Hochul Links Insurance Reform to Fraud Indictments Involving Adams’ Associates New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s push for auto insurance reform has taken on new momentum after federal prosecutors indicted three businessmen, including Zhan “Johnny” Petrosyants — a close associate of former Mayor Eric Adams — for a large-scale insurance fraud scheme. The alleged operation involved staging car accidents and submitting false insurance claims worth tens of millions of dollars through medical clinics that provided questionable or nonexistent treatments. Hochul’s team argues that her proposed reforms, which would limit lawsuits by at-fault drivers and give insurers more time to investigate claims, might have prevented such fraudulent activities. Her legislation aims to reduce auto insurance costs by targeting staged crashes and tightening enforcement around no-fault insurance payouts, which currently must be paid within 30 days even if fraud is suspected. While the governor portrays these changes as necessary to curb abuse, a sharp divide has emerged between her administration and the state’s Trial Lawyers Association, which contends that the reforms will strip consumers of rights and allow insurers to delay or deny legitimate claims. The debate has become a sticking point in Albany’s delayed budget negotiations. In other state developments, Hochul announced plans to involve local residents in redesigning Albany’s I-787 corridor to improve waterfront access, and political discussions continued over Harlem Assembly candidate Conrad Blackburn’s past internship under former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, drawing criticism from party activists. The article further notes an uptick in ICE arrests and a slowdown in New York’s composting program enforcement.

Hochul Links Insurance Reform to Fraud Indictments Involving Adams’ Associates

🤖 IA: It's clickbait ⚠️
👥 Usuarios: It's clickbait ⚠️

#hochul #insurance #fraud

View full AI summary:

White text on a green background reads, “AOC urges Hochul to scrap plan that would widen Cross Bronx Expressway”. Underneath, amNewYork is listed as the source.

“AOC urges Hochul to scrap plan that would widen Cross Bronx Expressway” — amNewYork

#NewYorkCityNews #Bronx #Hochul

New York exodus: High costs, taxes drive residents to Florida Governor Kathy Hochul's campaign message for New Yorkers to leave for Florida has backfired, as many have taken her advice and she ...

#Opinion #Opinions #- #Finance #Donald #Trump #kathy #hochul #New #York

Origin | Interest | Match

NY energy experts, advocates say Iran war shows need for Hochul to implement climate law Gov. Hochul’s reliance on fossil fuels may end up costing more than renewables, clean energy advocates say.

That's right: #Iranwar proves just how out of touch #Hochul is when she tries to roll back #NewYork #climate law
gothamist.com/news/ny-ener... #iran #climatechange #renewables #sustainability

'We Need More Time' for Costly Climate Change Law That's Raising Utility Rates, Says NY Gov. Hochul Governor Hochul delays New York climate law amid rising energy costs and economic concerns.

#NY Gov #Hochul Forced to Admit Her Insane #ClimateChange Law Is Wrecking the State 😆😆

redstate.com/wardclark/20... #democratsarecommunists #TrumpDerangementSyndrome #TDS #democratshateamerica #liberaltears #liberalmeltdown #DemocratsAreDestroyingAmerica #MAGA

New York’s nonprofit problem Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) recently told a forum in Albany, “I need people who are high net worth to support the generous social programs we have in our state,” add...

#Editorials #Opinion #Democratic #Party #Homelessness […]

[Original post on washingtonexaminer.com]

Hochul pleads for wealthy New Yorkers to return from red states like Florida, Texas as tax base 'eroded' Empire State Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, indicated that New York's tax base has eroded because wealth has relocated to red states like Texas and Florida.

#Commie TRASH #Hochul pleads for wealthy #NewYorkers to return from red states like #Florida, #Texas as tax base 'eroded' 😆😆

www.foxnews.com/politics/hoc... #socialism #liberallogic #democratsruinednewyork #moochersandlooters #DemocratsAreScum #liberallogic #HochulisCommieTrash #LOL

Desperate Hochul begs wealthy New Yorkers to come back — as Mamdani pressures her to hike their taxes Gov. Kathy Hochul is begging wealthy New Yorkers who fled the city to come back and continue padding the Empire State’s lavish public handouts.

