Friday Morning Brief Jan 24, 2025

Jan 23

Member Spotlight Assemblywoman Gabriella Romero

Newly elected Assemblywoman Gabriella Romero joins us to discuss her Capital Region-based district, priorities, and goals for her first legislative session in the Assembly. Before being elected to the Assembly, she served her community as a public defender, advocating for fair sentencing and systemic reform. She also served her community as a member of the Albany Common Council, where she championed tenant rights, criminal justice reforms, and increasing youth recreational opportunities. She currently sits on various committees, including on Codes, Real Property Taxation, Social Services, and Transportation.

What district are you going to be representing? Can you describe the district to those who have never been there?
It’s a really beautiful and diverse district. It encompasses Albany, New Scotland, and parts of Guilderland. I am lucky to represent this district because it’s very geographically diverse. But even though there are geographical differences between the urban and rural parts of the district, there are a lot of unifying factors that bring people together, and I have found joy during the campaign talking with people across the district.

Before running for office, what was your profession? Did it inspire you to run for office?
I was in the Albany Common Council for the last few years. However, my work in the Albany Public Defender’s Office has definitely radicalized me to get more involved in politics. Seeing my clients who either frequently came back to me or my clients who tried so hard to get access to programming, services, or housing but were unsuccessful motivated me to get into politics. So around 2020-2021, right around the murder of George Floyd, it really motivated me to run for Albany Common Council. Issues like criminal justice are very close to my heart and are intertwined with other issues like housing, support services, and health. Those issues are also statewide issues, and I want to use my voice to make an impact in solving them.

What experiences from your time in the Albany Common Council do you wish to bring to the State Legislature?
I’m so appreciative of my work in the Albany Common Council. I’m aware of the legislative process, not only in writing and passing bills but also in the organizing process of applying pressure and working with advocacy groups. I’m excited to bring my legislative and organizing experiences to the Legislature.

What music do you like? Any favorite bands/artists?
I always compartmentalized music for function. For example, I have workout music, music I listen to at home, music for doing work, etc. So, I have genres that I enjoy at different moments. For study music, I will put on lo-fi beats without words, or when I’m at home, I will put on some type of upbeat Spanish guitar or tell my Google Home to play something experimental—and every time I ask that prompt, it gives me something different. I do also love live music.

What about sports? Any favorite NY sports team?
Similar to live music, I will go to any live sports event. I’ve been to Yankees games, and I love the experience there. During my time at Union College, I loved attending their hockey games. Being in a room with tons of people who love hockey or any sport is very exciting. I also like watching lacrosse and soccer.

Favorite food? Any restaurant recommendations that are in your district?
There are many great restaurants in the district. On any given night, no matter what’s going on, Dove and Deer is a staple. But my hidden gem is Local 217. Both of them have great food. The district has a vast array of restaurants that are diverse in taste and cuisine.

What issues do you think are impacting the district the most?
Most people I talked to on the campaign trail were united by their feeling about the affordability crisis and the lack of access to higher education/job opportunities or childcare. But these issues are part of a bigger statewide issue. On affordability, Albany recently went through its assessment process. While taxes serve its governmental purpose of providing services to its residents, some adults are being priced out of their homes due to it trickling down to them through their rents. Also, Good Cause eviction has a carveout for rent increases through assessment increases, which heavily impact renters. On top of other issues like childcare and higher education, it’s becoming harder to live a beautiful life everyone deserves.

I also want to focus on job creation, especially for young adults. Young people need to get access to jobs as soon as possible after graduating. From mentoring many young people, I noticed that many have difficulty getting a good job. It would benefit everyone for young people to have an opportunity or a stronger pipeline to go into civil services, especially in city or state government. I have a bill idea that I’m hoping to propose that will help address that. If more people are working, especially state jobs with a lot of unionized positions, it will help to set up our economy in a greater way. There are many more issues I want to help address and do so creatively.

