The New York State Senate Majority Leader joined Times Union Editor Casey Seiler to discuss the majority, criminal justice reforms and more.

Two recent reports are sounding the alarm about the state's Medicaid spending this year, which could result in future cuts to health care or education. Mark Ustin, a health care lobbyist and veteran of the Pataki administration, joined the podcast to...

New York's gambling landscape is far from settled, with the next big shakeup likely to be the introduction of casinos into the New York City area. One potential recipient of a casino license is the Empire City Casino in Yonkers, where harness racing...

Assemblyman Ed Ra isn't naive enough to think that even his best floor debate can stymie legislation being advanced by his Democratic colleagues, who enjoy an overwhelming majority in the chamber. But the Long Island Republican, who serves as the...

Legislation enabling undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses had a lot working against it in Albany this year. Despite Democratic-control of the state government, the proposal was wildly unpopular with members from the New York City...

on June 4 at the women's prison in Bedford Hills. The former Clinton Correctional employee has been incarcerated for nearly four years due to her role in aiding a high-profile prison escape in 2015. Following the hearing, Mitchell was denied parole....

For about a decade, reporters in Albany would take their Monday morning cues from Ken Lovett's weekly column, which would be filled with state government scoops. This past February, the veteran reporter after 25 years of Capitol coverage. Lovett...

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin is one of the busiest lawmakers in Albany, where she routinely shepherds the most bills through the legislative process. She joined the Capitol Confidential podcast to explain her approach, and how it has evolved since joining...

It's a time of transition for the New York Racing Association. This includes a , who is steering the organization through an evolving gambling landscape, major changes at their tracks and concerns about equine safety. He joined the Capitol...

In the waning days of the legislative session, state lawmakers and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo agreed to ambitious energy and emissions goals to help combat climate change. And while it's clear where New York needs to end up, it's not so clear how we'll get...

Legalizing marijuana in New York hasn't been as easy as expected after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo threw his weight behind the idea. The fate of legislation creating a framework for recreational use is unclear as state lawmakers prepare to make their exit...

It took one month in 2009 for order to be restored in the state Senate following an attempted power grab that upset the status quo in the chamber. But the ramifications, which are covered on the final installment of the Times Union's "Tales from the...

This bonus episode explores how the "Tales from the Coup" series came together. Times Union managing editor Casey Seiler talked with podcast host David Lombardo about his interest in the "Senate Coup," wrangling guests and bringing it all together....

A constitutionally questionable appointment and some cold feed ended the in 2009. One month after defecting to the Republicans, Sen. Pedro Espada rejoined the Democrats, restoring their majority in the chamber. This installment of the "Tales from the...

The chaos that occurred on June 8, 2009 – when Senate Republicans, along with two wayward Democrats, attempted to take control of the chamber – was just an appetizer for what would come the following month. This installment of the "Tales from the...

June 8, 2009 was supposed to be a quiet day in the state Senate. But the plans of the Democratic majority were quickly upended when Senate Republicans initiated a procedural power grab to take back control of the chamber they had run for decades. This...

Senate Democrats didn't realize they had defectors in their ranks in 2009 until it was too late. For months leading up to the coup, political operatives met in secret - including across the street from the governor's mansion - to develop their plot....

Progressive activists in New York frustrated by the pace of change during this year's legislative session, would have been sorely disappointed by the progress made 10 years earlier in Albany. Heading into the 2009, there was an expectation that with...

The "Senate Coup" of 2009 caught Albany by surprise, but the writing was on the wall months earlier after Senate Democrats first secured their slim majority. This first episode of Capitol Confidential's "Tales from the Coup" series focuses on the...

For the 10-year anniversary of the Senate Coup, the is doing a deep dive into the players and politics that shaped this historic struggle for power in Albany. This multi-episode journey will unearth buried memories, shine a light on all the plot...

It was a little more than 12 years ago that Tom DiNapoli, then a member of the state Assembly, was tapped by his legislative colleagues to become the next state comptroller. The Long Island Democrat has since won three elections to the post and is...

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is known for bold and progressive rhetoric addressing climate change, and this year's talking points were backed up by new language in the state budget. Environmental Advocates of New York Executive Director Peter Iwanowicz joined...

A president from the Capital Region. That's the promise embodied in U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's run for the White House. The Democratic contender has deep roots to the region, including her grandmother's role in Albany's political machine, and she...

State lawmakers on this week adopted the first major batch of gun-control measures in New York since the SAFE Act of 2013, and pledged they won't wait another six years before revisiting state firearm laws. The package of bills would enable New...

New York is poised to adopt adult-use marijuana in a few months, as lawmakers appear to be on board and Gov. Andrew Cuomo included a regulatory framework in his state budget. As the state heads into these uncharted waters, the Capitol Confidential...