Desperate #Hochul begs wealthy #NewYorkers to come back — as #Mamdani pressures her to hike their taxes...Enjoy the TRASH YOU voted for #NewYork! 🤣

www.aol.com/articles/des... #socialism #liberallogic #democratsruinednewyork #moochersandlooters #DemocratsAreScum #liberallogic #LOL

MACDONALD: Democrats Destroy Everything They Touch This is making the rounds because it’s classic left-wing memory-holing. New York has been in trouble for a while. The state and the City. I was born in New England but grew up in Upstate New York, which is everything north of ‘The City.’ Finger Lakes region. The boonies to the burroughs, though not so much as the Adirondacks. New York State is a whole lot of nothing with a handful of respectable-sized cities and the Big Crapple, but most of it is empty, and a lot of it is wilderness. Hard to imagine if you don’t know it or took time to look closely at a map. It’s also unaffordable. Democrats made it that way a long time ago, and, as is always the case, the slope can only get steeper and a lot more greasy with them in charge (Proglodytes are a slimy lot). I left in 1990. Cigarettes were up to 2.05 a pack, and beer was getting more expensive. I had my priorities straight. Moved to New Hampshire. I haven’t smoked in thirty years, and while my taste in beer has improved, New York has fallen into an ocean of taxes and regulations like California, and it’ snot San Andreas’ fault. The Dems did that. It is an intolerable, tyrannical (re: COVID) state, people typically flee for tax purposes, and the more assets you’ve got, the faster you relocate them and yourself. It had become a tragic reality that Dems like Governor Kathy Hochul turned into a political joke, but the punchline was a left hook. You can’t tax what isn’t there, and it turns out you didn’t build it because they took it with them, and you couldn’t stop that. A few days ago, on my Substack, I wrote about a Mamdani proposal to pass a new death tax. He needs the money. It would confiscate half of all assets beginning at 750,000. As I noted in the piece, > A retired surviving spouse could find themselves homeless with limited cash left on hand for much of anything in that circumstance. And while I’d like to think left-wing lawmakers elected to protect their citizens from this sort of abuse by third parties would have it in their heart to pile on a long list of exclusions, that can never be allowed to interfere with their addiction to government. They don’t care. Government first. Bleed them dry. And they will. Look at Virginia. Moderate Democrat Abigail Spanberger, and yes, she ran that way, so you should compare her to anyone trying to run the same way, is leading a coven that has yanked that state so far left and so quickly that I’m surprised its citizens don’t have them in federal court for whiplash. No one on the right is surprised, and while we can wonder how this happened until we lose the midterms the same way, Virginia got tossed off a cliff while New York has been bleeding out slowly over many years. Spanberger will have to termed out as governor long before she has to face the consequences of her party’s actions, so maybe she doesn’t have to endure this humiliation, but she should. In 2022, Hochul got a rousing round of applause for singing to a choir of Dems about MAGA people who, as it turns out, are getting their revenge simply by doing what she asked them to do. > 🚨 LMFAO! New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is being mocked nationwide after she BEGGED people to move back from Florida > > 4 years ago, she was GLOATING, saying Republicans should "jump on a bus and head down to Florida" > > Mamdani will make the problem EVEN WORSE!pic.twitter.com/UMwZAIzBWC > > — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 19, 2026 I hope Ron DeSantis sent her flowers with a card. White Lillies. Because it wasn’t just long-time Empire State Republicans who fled. It’s the same story everywhere it’s tried. The rising threat of regulations and taxes on investors and job creators [see also the rich]) drives people who can leave to do exactly that. The people that those politicians claim they are going to help by taxing the rich, end up holding an expanding bag with less in it. Wherever you are in the transition, that is the final form. A rich political class that has to defund the welfare state to finance the government that made them rich, complete with disinformation and misinformation stormtroopers and plenty of hate speech laws to keep you poor and quiet. Kathy was right about one thing. They do not share your values. They value the notion that they worked for what they earned and know, better than you (clearly), how to invest it. On themselves, their family, in businesses, and in selective giving to charities. And maybe that’s the test. What if the government were actually a charity? It had to beg for money, demonstrate real value? It’d be broke and out of business because even Democrats would put their money somewhere else. That’s why they have to steal it from you, because you would never freely donate to something so incompetent and incapable and riddled with back-room deals, corruption, waste, fraud, and abuse. A thing (government) that Democrats, the moment they achieve any sort of majority, will use to take more from you, and they don’t care how much it hurts. They come first. Government comes first. Citizens always come last. Democrats are not just unaffordable, they are a poison that will kill your town, city, county, state, and nation with no shortage of examples. Democrats destroy everything they touch. ## Author * Steve MacDonald Steve is a long-time New Hampshire resident, award-winning blogger, and a member of the Board of Directors of The 603 Alliance. He is the owner of Grok Media LLC and the Managing Editor, Executive Editor, assistant editor, Editor, content curator, complaint department, Op-ed editor, gatekeeper (most likely to miss typos because he has no editor), and contributor at GraniteGrok.com. Steve is also a former board member of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, The Republican Volunteer Coalition, has worked for or with many state and local campaigns and grassroots groups, and is a past contributor to the Franklin Center for Public Policy. View all posts XFacebookTelegramShare

MACDONALD: Democrats Destroy Everything They Touch This is making the rounds because it’s classic left-wing memory-holing. New York has been in trouble for a while. The state and the City. I was ...

