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Final Push
NY Bills in Battle, Business Backlash, Bracing for DC Budget Brawl
Good morning from Albany, New York. The Senate has only seven scheduled session days remaining, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins is adamant they will adjourn on June 13. The Assembly has already added a couple extra days and plans to be in session through June 17. Extra members (150 vs. 63) simply means it takes longer to do everything from debates to the actual voting on bills.
What, exactly, both houses will be debating and voting on is the subject of intense debate, discussion, and lobbying. Please let us know if you have questions about specific bills or are interested in getting legislation done... or stopped. We can help!
The Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act will cut plastic pollution, eliminate toxic chemicals from packaging, and save taxpayers and local governments millions.
This bill has been years in the making. Let’s get it passed in the Assembly!
— Senator Pete Harckham (@SenatorHarckham)
5:09 PM • May 29, 2025
One bill receiving intense scrutiny and debate is the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, which was very close to passing last year before the eleventh-hour decision by Governor Kathy Hochul to pause congestion pricing sent several things sideways. The legislation, which has faced intense opposition from groups like the Business Council and the American Chemistry Council, would require companies to pay fees based on the amount of packaging waste they generate and would require these companies to fund and oversee a new organization that would be responsible for fee collection and waste reduction initiatives. It would also require a 30% reduction in packaging over 12 years.
📰 NEWS: Proud to stand w/ @BusinessNYS and our @nysenategop against the “Packaging Reduction” Act (S.1464) which will drive UP consumer costs and make NY LESS affordable.
This is yet another crushing Albany mandate on small businesses.
Full statement: nysenate.gov/newsroom/artic…
— Rob Ortt (@SenatorOrtt)
8:43 PM • May 27, 2025
The Business Council has proposed a compromise bill that enacts a version of the “extended producer responsibility” (EPR), but does not go as far as the requirements in the original. Paul Zuber, Executive Vice President of the Business Council, offered, “Instead of being a situation where business stomped its feet and said, ‘We’re not going to do this, we’re going to try to block this, we’re going to try to do whatever we can to stop it,’ we came up with something that we felt was reasonable.” Nonetheless, an intense lobbying effort has been underway to oppose the bill, from a coalition including Target, Coca-Cola, and the American Chemistry Council, that has been targeting lawmakers with recent ads. Expect several additional twists and turns as advocates try to negotiate something that can pass muster in both houses.
A bill to allow for the sale of wine in grocery stores was amended last week as the bill’s sponsors and proponents made a last-minute push. The amended legislation, sponsored by Senator Liz Kruger and Assemblymember Pam Hunter, would allow food stores larger than 4,000 square feet to apply to sell wine, and would allow liquor stores to sell snacks, tobacco, and drink mixers. The amendment also adds a provision that prevents supermarkets that sell wine from being within 500 feet of liquor stores. Even with the changes, Kruger is not optimistic that enough of her Assembly colleagues will support the measure, telling reporters, “I'm not giving up hope that's something I could even try to move this year. It’s still possible, but it's probably not. But I would love to say we could get it done, because when I talk to my colleagues, nobody really has strong opposition to it.” New York is one of ten states that do not allow for the sale of wine and liquor in grocery stores, and many policies in the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Law have not been updated since Prohibition.
Senator Sean Ryan (in what could be his last legislative session in Albany) is making a big push on legislation that would ban non-compete clauses in employment contracts. The bill has been a longstanding priority for Ryan, who offered, “I have listened to the concerns of employees and employers alike, and I look forward to continuing conversations with stakeholders around this important issue and getting this bill over the finish line.” Hochul vetoed a prior version of the bill, and opposition groups are preparing to ramp up an ad campaign to target lawmakers in the final weeks of the session. Heather Mulligan, President of the Business Council, said, “Job creators—from small businesses to multinational employers—are sounding the alarm about this misguided policy. These ads are a wake-up call: this bill would devastate our state’s already fragile jobs recovery and do lasting harm to our economy.” Ryan pushed back: “When this bill passed in 2023, it was met with a dark money, fear-mongering campaign and significant lobbying efforts from the large corporations that stood to lose a competitive advantage they had long enjoyed over small businesses in New York. The version of the bill that I introduced this year addresses the concerns employers raised back in 2023, and yet this new attack ad features the same fear-mongering tactics as if it’s the same bill.”
