prompted the ride sharing industry to push for change. We talked with Josh Gold, senior director of public policy and communications at Uber, about the ramifications of costly insurance coverage and how state policymakers could address...

April 29, 2025 - Stephanie Miner, who served as mayor of Syracuse from 2010 until 2018, discusses her new memoir, including why her political relationship with then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo fizzled and what it was like working with the state legislature. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=light&playlist=show&playlist-continuous=true&chapters-ima...

April 28, 2025 - Monica Billger, director of state government affairs at the American Diabetes Association, discusses legislation intended to make obesity treatments, including popular weight loss drugs, more accessible by mandating insurance coverage. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=light&playlist=show&playlist-continuous=true&chapter...

April 28, 2025 - We consider changes to the uncontested divorce process in New York with April Dalbec, co-chair of the matrimonial and family law practice group for Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna LLP. We also consider potential changes to the legal separation laws and access to pro bono divorce attorneys. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=light&...

April 28, 2025 - Chris Bowser, education coordinator for the state Department of Environmental Conservation's Hudson River Estuary Program, talks about the eel population in New York and explains a program that engages New Yorkers to track the state's eels. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=light&playlist=show&playlist-continuous=true&ch...

April 25, 2025 - Luke Sikinyi, vice president of public policy at the Alliance for Rights and Recovery, highlights the long wait lists for state-funded mental health services in New York and argues against expanding the use of involuntary commitments. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=light&playlist=show&playlist-continuous=true&chapters...

April 25, 2025 - In a new excerpt from Dispatches from Planet Albany, we broke down the evolving field of GOP gubernatorial candidates with Republican communications consultant Chapin Fay. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=light&playlist=show&playlist-continuous=true&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=true...

April 25, 2025 - Gov. Kathy Hochul is looking to give the state's prisons some breathing room by moving up the release date of hundreds of New Yorkers already scheduled to be let go. We discuss this policy with Laura Roan, vice president of in-prison services for The Osborne Association. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=light&playlist=show&...

April 25, 2025 - New York Attorney General Letitia James could soon find herself under a federal criminal investigation, but is this a weaponization of the justice system? We explore the case against the Brooklyn Democrat and the response by the Trump administration with Dale Margolin Cecka, an assistant professor of law at Albany Law School. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?ep...

April 23, 2025 - We break down the latest survey of voters by the Siena College Research Institute, which asked if New Yorkers care about a late budget, who they want to be the gubernatorial nominees next year, and their reactions to some Trump administration priorities. Our guest is Siena pollster Steve Greenberg. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=...

April 23, 2025 - Assemblymember Emérita Torres, a Bronx Democrat, explains her legislation regulating the use of price adjustments informed by consumer data. ESCUCHAR RADIO  👉https://widget.spreaker.com/player?episode_id=70730354&theme=light&playlist=show&playlist-continuous=true&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=true&hide-likes=true&hide-c...