#National #Kathy #Hochul #New #York #Taxes #Top #Stories

Origin | Interest | Match

MACDONALD: Democrats Destroy Everything They Touch This is making the rounds because it’s classic left-wing memory-holing. New York has been in trouble for a while. The state and the City. I was born in New England but grew up in Upstate New York, which is everything north of ‘The City.’ Finger Lakes region. The boonies to the burroughs, though not so much as the Adirondacks. New York State is a whole lot of nothing with a handful of respectable-sized cities and the Big Crapple, but most of it is empty, and a lot of it is wilderness. Hard to imagine if you don’t know it or took time to look closely at a map. It’s also unaffordable. Democrats made it that way a long time ago, and, as is always the case, the slope can only get steeper and a lot more greasy with them in charge (Proglodytes are a slimy lot). I left in 1990. Cigarettes were up to 2.05 a pack, and beer was getting more expensive. I had my priorities straight. Moved to New Hampshire. I haven’t smoked in thirty years, and while my taste in beer has improved, New York has fallen into an ocean of taxes and regulations like California, and it’ snot San Andreas’ fault. The Dems did that. It is an intolerable, tyrannical (re: COVID) state, people typically flee for tax purposes, and the more assets you’ve got, the faster you relocate them and yourself. It had become a tragic reality that Dems like Governor Kathy Hochul turned into a political joke, but the punchline was a left hook. You can’t tax what isn’t there, and it turns out you didn’t build it because they took it with them, and you couldn’t stop that. A few days ago, on my Substack, I wrote about a Mamdani proposal to pass a new death tax. He needs the money. It would confiscate half of all assets beginning at 750,000. As I noted in the piece, > A retired surviving spouse could find themselves homeless with limited cash left on hand for much of anything in that circumstance. And while I’d like to think left-wing lawmakers elected to protect their citizens from this sort of abuse by third parties would have it in their heart to pile on a long list of exclusions, that can never be allowed to interfere with their addiction to government. They don’t care. Government first. Bleed them dry. And they will. Look at Virginia. Moderate Democrat Abigail Spanberger, and yes, she ran that way, so you should compare her to anyone trying to run the same way, is leading a coven that has yanked that state so far left and so quickly that I’m surprised its citizens don’t have them in federal court for whiplash. No one on the right is surprised, and while we can wonder how this happened until we lose the midterms the same way, Virginia got tossed off a cliff while New York has been bleeding out slowly over many years. Spanberger will have to termed out as governor long before she has to face the consequences of her party’s actions, so maybe she doesn’t have to endure this humiliation, but she should. In 2022, Hochul got a rousing round of applause for singing to a choir of Dems about MAGA people who, as it turns out, are getting their revenge simply by doing what she asked them to do. > 🚨 LMFAO! New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is being mocked nationwide after she BEGGED people to move back from Florida > > 4 years ago, she was GLOATING, saying Republicans should "jump on a bus and head down to Florida" > > Mamdani will make the problem EVEN WORSE!pic.twitter.com/UMwZAIzBWC > > — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 19, 2026 I hope Ron DeSantis sent her flowers with a card. White Lillies. Because it wasn’t just long-time Empire State Republicans who fled. It’s the same story everywhere it’s tried. The rising threat of regulations and taxes on investors and job creators [see also the rich]) drives people who can leave to do exactly that. The people that those politicians claim they are going to help by taxing the rich, end up holding an expanding bag with less in it. Wherever you are in the transition, that is the final form. A rich political class that has to defund the welfare state to finance the government that made them rich, complete with disinformation and misinformation stormtroopers and plenty of hate speech laws to keep you poor and quiet. Kathy was right about one thing. They do not share your values. They value the notion that they worked for what they earned and know, better than you (clearly), how to invest it. On themselves, their family, in businesses, and in selective giving to charities. And maybe that’s the test. What if the government were actually a charity? It had to beg for money, demonstrate real value? It’d be broke and out of business because even Democrats would put their money somewhere else. That’s why they have to steal it from you, because you would never freely donate to something so incompetent and incapable and riddled with back-room deals, corruption, waste, fraud, and abuse. A thing (government) that Democrats, the moment they achieve any sort of majority, will use to take more from you, and they don’t care how much it hurts. They come first. Government comes first. Citizens always come last. Democrats are not just unaffordable, they are a poison that will kill your town, city, county, state, and nation with no shortage of examples. Democrats destroy everything they touch. ## Author * Steve MacDonald Steve is a long-time New Hampshire resident, award-winning blogger, and a member of the Board of Directors of The 603 Alliance. He is the owner of Grok Media LLC and the Managing Editor, Executive Editor, assistant editor, Editor, content curator, complaint department, Op-ed editor, gatekeeper (most likely to miss typos because he has no editor), and contributor at GraniteGrok.com. Steve is also a former board member of the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, The Republican Volunteer Coalition, has worked for or with many state and local campaigns and grassroots groups, and is a past contributor to the Franklin Center for Public Policy. View all posts XFacebookTelegramShare

