Benjamin Oreskes

New York

NY Statehouse Correspondent at The New York Times

NY Statehouse Correspondent @nytimes. @latimes alum.

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Articles

N.Y. Natural Gas Pipelines Get a Second Chance Under Trump

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Rebecca Elliott |Benjamin Oreskes |Brad Plumer

Williams, a pipeline company, said it was reviving pipelines that had been blocked on environmental grounds, as the Trump administration pushes states to accept more fossil fuel projects. A pipeline company is reviving plans to build two natural gas pipelines into New York State, a major reversal that amounts to a bet that the Trump administration will be able to strong-arm states into signing off on energy projects.
Mamdani Has a Thin Legislative Record but Is a Forceful Voice in Albany

1 week ago | nytimes.com | Grace Ashford |Benjamin Oreskes

In Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani's four-plus years in the New York State Capitol, only three of his bills have become law. His influence is comparatively greater. During his whirlwind rise in the New York City mayoral race, Assemblyman Zohran K. Mamdani has put forth a wish list of big, expensive ideas. Rents for stabilized apartments will be frozen. Buses will be free. Taxes on the wealthy will rise and the cost of child care will fall - to zero.
In Reversal, Trump Officials Will Allow Huge Offshore N.Y. Wind Farm to Proceed

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Brad Plumer |Benjamin Oreskes

The Trump administration had issued a highly unusual stop-work order on the Empire Wind project last month, leading to intense pushback from officials in New York. The Trump administration on Monday allowed construction to restart on a huge wind farm off the coast of Long Island, a month after federal officials had issued a highly unusual stop-work order that had pushed the $5 billion project to the brink of collapse. In a statement, Gov.
Why a $10,000 Deduction Is Blocking the G.O.P.'s $3.8 Trillion Tax Bill

3 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Benjamin Oreskes

House Republicans, mostly from New York, have gone to war with party leadership over their push to raise or abolish the $10,000 cap on the so-called SALT deduction. A year ago, as New York Democratic groups strategized about how to connect with voters in an up-for-grabs special House election on Long Island, they expected Israel to be a major talking point and prepared accordingly. But all voters wanted to talk about was their high tax bills. The pivot came quickly.
Could Branding Herself as a 'Mom Governor' Help Hochul Win Re-election?

3 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Grace Ashford |Benjamin Oreskes

Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York, a moderate Democrat, used Fox News to amplify a message that her policies are "giving kids their childhoods back."When Gov. Kathy Hochul first took office in 2021, she was a relative unknown. Few New Yorkers knew how to pronounce her name, let alone what Ms. Hochul, Andrew M. Cuomo's seldom-seen lieutenant governor, stood for. Since then, she has honed an executive style that is equal parts practical and protective.
Hochul, Looking to 2026, Pushed to Weaken Oversight of Religious Schools

4 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Benjamin Oreskes |Eliza Shapiro |Grace Ashford

Changing a law that chiefly affects all-boys Hasidic Jewish schools, known as yeshivas, has been a top priority among leaders of New York's Hasidic communities, which tend to vote as a bloc. As Gov. Kathy Hochul prepares for what is likely to be a tough re-election fight next year, she is promoting a state budget deal stuffed with politically popular initiatives aimed at making life in New York more affordable.
How a $254 Billion Budget Deal Might Become a Battle Plan for Democrats

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Grace Ashford |Benjamin Oreskes

Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York insisted that the state budget, now a month overdue, include measures to increase public safety and lower taxes for all but the wealthy. The day after Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the framework for a $254 billion budget for New York State, she sought to deliver a celebratory message in two parts. She visited a preschool and then dropped by the Albany County district attorney's office, with each stop on Tuesday serving a distinct purpose.
New York May Weaken Its Oversight Over Religious Schools

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Eliza Shapiro |Benjamin Oreskes

A potential last-minute addition to the state budget would amount to a major victory for Hasidic Jewish leaders. New York lawmakers are considering a deal that would dramatically weaken their oversight over religious schools, potentially a major victory for the state's Hasidic Jewish community.
Taking on Musk, New York Considers Move to Close Tesla Dealerships

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Benjamin Oreskes

Elon Musk's alliance with President Trump has prompted Democratic lawmakers to propose stripping Tesla of its ability to sell its cars directly to consumers. In her 12 years in the State Capitol, Senator Patricia Fahy has consistently supported the carmaker Tesla's complicated fight to open dealerships in New York, framing her position as a way of advancing the state's green energy transition. Things have changed.
In Face of Trump's Hostility, Hochul Responds With Barbed Gratitude

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Grace Ashford |Benjamin Oreskes

President Trump said he was taking over the Penn Station project. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has at times aggressively criticized Mr. Trump, went a different route. When President Trump extended his reach into New York's affairs with a promise to "kill" the state's congestion pricing plan, Gov. Kathy Hochul drew her sword. "We are not subservient to a king or anyone else out of Washington," Ms. Hochul, a Democrat, told reporters, vowing to preserve the program.