First in @politicony Playbook: 84% of New Yorkers (including AG @TishJames) support the RAISE Act from @Sen_Gounardes and me.
— Alex Bores (@AlexBores)
11:47 AM • May 27, 2025
Lawmakers are also considering the Responsible AI Safety and Education Act, or RAISE Act, sponsored by Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assembymember Alex Bores. The bill would require companies developing advanced AI models to have a third-party audited safety plan, disclose any critical safety incidents, and create protections for employees and whistleblowers who identify potential problems. The legislation does not apply to start-up companies or academic research. Instead, it targets companies developing “frontier models” that are capable of causing mass casualties or over $1 billion in damage. It is exactly the type of responsible, balanced regulation that this moment in the development of artificial intelligence calls for and that is why it continues to gather momentum.
You can listen to Assemblymember Bores discuss his legislation and the broader AI landscape in New York here.
POLITICO: Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez is urging New York’s Legislature to pass the Fair & Timely Parole and Elder Parole bills.
“Every incarcerated person deserves a parole system that is meaningful, compassionate, and allows for the possibility of redemption.”
— Release Aging People in Prison Campaign (@RAPPcampaign)
2:15 PM • May 20, 2025
There is also a lot of energy around overhauling New York’s prisons, with momentum primarily behind two bills. One is the Earned Time Act, which increases the pathways by which inmates can reduce their sentence through prison programming and good behavior. Another is Elder Parole, which would permit inmates who have served for more than 15 years and are over age 55 to apply for parole. There is also a comprehensive package of bills dedicated to Robert Brooks, the inmate who was killed at Marcy Correctional Facility last year. Among the provisions included in the Brooks package are an expansion of the State Commission on Correction, authorizing representatives from the Correctional Association of New York to conduct unannounced visits at state prisons and increased disciplinary power for the commissioner of DOCCS.
NY's Medical Aid in Dying Act may soon be brought to the Senate floor. Do you support this measure that would allow terminally ill patients to end their lives with the assistance of a healthcare professional? Vote in our poll below!
Medical Aid in Dying remains alive with advocates focused on the Senate after the Assembly voted recently to advance the measure allowing for terminally ill patients to end their lives with the assistance of a healthcare professional. Senate sponsor Brad Hoylman-Sigal believes he has the votes to pass the bill, but it needs to get to the floor for a vote first. Some lawmakers have expressed concerns about the moral implications raised by the legislation, and several groups, including the New York State Catholic Conference, have come out strongly in opposition.
Earning the endorsement of @NYCKidsPAC is so meaningful to me. As a public school parent, I see firsthand the issues our students face. As BP, I'll create a Parent Resource and Advocacy Center that helps parents navigate the enrollment process, and test students for dyslexia.
— Brad Hoylman-Sigal 🌈🥯 (@bradhoylman)
8:04 PM • May 28, 2025
Momentum continues behind the effort to modernize New York State’s reading curriculum to ensure evidence-based literacy practices, specifically focusing on establishing a Center for Dyslexia and Dysgraphia within the State Education Department. As many as one in five children have dyslexia or another phonemic awareness issue, but to date, New York lacks a comprehensive statewide approach to identifying and addressing their needs. Educational research unequivocally demonstrates that early identification of dyslexia, coupled with intervention and multisensory sequential phonics instruction, improves academic outcomes. The Center was a recommendation of the Dyslexia Task Force, and this year’s budget included $250,000 to launch the center. Advocates are optimistic this long-overdue center will become a reality this year.