MACDONALD: Democrats Destroy Everything They Touch This is making the rounds because it’s classic left-wing memory-holing. New York has been in trouble for a while. The state and the City. I was ...

#National #Kathy #Hochul #New #York #Taxes #Top #Stories

Origin | Interest | Match

Governor Hochul Launches EXPRESS NY, and Wants to Hear From NY Businesses If you’ve ever tried to launch a small business in New York State, pushed a development project through a tangle of appro...

#Business #Development #Government #Politics #EXPRESS #NY […]

[Original post on buffalorising.com]

New York Gov. Hochul's Office Launches State-Funded Ads to Promote Policy Priorities Amid Legal Concerns Governor Kathy Hochul's office has launched an advertising campaign funded by taxpayer dollars to promote key elements of her agenda, particularly efforts to reduce red tape and build more affordable housing in New York. The ads, which have run on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and billboards over the past week, direct viewers to a state-run website featuring the governor discussing her housing initiatives. Notably, Hochul does not appear directly in the ads themselves, which include messages like 'Let Them Build.' One YouTube ad alone cost between $10,000 and $15,000 and has garnered one million views, part of 21 ads aired recently. This approach has sparked criticism from Republicans, such as Assemblymember Matt Slater, who argue it skirts the intent of state law prohibiting elected officials from appearing in promotional materials paid for with public funds. Critics contend the campaign effectively promotes the governor's image indirectly through the linked website. The governor's office defends the effort, stating it complies with all ethics laws and serves as an awareness campaign on critical policy priorities. They noted that details on the full scope would require a FOIL request. Spokesperson Jen Goodman emphasized the state's routine use of such campaigns for education on important issues. The controversy highlights ongoing tensions over the use of public money in political promotion.

New York Gov. Hochul's Office Launches State-Funded Ads to Promote Policy Priorities Amid Legal Concerns

🤖 IA: It's not clickbait ✅
👥 Usuarios: It's not clickbait ✅

#hochul #newyork #ads

View full AI summary:

New York City transit officials sue Trump administration over funding freeze Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) announced on Tuesday that the state of New York and the Metropolitan Transit Authority are suin...

#Infrastructure #Chuck #Schumer #Department #of […]

[Original post on washingtonexaminer.com]

Original post on qns.com

State Sen. Gonzalez welcomes proposals for wealth tax increases in Senate’s one-house budget resolution State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez has welcomed the state Senate’s passage of its one-house budg...

#News #Politics #andrea #stewart #cousins #budget #Daily #Newsletter […]

[Original post on qns.com]

N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul on affordability, combatting hate and more | Full Interview 3.15.26 Hochul wants to be the affordability governor, a tough road to follow when everything seems to be getting more expensive. Watch the full interview on "The Point with Marcia Kramer."

#NY Gov. Kathy #Hochul said tackling affordability is top priority, tax relief, #Housing expansion & lower insurance costs. Also addressing rising #HateCrimes, public safety, immigration tensions & how New York is navigating its relationship with the Trump administration.

tinyurl.com/wymwsxhx

Democrats have no clue what they are doing on the climate Kathy Hochul (D-NY) is now trying to walk back the state’s climate policies, proving once again that Democrats pursued a reckless climate...

#Beltway #Confidential #Opinion #California #Climate […]

[Original post on washingtonexaminer.com]

Investor ban on buying homes stalls housing affordability bill A bill to increase housing supply and decrease costs is set to sail through the Senate on Thursday, but House leaders foresee further negotiations.

www.cnbc.com/2026/03/11/h... #housing #SanFrancisco #BayArea #Lurie #NoKings #FightOligarchy #greed #HandsOff #Mamdami #Hochul #homeless #homeownership #Newsom #CNP #Resistance

Ban corporate ownership of residential properties, limit individuals to two parcels

Assist all to buy their first

Raise Taxes on the Rich? These Rich New Yorkers Are All for It.