Aside from issues impacting the district, are there any statewide issues you want to focus on for the 2025 legislative session?
In general, there are many issues – and intertwined with many local issues. From being a public defender and a Common Councilmember in Albany, I think there’s a very big focus on crime and criminal justice reform. I’m not interested in rolling back the state’s recent criminal justice reforms or making it easier for people to be incarcerated. My focus is using the law as written and the spirit of the law as written, so it’s important to strengthen some of the pathways that are weak right now. If the laws are written in a weak manner, they will not be able to work effectively. For example, the Raise the Age Reforms were proposed to raise the age of criminal responsibility to prevent children from being sent into the prison system, and provide more services and support to our youth. However, due to the lack of access to funding, the Raise the Age funding process is difficult to access. We need to make it easier for our community partners and anti-violence groups to get access to Raise the Age funding so that the law the NYS Legislature passed can work more effectively. We also plainly need more funding for grants and programs that reduce recidivism instead of simply incarcerating children. So, I am very passionate about addressing that issue, and intend to advocate strongly for these specific reforms to this law.

As someone who has been heavily involved with young people in your community, what advice would you give to them about getting into politics?
When you are in college, try a variety of classes, internships, and volunteering opportunities. It’s important to have an array of experiences so you will understand what you want to do in your future career. Follow your passion and your interests. Also, it’s important to rest and take some time to recharge if you need to.

Are you a public official or staffer that would like to be featured in our spotlight? If so, reach out to your favorite D&A team member or contact us at team@dickinsonavella.com to set up an interview!

Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

2026 Proposed Executive Budget

On Tuesday, Hochul announced her $252 billion 2026 Executive Budget, about a $15 billion spending increase compared to the 2025 Enacted Budget. However, Hochul explained that the $15 billion spending increase could be funded by better-than-expected tax revenue and a $5.3 billion surplus fund from the current fiscal year. Hochul also explained that the state still maintains a “historic high” reserve of $21 billion. “We’re investing more in New Yorkers because we have more resources to do so,” said Hochul. Budget Director Blake Washington noted that the bulk of the spending increase is “largely based on current spending in Medicaid and [] school aid. These commitments comprise probably [] 60% of the increase alone.”

Taxes

As previously mentioned in her 2025 State of the State Address, the Executive Budget proposes to cut income taxes for an estimated 8.3 million taxpayers, with the lowest tax bracket having a 3.8% rate from 4% and the fifth highest tax bracket having 5.8% rate. Hochul also proposes removing the NYC personal income tax for filers with dependents, a proposal advocated by NYC Mayor Eric Adams. However, Hochul proposes extending the state’s millionaires tax until 2032.

Mental Health

Also previously mentioned in her 2025 State of the State Address, Hochul proposes to expand the requirements for involuntary commitment. Under her proposal, the requirement would expand to include an individual’s “inability or refusal, as a result of their mental illness, to provide for their own essential needs such as food, clothing, medical care, safety or shelter” and allow the courts, law enforcement officials, or certain social service workers to determine “all credible reports of the person’s recent behavior.” Additionally, Hochul proposes to reform Kendra’s Law to allow courts to order individuals into assisted outpatient treatment if mental health impairs their “ability to maintain their health or safety.” Other notable proposals include:

$16.5 million in local aid for Assisted Outpatient Treatment Programs
$730 million in local aid for Community Treatment Service Program

Public Safety

To address the recently publicized subway crimes, Hochul proposes to ban individuals convicted of assaulting riders or MTA personnel in or near MTA facilities from using the MTA services. Currently, only those convicted of a sex crime or attacking MTA personnel in MTA facilities can be banned from using the MTA. On discovery reforms, Hochul proposes closing loopholes that delay trials and throw out cases for technicalities. Other notable proposals include:

$400 million for the installation of fixed cameras in correctional facilities
$8 million for State Police’s law enforcement at the Canadian border.
$18.4 million for the expansion of the body-worn camera program

