We read the governor’s, Senate’s, and Assembly’s budget proposals — so you don’t have to.

While Heastie privately pledged to avoid meetings with relevant interests, lobbyist Rebecca Lamorte has sought to keep representing them before the Assembly, according to her employer’s attorney.

We answer your questions on the state’s notoriously opaque budget process.

The former budget director’s role may break a law meant to keep ex-state employees from monetizing insider knowledge.

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Climate and Environment
Morning scenic of a power line field in Suffolk County, Long Island, NY.

A new bill to municipalize Long Island’s utility includes key worker protections that the union had sought.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law directed billions toward public transit in New York, but the state is choosing to spend billions more on highways.

Sam Mellins

The state wants to phase out fossil fuels. Localities have given over a billion dollars in tax breaks to help keep them around.

Colin Kinniburgh and Julia Rock
Criminal Justice
Governor Kathy Hochul, wearing a red turtleneck and blazer, sits at a table with other officials.

New York’s incarcerated population has been declining for decades. Why is it so hard for prison closures to keep pace?

Some Court of Appeals judges are far more likely to grant requests to hear appeals than others, a New York Focus analysis found.

Sam Mellins

As book banning sparks outrage in schools and libraries, the censorship of classics like Native Son persists in New York prisons.

Rebecca McCray
New York State
New York Governor Kathy Hochul stands at a podium next to a sign reading "treating addiction and preventing overdoses."

Hochul’s budget would level off funding for addiction treatment — and use opioid settlement funds to fill the gaps.

The county is ready to restart real estate subsidies after a two-year pause. Residents fear it won’t fix their housing crisis.

Arabella Saunders

Her administration says the fund won’t be harmed. Legal experts question whether she can take it at all.

Sam Mellins