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/n... #Mamdami #NewYorK #Hochul #NoKings #FightOligarchy #Resistance #HandsOff #democracy

Stop taxing people

To pay for public functions, compel HNWIs to buy sovereign #bonds at 1%

White text on a green background reads, “Hochul directs flags to half-staff to honor former New York City Council member Ronnie Eldridge”. Underneath, Niagara Frontier Publications is listed as the source.

“Hochul directs flags to half-staff to honor former New York City Council member Ronnie Eldridge” — Niagara Frontier Publications

#NewYorkCityNews #Hochul #NewYorkCity

White text on a green background reads, “Mamdani, Hochul announce 2k free 2-K seats this fall”. Underneath, FOX 5 New York is listed as the source.

“Mamdani, Hochul announce 2k free 2-K seats this fall” — FOX 5 New York

#NYCNews #Mamdani #Hochul

MAMDANI’S FIRST 100 DAYS: Hochul ‘not frustrated’ by Mayor’s ‘tax the rich’ push as City Hall signals optimism in Albany Thursday, March 5, marked the 64th day of Zohran Mamdani’s ter...

#News #Politics #100-days #hochul #mamdani #mamdani100days

Origin | Interest | Match

MAMDANI’S FIRST 100 DAYS: Hochul ‘not frustrated’ by Mayor’s ‘tax the rich’ push as City Hall signals optimism in Albany Thursday, March 5, marked the 64th day of Zohran Mamdani’s ter...

#News #100-days #hochul #mamdani #mamdani100days

Origin | Interest | Match

Judge rules NYC congestion pricing legal in battle with federal government A federal court ruled on Tuesday that the federal government acted unlawfully when it attempted to terminate New York‘s ...

#Infrastructure #Department #of #Transportation […]

[Original post on washingtonexaminer.com]

New York: Critics Blame 'Democrats in Charge' for Rising Utility Costs After Nuclear Plant Shuttered Utility costs are squeezing New Yorkers after officials decided to shut down a nuclear plant, and criticism over the move is piling up.

#Environment #Politics #Pre-Viral #Andrew #Cuomo #Climate #Change #Democrats #Energy #Kathy #Hochul