Healthcare

With the MCO tax being approved by the Federal Government in December, Hochul is proposing to use the estimated $1.4 billion 2026 MCO tax revenue for various healthcare initiatives, including investing in hospitals ($305 million) and assisted living facilities ($200 million), addressing the Global Cap deficits ($500 million), and expanding the Safety Net Transformation Program ($300 million). To support abortion access in the state, Hochul proposes to invest $50 million for providers. For Medicaid, Hochul proposes spending $34.5 billion for 2026, an increase of $4.3 billion, with some funding derived from the MCO Tax. Other notable proposals include:

Reduce spending by $500 million for the CDPAP
$13 billion in local aid for servicing the Essential Plan Program
$93 million in local aid for the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage Program

Education

On education funding, Hochul is proposing $37.4 billion in total school aid, an increase of $1.7 billion. Notably, Hochul is not proposing to nix the Hold Harmless provision but instead proposes to update the census data to numbers from 2020 and to change how the Foundation Aid calculates how many low-income students a district has. For her publicized 2025 State of the State proposal to restrict the use of phones in classrooms, Hochul proposes $13.5 million in funding for its implementation. In another publicized State of the State proposal, Hochul proposes to spend $340 million for universal free school meals. Other notable proposals include:

$28 million in local aid for the implementation of My Brother’s Keeper Initiative
$11.5 million in local aid for Work Force Education
$1.4 billion in local aid for the STAR Program

Environment

While any initiatives or regulations related to Cap-and-Invest were not proposed or outlined in the Executive Budget, Hochul proposes to allow the Division of Taxation and Finance to disclose agreements from fossil fuel companies to the state Department of Environmental Conservation and NYSERDA “to implement programs to be created pursuant to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.” Additionally, Hochul proposes spending $1 billion on sustainable energy and climate programs, including climate mitigation projects, new renewable energy construction sites, and advancing clean transportation projects. Other notable proposals include:

$400 million in funding for the Environmental Protection Fund
$500 million in funding for clean water infrastructure
$125 million from the recently enacted Climate Change Superfund Act to clean hazardous sites

MTA

Although Hochul proposes to invest $3 billion for the MTA’s $68.4 billion 2025-2029 Capital Project, the question of how to fill the estimated $33 billion budget gap was left out of the Executive Budget as the MTA can only cover about half of their planned Capital Budget. Notably, the leaders of the Legislature rejected the MTA’s Capital Plan due to the budget gap. Hochul and Washington did not nix the idea of new taxes to cover the MTA’s budget gap. “The Governor, the MTA, and the Legislature will have to figure out the size of the plan,” explained Washington. Washington also added that the “Federal Government has to do a lot more for transit,” with the state requesting $14.4 billion in federal funding.

Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

EXECUTIVE UPDATES

On Sunday, Hochul joined Reverand Al Sharpton, Chuck Schumer, and Kirsten Gillibrand in attending the National Action Network’s commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. In her remarks at the event, Hochul reiterated her commitment to addressing the state’s affordability crisis in this year’s legislative session, explaining that it’s important for all elected officials throughout the state to address affordability. “[Don't] just talk about people’s problems, but [] let them know that we’re leaders.” Hochul said to the attending elected officials. This comes as Hochul pledged to address affordability in her 2025 State of the State Address.

On Wednesday, Hochul launched her campaign to restrict the use of phones in classrooms at Farnsworth Middle School in Guilderland. At the launch, Hochul also released a new report with recommendations for addressing excessive use of phones in classrooms. Her proposal to restrict the use of phones would be in place for the 2025-2026 school year for all public school districts, charter schools, and BOCES. The push for restrictions of phones in schools builds upon Hochul’s priority of addressing youth mental health. “This comprehensive proposal to restrict smartphone use in schools will ensure that New York’s statewide standard for distraction-free learning delivers the best results for our kids and educators,” explained Hochul.

