Zach Williams

2 weeks ago | news.bgov.com | Zach Williams

New York government agencies are expanding their use of drones beyond emergency situations to boost their surveillance capabilities with few legal limits on other uses, such as weaponization, according to a report from the New York Civil Liberties Union exclusively obtained by Bloomberg Government. There were at least 876 drones registered by state and local entities with the Federal Aviation Administration in 2024—a 65% increase from 2022, according to the report.

2 weeks ago | news.bloomberglaw.com | Zach Williams

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday signed a third budget extension to keep state government funded through April 9 while negotiations continue with lawmakers on a final spending plan. Public safety remains a top sticking point between the governor and her fellow Democrats who control the Legislature in the budget that’s expected to exceed $252 billion. That has limited progress on other issues such as taxes, unemployment benefits, public transit.

2 weeks ago | news.bloombergtax.com | Zach Williams |Laura Nahmias

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2 weeks ago | news.bloomberglaw.com | Mike Vilensky |Zach Williams

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s effort to get New York’s $252 billion budget sewn up has been thwarted by pushback to her plan for changing pretrial discovery rules, highlighting a clash among New York Democrats on how to handle criminal justice issues. The Democratic governor’s push to loosen rules on the evidence prosecutors must share with criminal defendants before trial is backed by New York’s law-enforcement groups but contested by the state’s criminal defense bar.

2 weeks ago | news.bloombergtax.com | Zach Williams |Laura Nahmias

New York State legislative leaders have agreed to ban smartphone use in public schools under a new budget agreement aimed at improving children’s mental health. The restrictions will apply throughout the school day, from the first bell to the last, Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie told reporters at the Capitol on Thursday.