Origin | Interest | Match

Here Are the Neighborhoods Getting Free Child Care for 2-Year-Olds This Fall ## Support local news today! Our nonprofit newsroom relies on readers like you to power investigations like these. **Join the community that powers NYC’s independent local news.** ### Make THE CITY Your Go-To For Local News Follow us on Google News ⭐️ New York has been falling behind on its legally-mandated climate goals. And now Gov. Kathy Hochul is indicating she’s again moving to revise the law. The governor is now pointing to the costs that could be in store for New Yorkers, if the law — which requires the state to drive down planet-warming emissions and shift away from fossil fuels — doesn’t change. New York City households running on natural gas could face $2,300 in additional annual costs by 2031, according to a brief memo the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) released Thursday. The memo’s release, with that eye-popping number for escalating household bills, followed comments made last week by the governor’s budget director suggesting the law would need to be changed to protect New Yorkers from “thousands of dollars in new costs.” The memo, quickly seized upon by business groups who claim the law is expensive and impractical, was Hochul’s attempt to set the stage for negotiations towards revising the climate law. But others, including some environmental advocates, questioned the memo’s “misleading” conclusions. They took issue with the $2,300 headline number as the report itself notes that would decline to $1,548 with some measure of affordability rebates, or down to $864 if New York City households begin running more efficient boilers. The memo also notes that households could save $804 a year by switching from fossil fuels to electric and making their homes more energy efficient. The memo did not include the underlying analysis or data and incorporates assumptions about a program that doesn’t yet exist. The mandates of the climate law have become harder to achieve since New York’s legislature passed it in 2019. The pandemic gave rise to supply chain constraints and inflation, which drove up the costs of clean energy development. President Donald Trump’s hostility towards renewable energy, notably offshore wind, further stymied the state’s progress. The memo called deploying clean energy “infeasible” at the pace required to achieve the climate law’s targets, and said it would be “difficult to envision” how the state could quickly spend the $28 billion in revenue a program could generate. The law requires New York State to source 70% of its electricity from renewables like solar and wind by 2030, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 (and 85% by 2050). New York is behind on both counts. #### Latest Headlines ## Here Are the Neighborhoods Getting Free Child Care for 2-Year-Olds This Fall March 3, 2026March 3, 2026, 1:53 p.m. ## Mamdani Pitches New Public Toilets While 50 Park Bathrooms Sit Closed March 3, 2026 ## Delinquent Owners Shamed in Council for Snowy Obstacles for the Disabled February 27, 2026March 2, 2026, 4:57 p.m. ## Snowy Park Complaints Pile Up After Blizzard February 27, 2026Feb. 27, 2026, 5:22 p.m. “For us to meet the goals on the timeframe that was set by the legislature, there’s going to be enormous costs to families,” Hochul said Monday after an unrelated press conference. Hochul has long been sensitive to anything that could hit New Yorkers’ wallets, including measures that could help the state reach the climate law’s targets. She has embraced an “all of the above” energy strategy that includes fossil fuels for longer than the law foresaw. Meanwhile, environmental advocates and others say the memo’s cost projections are misleading, and point out that a prolonged reliance on fossil fuels like gas and oil — which, when burned, emit greenhouse gases — drive energy prices up. “It’s not the climate law, it’s the gas!” a group of environmental advocates chanted at a rally in City Hall Park on Monday. ## **Cap and Invent?** The climate law specifies the state must come up with regulations to drive down greenhouse gas emissions. The memo references a cap-and-invest program, which would raise money for climate-related projects by charging some entities that emit a significant amount of gas for the emissions they spew, with a declining cap to drive down carbon over time. The program could also include rebates to low-income utility customers to offset any hike in bills that might come as a result. Hochul herself proposed the cap-and-invest program in 2023. Two years later she largely abandoned the idea and her administration blew past a deadline in the climate law mandating the creation of regulations to slash emissions. That means the cap-and-invest program does not yet exist, despite its inclusion in the cost memo. The state has full control of designing a cap-and-invest program — or other regulations — to drive down emissions and consider household costs. Michael Gerrard, director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, pointed out that the estimates are based on several assumptions about the structure of a cap-and-invest program and the state’s future energy mix. “The devil is in the unseen details. Trying to seriously critique this [memo] is like shadow boxing,” Gerrard wrote in an email. Charles Komanoff, an economist and policy analyst whose work has focused on transportation and carbon pricing, called the memo “misleading.” He said a cap-and-invest program would increase fossil fuel prices — akin to congestion pricing imposing a toll on drivers — but should use that revenue to benefit New Yorkers. ### We cover NYC on historic days and every day. Sign up for free morning headlines in your inbox. Sign up “It would be as if we charged all those motorists to drive into the Manhattan congestion zone — which is a good thing because there are so many externalities associated with that — but then did nothing with the revenues and flushed them down the drain,” Komanoff said, rather than having the congestion pricing revenue go back into the MTA to upgrade the transit system. Vanessa Fajans-Turner, executive director of Environmental Advocates New York, said the memo was “misleading” and a “scare tactic.” The memo showed a cap-and-invest program “devoid of all the guardrails and cost protections, no price ceilings, no consumer protections or other kinds of material cost controls,” she said. “If you say that everybody’s going to drive a car, but everybody has to drive a top-end Rolls-Royce, that’s the scenario that they have priced out.” ## **Sounding an Alarm?** Environmental advocates have pushed New York State to create and implement the climate law’s emission-cutting regulations — but to do so in a way that considers costs to New Yorkers. Some green groups a year ago sued the state Department of Environmental Conservation to release regulations to bring down carbon emissions, as required by the climate law. ## NYC housing coverage in your inbox The housing situation in the city is ever-changing, and we're on top it. Get CITY SCOOP for morning headlines on housing and more. Sign up In October, a state court judge ruled New York was violating the climate law and directed it to release the regulations. The state is appealing that ruling. “The lawsuit doesn’t call for cap-and-invest,” said Caroline Chen, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest’s director of environmental justice and a co-counsel in the case. “The lawsuit called for regulations that work, and the law requires affordability to be part of the consideration. The DEC has the power to design a program that works.” Hochul has not publicly proposed any concrete changes to the climate law, though she has been open about seeking to change it — and she would need buy-in from state lawmakers to do so. She recently began conversations with lawmakers to do just that, POLITICO reported. “What I’m trying to do is just sound the alarm right now. I want people to know, what is the impact of the continuation of this law,” Hochul told reporters Monday. “If people understood the effects of this, I think the legislature would be very willing to have these conversations about how to make adjustments.” During budget negotiations in 2023, Hochul unsuccessfully attempted to change the formula used to count emissions in New York to bring it inline with 48 other states. The change would’ve brought the state closer to the climate law’s emissions goals, meaning action to cut emissions wouldn’t have to be as drastic or quick. Other changes could potentially reduce costs related to the law, according to NYSERDA. Spokespeople for Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie did not reply to requests for comment, though Stewart-Cousins mentioned last week said lawmakers aren’t in conversation about changing the law. Sen. Liz Krueger, who chairs the powerful Senate Finance Committee, said rolling back the climate law won’t bring prices down. “What I’ve told the governor is that I and many of my colleagues are eager to work with her to actually deliver on the promise of CLCPA, but we have no interest in surrendering when we’ve hardly even begun to fight,” she said in a statement. ### _Related_