Earlier this week, Hochul announced that the Department of Financial Services publicly posted proposed regulationsagainst overdraft fees. Under the proposed regulations, state-chartered banks would be prohibited from charging overdraft fees for minor transactions and required to provide notifications to customers about overdraft fees. The proposed regulations come as part of Hochul’s 2025 State of the State’s priority to issue regulations on banking practices to increase transparency and protect consumers’ interests. “It is time that we hold banks accountable and lighten the burden of high overdraft fees for minor transactions to keep New Yorkers’ hard-earned money in their pockets,” explained Hochul.

Yesterday, Hochul announced that the Environmental Facilities Corporation approved $273 million in financial assistance for water infrastructure projects across the state. With the approval, local municipalities can access low-cost financing and previously announced grants to construct new water and sewer infrastructure projects. The approval is part of the bigger $340 million effort to use state and federal funding to replace existing lead pipes across the state. This builds upon Hochul’s and the state’s commitment to replace all existing lead pipes and upgrade local water infrastructure. “By helping communities fund essential upgrades to their water systems, we’re protecting public health, the environment, and New Yorkers’ wallets,” explained Hochul.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Next week, the Legislature is scheduled to be in session Monday to Tuesday

Joint Legislative Budget Hearings next week:
Monday - Agriculture & Markets/Parks & Recreation
Tuesday - Enviornmental Conservation/Energy
Wednesday - Elementary Education/Secondary Education

With the Executive Budget released, the Legislature announced their schedule for the upcoming Joint Legislative Budget Hearings. Starting with a hearing on Agriculture & Markets/Parks & Recreation on Monday, the Joint Legislative Budget Hearings allows lawmakers to examine the Executive Budget with members of state agencies, departments, and relevant stakeholders. The hearings will conclude on February 27th. The dates and times for the hearings are below:

Republican Leaders on the 2026 Executive Budget

After Hochul released the Executive Budget on Tuesday, Senate and Assembly Republican lawmakers cautioned about the proposed spending amount. Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt explained, “We spend more than Texas and Florida combined. We spend 1 1/2 times more per person in New York [than] what California spends.” Additionally, Ortt arguesthat Hochul’s proposed budget would pass the “costs on to hard-working New Yorkers,” worsening the affordability crisis. Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay agreed with Ortt, explaining, “A $252 billion budget disregards the fiscal responsibility required to ensure New York becomes truly affordable in the long run.” The cost of the Executive Budget was picked up by Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, explaining that he’s “concerned about the out-year budget gaps of $23.2 billion for the next three fiscal years, even as the Governor proposes to extend the personal income tax surcharge on high earners.”

Aung Hset/D&A

Legislature Passes Reproductive Care Access Legislative Packages

With the 52nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade earlier this week, the Senate and the Assembly passed their respective reproductive care access legislative package. In the Assembly, one of the bills in the legislative package would allow prescribers to provide care for their patients out of state without fear of legal action. “As a medical professional myself...I’m honored that this bill [would] provide further protections to New York’s talented healthcare workers,” explained the bill sponsor Karines Reyes. Another bill in the legislative package would codify additional protections for health information, including in online databases. Assemblymember Amy Paulin, the Assembly Health Committee Chair, explained that the bill would “shield…private health information from the prying eyes, and potential misuse, of billion-dollar entities and mobile health apps.”

Both bills were also passed in the Senate, alongside seven other bills in their legislative package. One of the bills would allow abortion prescribers to include only the name of the prescribing healthcare practice on prescription labels for abortion medication drugs. Senator Shelley Mayer, the bill sponsor, explained that the bill would protect doctors who are taking personal risks by taking abortion medication drugs. Another bill in the legislative package would provide financial support for individuals accessing abortion care. Senator Lea Webb, the bill sponsor and Chair of Women’s Issues, explained that the bill is important for addressing reproductive access issues because it “disproportionately impacts people of color and rural communities, which often experience negative health outcomes.”