![]() DEC Commissioner Lefton | Last week, the Senate confirmed Governor Hochul’s nominee to lead the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Amanda Lefton. Lefton has been leading the DEC in an acting capacity since earlier this spring and will succeed longtime Commissioner Basil Seggos, who stepped away last year. |
In her remarks, Lefton said, “I feel very proud to have a well-rounded view of not-for-profits, the private sector, and government. It has shaped my belief that through collaboration and partnership, we get the best outcomes for the natural environment and for the people and families we serve.” Lefton will have her work cut out for her with the state well behind in many of the renewable energy projects and emission reduction initiatives prescribed in 2019. With New York’s focus and goals on climate facing tougher headwinds, out of Washington and in people’s checkbooks, this is an increasingly important role.
The Senate also confirmed Willow Baer to lead the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and Denise Miranda as Commissioner of the Division of Human Rights.
In Washington, D.C., all eyes are on the Senate as it continues to consider—and likely amend—the “one big, beautiful bill” passed by the House late last month. Like House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-ND) will be dealing with members who have different, and often contradictory, views on how the Upper Chamber should “improve” the House bill. Some fiscal hawks would like to see increased spending cuts to lessen the impact on the deficit, now projected at $4 trillion over the next decade, while other members want to ease off on the House’s prescribed cuts to Medicaid and specific green-energy projects already underway. Unlike the House, the Senate also has to adhere to strict parliamentary rules governing the budget reconciliation process, informally known as the “Byrd Bath,” that removes any provision not directly related to budgetary issues. The Senate hopes to pass their version in the coming weeks to give the House time to re-pass the bill and get it to President Trump’s desk before his self-imposed July 4th deadline.
Until everyone in Washington gets serious about paying down our national debt, I’m a no.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul)
3:18 PM • May 27, 2025
The Senate is also poised to vote on landmark cryptocurrency legislation this week, and the issue has caused a divide among Senate Democrats, whose desire to regulate digital assets overrides leadership’s concerns over the Trump family’s crypto business dealings. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) voted against the bill in a procedural motion last month, calling it “not at all tough enough.” At the same time, Chris Murphy (D-Conn) offered, “This bill essentially endorses the president’s corrupt stablecoin business.” However, other prominent Democrats believe their party should lean in on crypto rather than cede the space to Trump and the GOP. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) argued, “We should be dealing with that issue, but not letting it undermine an effort to provide safeguards, regulations, and guardrails to this emerging industry.” Schumer, along with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and five other Democrats, introduced an amendment to ban Trump and other government officials from profiting off the stablecoin industry while in office.
Meanwhile, the House is working on a rescissions package to codify the purported cuts realized by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. The $9.4 billion package, a far cry from the $2 trillion in savings originally projected by Musk, will codify the cuts to NPR, PBS, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other foreign aid organizations that the Trump administration has defunded. Speaker Johnson said his conference “is eager and ready to act on DOGE’s findings so we can deliver even more cuts to big government that President Trump wants and the American people demand.” Musk has been critical of the GOP’s inaction to solidify spending cuts, and last week expressed frustration with the spending levels contained in the House bill, offering, “A bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both.”
Finally. . . We go inside the increasingly cutthroat and dangerous game of… Uno? |

Listen on your favorite platform! | ![]() Jack gauges the NY political headwinds & more in his Monday Morning Minute: 🎙️Gov. Hochul, the polls, & her reelection campaign 🎙️Hochul’s climate win against Trump 🎙️House budget vote & sleepy lawmakers 🎙️Budget bill prospects in the U.S. Senate |

Client News
Happy 150th birthday to OD&A client, the Buffalo Zoo! Read on!

Do you support NY's Medical Aid in Dying Act, allowing for terminally ill patients to end their lives with the assistance of a healthcare professional? |
Results of the Last Poll
Is New York State on the right track or headed in the wrong direction?

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This Day in History
June 2, 1886: President Grover Cleveland, former Buffalo mayor and NY governor, becomes the first sitting president to be married in the White House. Cleveland, 49, wed 21-year-old Frances Folsom, a Buffalo native, who became the youngest first lady in American history. | ![]() President Cleveland & his wife, Frances/Credit: Library of Congress |
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![]() | Upstate NY Campground Named Among Best U.S. Glamping SpotsPlush beds and in-tent showers await you at this top glampsite! |
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