Hochul Raises Alarm on Costs of Climate Law as Skeptics Call Foul New York has been falling behind on its legally-mandated climate goals. And now Gov. Kathy Hochul is indicating she’s again movin...

#Climate #Environment #Kathy #Hochul

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Here Are the Neighborhoods Getting Free Child Care for 2-Year-Olds This Fall ## Support local news today! Our nonprofit newsroom relies on readers like you to power investigations like these. **Join the community that powers NYC’s independent local news.** ### Make THE CITY Your Go-To For Local News Follow us on Google News ⭐️ New York has been falling behind on its legally-mandated climate goals. And now Gov. Kathy Hochul is indicating she’s again moving to revise the law. The governor is now pointing to the costs that could be in store for New Yorkers, if the law — which requires the state to drive down planet-warming emissions and shift away from fossil fuels — doesn’t change. New York City households running on natural gas could face $2,300 in additional annual costs by 2031, according to a brief memo the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) released Thursday. The memo’s release, with that eye-popping number for escalating household bills, followed comments made last week by the governor’s budget director suggesting the law would need to be changed to protect New Yorkers from “thousands of dollars in new costs.” The memo, quickly seized upon by business groups who claim the law is expensive and impractical, was Hochul’s attempt to set the stage for negotiations towards revising the climate law. But others, including some environmental advocates, questioned the memo’s “misleading” conclusions. They took issue with the $2,300 headline number as the report itself notes that would decline to $1,548 with some measure of affordability rebates, or down to $864 if New York City households begin running more efficient boilers. The memo also notes that households could save $804 a year by switching from fossil fuels to electric and making their homes more energy efficient. The memo did not include the underlying analysis or data and incorporates assumptions about a program that doesn’t yet exist. The mandates of the climate law have become harder to achieve since New York’s legislature passed it in 2019. The pandemic gave rise to supply chain constraints and inflation, which drove up the costs of clean energy development. President Donald Trump’s hostility towards renewable energy, notably offshore wind, further stymied the state’s progress. The memo called deploying clean energy “infeasible” at the pace required to achieve the climate law’s targets, and said it would be “difficult to envision” how the state could quickly spend the $28 billion in revenue a program could generate. The law requires New York State to source 70% of its electricity from renewables like solar and wind by 2030, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 (and 85% by 2050). New York is behind on both counts. #### Latest Headlines ## Here Are the Neighborhoods Getting Free Child Care for 2-Year-Olds This Fall March 3, 2026March 3, 2026, 1:53 p.m. ## Mamdani Pitches New Public Toilets While 50 Park Bathrooms Sit Closed March 3, 2026 ## Delinquent Owners Shamed in Council for Snowy Obstacles for the Disabled February 27, 2026March 2, 2026, 4:57 p.m. ## Snowy Park Complaints Pile Up After Blizzard February 27, 2026Feb. 27, 2026, 5:22 p.m. “For us to meet the goals on the timeframe that was set by the legislature, there’s going to be enormous costs to families,” Hochul said Monday after an unrelated press conference. Hochul has long been sensitive to anything that could hit New Yorkers’ wallets, including measures that could help the state reach the climate law’s targets. She has embraced an “all of the above” energy strategy that includes fossil fuels for longer than the law foresaw. Meanwhile, environmental advocates and others say the memo’s cost projections are misleading, and point out that a prolonged reliance on fossil fuels like gas and oil — which, when burned, emit greenhouse gases — drive energy prices up. “It’s not the climate law, it’s the gas!” a group of environmental advocates chanted at a rally in City Hall Park on Monday. ## **Cap and Invent?** The climate law specifies the state must come up with regulations to drive down greenhouse gas emissions. The memo references a cap-and-invest program, which would raise money for climate-related projects by charging some entities that emit a significant amount of gas for the emissions they spew, with a declining cap to drive down carbon over time. The program could also include rebates to low-income utility customers to offset any hike in bills that might come as a result. Hochul herself proposed the cap-and-invest program in 2023. Two years later she largely abandoned the idea and her administration blew past a deadline in the climate law mandating the creation of regulations to slash emissions. That means the cap-and-invest program does not yet exist, despite its inclusion in the cost memo. The state has full control of designing a cap-and-invest program — or other regulations — to drive down emissions and