Plugged In @ Hinman Straub

October 10, 2025

What’s Inside

  • Division of Budget Releases Call Letter to State Agencies
  • New York Attorney General Indicted
  • Governor Extends Executive Order Expanding Access to Vaccines
  • Governor Announces Maximum Weekly Benefit Increase for Unemployed Workers
  • Governor Slams Federal Funding Cuts Targeting NY Businesses
  • New Quinnipiac Poll Shows Cuomo Surge After Adams Exit; Mamdani Still Leading
  • In the News
  • Coming Up 

Division of Budget Releases Call Letter to State Agencies

Kicking off the start of the New York State budget process, the Director of the NYS Division of the Budget (DOB) has sent state agency leaders the official request to submit their proposed spending plans for the upcoming year. This request, known as the “Budget Call Letter,” establishes the parameters for those submissions and sets the tone for the Executive Budget process. The official letter can be found here.

The tone of this year’s letter reflects the federal uncertainty and cuts in Washington D.C. Rather than calling for agencies to make cuts to programs and services, Budget Director Blake Washington relayed Governor Hochul’s request that agencies review all rules, regulations, and public-facing policies that don’t coincide with the Governor’s affordability agenda and have become obsolete. While the Budget Director noted that revenues remain strong over the first half of the fiscal year, the forecasted growth will not be adequate to address anticipated structural gaps.

Agency budget requests and targeted regulatory reductions are due no later than October 24, 2025. 

New York Attorney General Indicted

According to reports on Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice secured an indictment against New York State Attorney General Letitia James. This followed an investigation into allegations of mortgage fraud against Attorney General James in Virginia.

Following reports of her indictment, Attorney General James issued a statement saying, “This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.” The Attorney General’s full video statement can be watched here.  

Both Governor Hochul and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie issued statements calling out the Trump administration for its actions against the Attorney General. 

Governor Extends Executive Order Expanding Access to Vaccines

Governor Hochul has extended Executive Order 52, allowing pharmacists to administer COVID vaccines, providing access for all New Yorkers who wish to be vaccinated. The Executive Order will be in place for at least another 30 days while a long-term legislative solution is developed to address access to all vaccines to combat the Trump Administration’s announcement surrounding immunization.  

As a reminder, the extended Executive Order will:

  • Allow physicians and nurse practitioners to prescribe and order a patient-specific or non-patient-specific regimen for pharmacists to administer COVID vaccines to patients age three or older.
  • Authorize pharmacists to administer COVID vaccines to patients age three or older pursuant to a patient-specific or non-patient-specific order.
  • Allow pharmacists to prescribe and order COVID vaccines for patients age three or older — a new authority that enables them to prescribe off-label.

Governor Hochul said:

I’ve been clear with New Yorkers that even as Washington continues its misguided campaign against science, I will always do what I can to ensure New Yorkers have access to the vaccines and information families need to make decisions about their health care — with no exceptions. I will sign as many extensions of this executive order as I need to. We will always let science lead the way — not politics.
  

Governor Announces Maximum Weekly Benefit Increase for Unemployed Workers 

This week, Governor Hochul and labor leaders announced the maximum weekly unemployment insurance (UI) benefit increase for unemployed workers across the state. As part of the Governor’s FY26 Enacted Budget, the State invested nearly $7 billion to pay off the federal UI Trust Fund loan, bringing the fund to solvency and increasing the maximum weekly benefit from $504 to $869. This increase will take effect starting with payments issued the week of October 13.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the UI Trust Fund had a positive balance of nearly $2.5 billion. However, due to the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, the balance was paid out to New Yorkers, requiring the State to borrow from the federal government to continue paying eligible claims. Increases are expected for many customers, even if they are not currently receiving the highest rate. 

More information can be found here.

Governor Hochul said:

Donald Trump and Washington Republicans’ agenda is a direct attack on hardworking New Yorkers, with reckless trade wars causing skyrocketing prices, and now their decision to shutdown the federal government has left thousands of New Yorkers unemployed and unsupported. It’s a stark contrast to everything we’re doing here in New York. With the weekly maximum benefits increasing starting this month, we are able to uplift unemployed New Yorkers, including those that Republicans in Washington have failed, while cutting costs to businesses.

New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said:

Increasing the maximum weekly unemployment insurance benefit will greatly help New Yorkers navigating job loss. This historic increase will help more people make ends meet when they need it most and put money directly into the hands of those out of work through no fault of their own. I am grateful to Governor Hochul and the State Legislature for working together to pay off the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund debt and make these increases possible.

