Michael Gormley

Albany

Albany Reporter at Newsday

Michael Gormley covers Albany for Newsday. He covers Gov. Hochul, the Legislature and New York politics and issues important to New Yorkers.

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Articles

Gov. Hochul announces release of detained family

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Michael Gormley

ALBANY — Weeks of rallies and protests by a small upstate community led Monday to the release of a mother and her three children who were detained last month by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the release Monday afternoon. The three children and their mother have been detained since March 27 when ICE agents raided a Jefferson County dairy farm, saying they were seeking a suspect in an investigation into child pornography.
NY Legislature extends emergency spending amid budget negotiations

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Michael Gormley

ALBANY — The State Legislature on Monday authorized another $1.8 billion to keep state government running through Wednesday, as patience among legislators over the late state budget frayed. The emergency spending bill includes pay for Gov. Kathy Hochul and her staff, but under state law, the pay for legislators is suspended when a budget isn’t in place by the April 1 start of the fiscal year. Now, the late budget threatens lawmakers’ two-week break, which is scheduled to begin Thursday.
New York budget delay: Discovery law change is key snag, lawmakers say

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Michael Gormley

ALBANY — Closed-door negotiations over the late state budget include proposals that could fund critical improvements to mass transit and enact a ban on student cellphones in schools, but talks are snagged on reforming a step in criminal trials, according to legislators.
Albany lawmakers OK emergency spending measure amid late budget

2 weeks ago | newsday.com | Michael Gormley

ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature on Thursday agreed to a second emergency spending measure as closed-door negotiations continue for a state budget that was due Monday. The budget "extender" will in part pay for a ballooning cost to continue to secure prisons with National Guard troops after a wildcat strike by prison guards.
Democrats sue Trump over voter registration executive order

3 weeks ago | newsday.com | Michael Gormley

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats said Tuesday they have sued President Trump over his executive order to require states to further prove citizenship in registering voters and to make other changes to elections.
New York's unemployment insurance debt relief negotiations

3 weeks ago | newsday.com | Michael Gormley

ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders are negotiating proposals aimed at unburdening employers from a pandemic-era debt to the federal governmentfor unemployment benefits, which is also blocking increases in the benefits paid to workers who lose their jobs.
New York budget will be late as talks continue

3 weeks ago | newsday.com | Michael Gormley

ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders this week will negotiate a late state budget that will increase spending despite the threatened loss of billions of dollars in federal aid, provide a $3 billion tax cut for most New Yorkers and include several significant policies, including a "bell-to-bell" ban on student cellphones in schools. The budget is constitutionally due by Tuesday, which is the start of the 2025-26 fiscal year. But that deadline, as in most years, will be missed.
New York imposes penalties on fantasy sports operators

3 weeks ago | newsday.com | Michael Gormley

ALBANY — The state Gaming Commission has meted out some of its biggest civil penalties ever against two operators in the increasingly popular field of online fantasy sports gaming. The two settlements effective this year total more than $32 million, and the $17.5 million to be paid by one of them, Underdog Sports of Brooklyn, under a settlement dated March 14 is the commission’s largest civil penalty ever, said Gaming Commission spokesman Lee Park.
Real ID deadline approaches for New Yorkers at DMV

4 weeks ago | newsday.com | Michael Gormley

ALBANY – New Yorkers who haven’t upgraded their driver's licenses to federal REAL ID security standards face a May 7 deadline if they want to use their licenses to board domestic flights. But getting the recommended appointments may be difficult. Some downstate New Yorkers have recently said they have had difficulty in finding open appointments at state Department of Motor Vehicles offices through June.
New York home care program deadline extended to April 30

1 month ago | newsday.com | Michael Gormley |Keshia Clukey

ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday extended by a month the deadline for New Yorkers and their care workers to reregister for a program that allows disabled and elderly people to choose their home care workers, who are paid by the state.