consider household costs. Michael Gerrard, director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, pointed out that the estimates are based on several assumptions about the structure of a cap-and-invest program and the state’s future energy mix. “The devil is in the unseen details. Trying to seriously critique this [memo] is like shadow boxing,” Gerrard wrote in an email. Charles Komanoff, an economist and policy analyst whose work has focused on transportation and carbon pricing, called the memo “misleading.” He said a cap-and-invest program would increase fossil fuel prices — akin to congestion pricing imposing a toll on drivers — but should use that revenue to benefit New Yorkers. ### We cover NYC on historic days and every day. Sign up for free morning headlines in your inbox. Sign up “It would be as if we charged all those motorists to drive into the Manhattan congestion zone — which is a good thing because there are so many externalities associated with that — but then did nothing with the revenues and flushed them down the drain,” Komanoff said, rather than having the congestion pricing revenue go back into the MTA to upgrade the transit system. Vanessa Fajans-Turner, executive director of Environmental Advocates New York, said the memo was “misleading” and a “scare tactic.” The memo showed a cap-and-invest program “devoid of all the guardrails and cost protections, no price ceilings, no consumer protections or other kinds of material cost controls,” she said. “If you say that everybody’s going to drive a car, but everybody has to drive a top-end Rolls-Royce, that’s the scenario that they have priced out.” ## **Sounding an Alarm?** Environmental advocates have pushed New York State to create and implement the climate law’s emission-cutting regulations — but to do so in a way that considers costs to New Yorkers. Some green groups a year ago sued the state Department of Environmental Conservation to release regulations to bring down carbon emissions, as required by the climate law. ## NYC housing coverage in your inbox The housing situation in the city is ever-changing, and we're on top it. Get CITY SCOOP for morning headlines on housing and more. Sign up In October, a state court judge ruled New York was violating the climate law and directed it to release the regulations. The state is appealing that ruling. “The lawsuit doesn’t call for cap-and-invest,” said Caroline Chen, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest’s director of environmental justice and a co-counsel in the case. “The lawsuit called for regulations that work, and the law requires affordability to be part of the consideration. The DEC has the power to design a program that works.” Hochul has not publicly proposed any concrete changes to the climate law, though she has been open about seeking to change it — and she would need buy-in from state lawmakers to do so. She recently began conversations with lawmakers to do just that, POLITICO reported. “What I’m trying to do is just sound the alarm right now. I want people to know, what is the impact of the continuation of this law,” Hochul told reporters Monday. “If people understood the effects of this, I think the legislature would be very willing to have these conversations about how to make adjustments.” During budget negotiations in 2023, Hochul unsuccessfully attempted to change the formula used to count emissions in New York to bring it inline with 48 other states. The change would’ve brought the state closer to the climate law’s emissions goals, meaning action to cut emissions wouldn’t have to be as drastic or quick. Other changes could potentially reduce costs related to the law, according to NYSERDA. Spokespeople for Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie did not reply to requests for comment, though Stewart-Cousins mentioned last week said lawmakers aren’t in conversation about changing the law. Sen. Liz Krueger, who chairs the powerful Senate Finance Committee, said rolling back the climate law won’t bring prices down. “What I’ve told the governor is that I and many of my colleagues are eager to work with her to actually deliver on the promise of CLCPA, but we have no interest in surrendering when we’ve hardly even begun to fight,” she said in a statement. ### _Related_

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New York’s Power Surge: Rate Hikes and a Fight for Relief - Cozzy Energy Solutions Assemblyman John Lemondes has voiced strong criticism of Governor Kathy Hochul and the Public Service Commission regarding recent utility rate increases impacting New York residents. These increases, which have seen residential electricity prices rise by 47.1 percent since 2019, have intensified the financial strain on families, particularly during recent severe winter storms. Lemondes attributes a

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Advocates fear major unintended consequences in Hochul’s fight against ICE Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to open the door for New Yorkers to sue federal officials, namely immigration enforcement like ICE, in state court.

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[Original post on washingtonexaminer.com]