Governor Slams Federal Funding Cuts Targeting NY Businesses

This week, Governor Hochul highlighted a list of federal funding cuts, released by Congress, that outlines grants terminated by the Trump administration through the Department of Energy. Last week, the White House announced that it was going to terminate nearly $500 million in clean energy grant funding to factories and other businesses across New York. Governor Hochul stated that these cuts will risk more than 1,000 good-paying jobs and harm economic growth in regions across the state, with an estimated statewide economic hit of $650 million. 

Governor Hochul said:

Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress are playing politics with the government shutdown, and New York’s economy and hard-working families are paying the price. These cuts directly impact local businesses and major companies, putting workers out of jobs, shuttering factories, and slowing our state’s economic progress. New York Republicans should grow a spine, stand with our workers and demand that President Trump restore this funding.

A list of projects earmarked for termination across New York State can be found here.

New Quinnipiac Poll Shows Cuomo Surge After Adams Exit; Mamdani Still Leading

A new Quinnipiac poll, the first conducted since the race dwindled to three candidates after incumbent Eric Adams suspended his campaign, shows former Governor Andrew Cuomo gaining 10 percentage points from just one month ago. Mamdani still holds the lead with 46% of likely voters backing his candidacy, but, this surge by Cuomo is the most significant movement in polling for months. Curtis Sliwa, the Republican candidate, is now playing the sole spoiler with a deciding 15% support.

Mamdani’s strongest support is among Democrats (60 percent), Asian American voters (67 percent), voters 18 to 34 years old (62 percent), voters 35 to 49 years old (60 percent), and voters who identify as not being part of any religious group (69 percent). Cuomo’s strongest support is among Jewish voters (60 percent). Sliwa’s strongest support is among Republicans (54 percent).

Overall, the poll portrays a consolidating race with Mamdani as the frontrunner but Cuomo closing in less than a month before the November 4 election.

The entire poll can be viewed here.

In The News

City & State NY’s weekly Winners and Losers of this week here.

Mamdani is more foe than friend in the suburbs, even among Democrats.

Mamdani is expected to follow radical-left DSA agenda if elected, group’s leaders boast at meeting attended by Post.

Three years and $850 million late, did taxpayers get a good deal on the new Bills stadium?

Judge finds state illegally operating portion of Thruway on Seneca lands.

Who wins NY’s downstate casino gambling sweepstakes? ‘In some ways it’s like an auction.’

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop being eyed for big NYC biz job — and yes, he’d have to move across the river.

Zohran Mamdani has ambitious plans. How much will they cost?

Hochul promises the ‘right decision’ on Medical Aid in Dying bill. What will that be?

Absentee voters in Upstate NY town receive ballots already filled out.

Trump cancels clean energy grant to expand Syracuse factory: ‘It’s just killing us’.

Oberacker announces campaign for Congress against Rep. Josh Riley.

N.Y. has hired 150 displaced federal workers, preps for more as shutdown continues.

Comprise plan would nix ‘100-foot rule’ that provides free natural gas connections to new homes.

New York State minimum wage to increase in 2026.

Brian Romero hopes to succeed his former boss in the Assembly.

Advocates say their report on EPR lobbying shows classic Albany dysfunction, while business group says opposition is stiff for a reason.

Hochul challenges judge’s decision on Indian Point, saying Hudson is a national treasure.

Race between Hochul and Stefanik may be as narrow as 5 points, poll says.

4 NYC casino plans made it to the final round. What happens now?

Rural health care groups weigh in on New York’s application for $50B federal program.

With Eric Adams out of the race, Andrew Cuomo surges in poll.

Scoop: Elise Stefanik has $12 million banked for likely N.Y. governor bid.

NYC Mayor’s Race: Cuomo’s campaign gets $2.3M matching funds boost from Campaign Finance Board.

How federal cuts could impact N.Y. economic development programs.

NYS ethics panel looks at new guardrails for campaign donations from lobbyists.

Coming Up

The Senate will hold a public hearing on the Treatment Court Expansion Act on October 10.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing to examine potential solutions for ensuring the protection and privacy of consumer data on October 14.

The Senate will hold a public hearing to discuss risks, solutions, and best practices with respect to the use of artificial intelligence in consequential or high-risk contexts, and related issues, such as classification of the types and risk levels of AI uses, frameworks for auditing AI tools for bias, and transparency improvements on October 16.

The PSC will hold its next meeting on October 16.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing to examine the process for municipalities outside of New York City to opt into rent stabilization and the use of vacancy rate to demonstrate a housing emergency on October 21. 

The Assembly will hold a public hearing to examine the continued integration of virtual learning at institutions of higher education on October 21.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing to examine measures to protect residential ratepayers from increased energy costs associated with integrating new large energy users into the grid on October 23. 

The Assembly will hold a public hearing to examine the combating of problem gaming on mobile wagering platforms on October 29.

The Public Health and Health Planning Council’s Health Planning Committee will hold a meeting on November 12.