Aung Hset/D&A

Republican Assemblymembers Urge DOH to Address Early Intervention Program Issues

Earlier this week, Republican Assemblymembers held a rally with families and advocates to urge the DOH to address issues with the Early Intervention Program. The program has been implemented in the state to help infants and toddlers under the age of three with disabilities or developmental delays attain free critical therapy and support services. However, a new portal for the program has resulted in long delays for families accessing the Early Intervention Program and some children being aged out of the free program. “Children are left waiting for critical services, providers are fighting to get paid, and families are caught in a bureaucratic nightmare,” explained Assemblymember Jodi Giglio.

Aung Hset/D&A

Lawmakers Rally for Universal Free School Meals

In another rally, bipartisan group of lawmakers joined advocates in celebrating the inclusion of universal free school meals in the Executive Budget. First sponsored by Senator Michelle Hinchey and Assemblymember Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas in 2022, the push for universal free school meals is supported by both GOP and Democratic lawmakers in both chambers of the Legislature. With Speaker Carl Heastie and Hochul separately supporting the move, many advocates believe that universal free school meals can be codify in this year’s Final Budget. “We’re not only ready to bring Universal School Meals to New York—we’re going to make it happen this year,” said Hinchey.

OTHER UPDATES

Outgoing FTC Chair Urges Hochul to Prohibit Certain Business Practices

As one of her last acts as the Chair of FTC, Lina Khan sent a letter to Hochul to prohibit “unfair and abusive” business practices due to “potential changes in how federal enforcers approach consumer protection in the coming years.” In the letter, Khan applauded the state enactment of “even greater consumer protections for consumers in a variety of different economic sectors” but “hope to continue to see this momentum continue with the addition of a prohibition against unfair and abusive practices” relating to deception. While not mentioning the name, Khan referred to the Consumer and Small Business Protection Act, which would move the state closer to the FTC’s unfairness authority doctrine. While the bill hasn’t seen any movement in recent years, it remains to be seen for this year due to the Trump Administration.

Eric Adams Attends Trump's Inauguration

Last weekend, NYC Mayor Eric Adams made a last-minute trip to attend President Donald Trump’s inauguration and attended a dinner with the state’s top GOP leaders, including Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt, Assembly Republican Leader Will Barclay, and Congressman Marc Molinaro. This comes after Adams traveled to Palm Beach, Florida, to meet with Trump. Various lawmakers, including Adams’ mayoral challengers, criticized Adams’ attendance at Trump’s inauguration, with NYC Comptroller Brad Lander saying, “Imagine if Mayor Adams applied the same focus to making our city safer and bringing down our cost of living as he does to getting himself a pardon.”

Trump's Executive Order Ending Birthright Citizenship Sued by States, DC, and San Francisco

Amongst the roughly 200 executive orders Trump signed, more than twenty states, including New York, Washington, D.C., and San Fransico, filed a series of five separate lawsuits against Trump’s executive order on ending birthright citizenship for future children born to parents who are not legal residents after February 19th. Specifically, the executive order will not provide citizenship to a child whose mother is illegally in the US or legally in the US on a temporary basis and whose fathers are not citizens or legal permanent residents. Yesterday, in a lawsuit collectively filed by Arizona, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington, U.S. District Judge John Coughenour temporarily blocked the order, calling it “blatantly unconstitutional.” The Department of Justice said the order “correctly interprets the 14th Amendment” and will “vigorously defend” it.

Firm Spotlight

D&A Senior Vice President Michael Avella Jr was recently named to City & State's 2025 Trailblazers in Health Care! Mike's excerpt below:

Throughout Mike Avella Jr.’s career, he has developed deep insight and expertise into a plethora of policy areas – including health care issues like improving access to care and legalizing psychedelics for patients. Before joining Dickinson & Avella, he was the senior associate director of government affairs at the Medical Society of the State of New York, where he focused on public health advancements in the state, including a vaccine mandate. Avella, who earned a master of public health degree, has also been a senior contracts manager at DentaQuest, a plan manager at New York State of Health, and was an Assembly staffer for seven years.

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