Peter Sterne

New York

Mostly on Bluesky now. Editor @CityAndStateNY. Previously @nysfocus @freedomofpress @politico. He/him. Tips & pitches: [email protected]

Articles

Hochul rebuttal pokes fun at LCA, declares 2025 show ‘still sucks’

1 month ago | cityandstateny.com | Peter Sterne

Gov. Kathy Hochul roasted the Albany press corps and her political rivals last night following the annual Legislative Correspondents Association show. The theme of this year’s LCA show was “The Wonderful World of Albany” – a take on “Wicked” that featured Capital Tonight’s Kate Lisa (in a green dress and witch hat) as Hochul, City & State’s own Rebecca C. Lewis and Austin C. Jefferson as state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and Lt. Gov.
Marina Marcou-O’Malley wins City & State 2025 budget poll

1 month ago | cityandstateny.com | Peter Sterne

Nearly 400 people entered City & State’s 2025 budget poll, and most of them underestimated just how long Gov. Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders would take to finally reach a deal – with only 11 people correctly guessing that the budget would be finished on May 8.
New York lawmakers ask House GOP not to block AI regulations

1 month ago | route-fifty.com | Peter Sterne

More than 50 Democratic state lawmakers sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson late Thursday night in opposition to a proposed moratorium on state and local attempts to regulate the artificial intelligence industry. The controversial attempt to preempt state-level AI regulations is part of the House GOP’s proposed budget bill, which is scheduled to be marked up on Friday morning.
NY lawmakers ask House GOP not to block AI regulations

1 month ago | cityandstateny.com | Peter Sterne

More than 50 Democratic state lawmakers sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson late Thursday night in opposition to a proposed moratorium on state and local attempts to regulate the artificial intelligence industry. The controversial attempt to preempt state-level AI regulations is part of the House GOP’s proposed budget bill, which is scheduled to be marked up on Friday morning.
It’s finally happening! The Legislature has started printing budget bills

1 month ago | cityandstateny.com | Rebecca C. Lewis |Austin Jefferson |Peter Sterne

At long last, the state Legislature has started printing budget bills, paving the way for legislators to begin hours of marathon voting to finally get the spending plan wrapped up. As of early Wednesday morning, the Legislature had introduced three of the remaining nine budget bills, leaving six more that still need printing. Still, PPGG had details about a number of other issues that drew attention during ongoing budget talks.
What to do what DOGE contacts your nonprofit

2 months ago | cityandstateny.com | Peter Sterne

On April 11, Nicholas Turner received a curious email from someone representing the Department of Government Efficiency, the Trump administration program tasked with cutting government funding and agencies. But Turner doesn’t work for the government; he’s the president and director of the Vera Institute of Justice, a well-known nonprofit organization based in New York City that was founded in the 1960s to focus on criminal justice reform efforts.
DOCCS wanted people convicted of violent crimes to be eligible for early release

2 months ago | cityandstateny.com | Peter Sterne

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to expand the eligibility of those eligible for early release from state prisons has prompted criticism from more conservative state lawmakers, but the state prison system proposed an even more sweeping expansion of eligibility for early release last year, City & State has learned.
Civil rights attorneys raise the alarm about 3 NY asylum-seekers currently held in a Texas detention facility

2 months ago | cityandstateny.com | Peter Sterne

At least three Venezuelan men who were seeking asylum in New York are now being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in northern Texas and are at risk of being removed from the country, possibly to a notorious detention camp in El Salvador, court documents reveal. The three immigrants – referred to as F.G.M., H.I.D.R. and O.A.S. in court documents – are Venezuelan men who entered the U.S., applied for asylum and lived in New York.
Poll: City & State readers see a late April or early May state budget

2 months ago | cityandstateny.com | Peter Sterne

Gov. Kathy Hochul has said that she’s willing to hold up the state budget for as long as it takes to get legislative leaders to agree to her policy proposals – but most City & State readers expect the budget to be wrapped up in the next couple weeks. More than 380 people entered City & State’s 2025 state budget poll, with guesses ranging from April 10 at the earliest to Aug. 8 at the latest.
Guess when Albany will finally pass the budget and win a beach towel

2 months ago | cityandstateny.com | Peter Sterne

It’s time for City & State’s annual budget poll, which – much like the actual state budget – is a bit late this year. The budget is now nine days overdue, and there’s no little reason to expect it will be finalized any time soon. Gov. Kathy Hochul has promised to keep lawmakers in Albany for as long as it takes to ensure her top policy priorities – including changes to the discovery law and a mask ban – make it into the budget.