Susan Arbetter

Albany

Political Anchor at Spectrum News Capital Region

Political Anchor at Spectrum News Rochester

Political anchor for Spectrum News. Formerly WCNY, WMHT, WAMC. Emmy, Murrow, AP, NYSBA, Scripps-Howard, Headliner & NY Women's Press Club Hall of Honor

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Articles

N.Y. school budget votes see wide passage

2 weeks ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Susan Arbetter

Echoing last year’s school budget vote, 97% of New York school districts voted in favor of their budgets on Tuesday, with that number rising to 99% for school districts staying within the property tax cap. Forty-two districts statewide sought to override the 2% property tax cap; those districts needed a supermajority of votes to pass their budgets. Seventeen of those attempts failed. The districts will likely revamp their budgets and try again in June.
N.Y. Assembly minority leader on prison closures, end-of-session priorities

2 weeks ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Susan Arbetter

N.Y. Assembly minority leader discusses prison closures and end-of-session priorities BY Susan Arbetter New York State PUBLISHED 7:30 PM ET May 20, 2025 PUBLISHED 7:30 PM EDT May 20, 2025 The leader of the New York state Assembly Republicans, Will Barclay, spoke with Capital Tonight’s Susan Arbetter about the state’s late budget, prison closures, the prison strike and his conference’s end-of-session priorities.
N.Y. Labor Department commissioner discusses unemployment benefits, child care

2 weeks ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Susan Arbetter

If you’re watching the economy and starting to get worried about being laid off from your current job, there’s a tiny bit of good news for you in the recently passed state budget. Unemployment benefits are set to increase from $504 per week to $869 per week starting in October of this year. The governor and the Legislature decided to use money from the state’s rainy day fund to pay off New York’s entire $6.5 billion unemployment insurance debt to the federal government.
New York’s Business Council on UI and rest-of-session priorities

3 weeks ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Susan Arbetter

Despite being over a month late, the state budget included some major victories for the business community. One big win? The state will spend $8 billion to pay off its unemployment insurance debt. Ken Pokalsky, vice president of the Business Council of New York State, explained why the issue was a priority for companies across the state, and how the Business Council will be playing defense on a handful of issues over the next few weeks.
A look at how mental health workers fared in the New York state budget

3 weeks ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Susan Arbetter

While workers in the mental health and human services sector received a 2.6% cost of living adjustment in the just-passed budget, it was nowhere near the 7.8% increase that advocates had been pushing. The increase is equivalent to about $50 million. Glenn Liebman, CEO of the Mental Health Association of New York State, spoke with Capital Tonight about the wins and losses in the budget for the mental health space.
Analysis: N.Y. lawmakers do have the power to reject policy in the state budget

3 weeks ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Susan Arbetter

There are two kinds of state budget bills: Appropriations bills, or the money that the budget allocates; and Article VII bills, the legislation necessary to implement the appropriations. Article VII bills include policy and may be changed by lawmakers; appropriations bills distribute the money and may only be changed in limited ways. This session, there's been a lot of dissatisfaction from lawmakers about Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to include a variety of policy in the state budget. State Sen.
N.Y. environmental organization criticizes EPA’s rollback of PFAS regulations

3 weeks ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Susan Arbetter

Back in 2016, PFOA — so-called “forever chemicals” — were detected in the public drinking water supply in the village of Hoosick Falls, as well as in the town of Hoosick’s private drinking water. Forever chemicals are linked to manufacturing. The community’s drinking water infrastructure had to be replaced because PFAS chemicals don’t break down in the human body; instead they accumulate in human organs and cause a variety of cancers.
Incentive for electric lawn equipment brings demo to New York state Capitol

3 weeks ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Susan Arbetter

Retailers, manufacturers, and advocates gathered outside the state Capitol on Wednesday afternoon to highlight the benefits of a bill that, if passed, would provide incentives for institutions that purchase electric lawn equipment. The legislation (S.1574/A.2657), introduced by state Sen. Liz Krueger and State Assemblymember Steven Otis, would create a rebate program for the purchase of electric lawn care equipment by landscaping companies and government institutions like schools.
N.Y. Assembly speaker: State budget 'probably one of the best' in his career

3 weeks ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Susan Arbetter

It was the latest New York state budget since 2010, and there was some audible griping among lawmakers who didn’t like how long it took, or that the governor used up so much "legislative time" for her own priorities. While lawmakers gripe about the budget process every year because of the latitude it gives to the executive, this seemed more than just temporary crankiness.
Community Service Society: Eyed Medicaid cuts 'a bullseye on the state of N.Y.'

3 weeks ago | spectrumlocalnews.com | Susan Arbetter

Spectrum News 1 is getting our very first look at the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s effort to cut Medicaid by $880 billion between 2025 and 2034. Democrats on the committee estimate that the legislation would reduce the number of people with health insurance in the U.S. by at least 8.6 million people.