ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The 2025-2026 state budget passed over 30 days after its original due date. According to some lawmakers, the 254 billion dollar budget was delayed due to policy inclusions from Governor Kathy Hochul.
This week on Empire State Weekly, David Lombardo, the host of WCNY’s “The Capitol Pressroom,” explained some of the big items in the budget. He detailed that the governor saw some progress on her policy initiatives included in the budget, and that Hochul is likely to use the budget as a way to advance her legislative priorities in the future.
“This budget is a clear indicator that she thinks this is her best way to get her agenda through,” Lombardo said. “And next year is an election year, which they all seem like at this point, so I think she’s going to be even more committed to getting her agenda done, and she’s going to see the budget as the best way to do that.”
Also this week, Attorney General Letitia James, along with attorney generals from 18 other states and the District of Columbia, filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s cuts to the Health and Human Services Department. Andrew Safranko, a lawyer with LaMarche Safranko Law, explained how quickly the case could see a resolution.
“In the normal course of process, you’re talking a year and a half to two years on a case like this that is legal in nature. It could be decided and asked to be expedited, since it has such an impact on the states and the country,” said Safranko.
To see these interviews and more, here is a list of how you can watch Empire State Weekly in your area of New York: