Plugged In @ Hinman Straub

April 25, 2025

What’s Inside

  • NYS Legislative Session Re-Cap
  • Governor and Attorney General Announce Lawsuit Against Trump Administration
  • NYS COELIG Elect Chair and Vice Chair
  • Governor Announced Chobani Investment in the Mohawk Valley
  • In the News
  • Coming Up

Legislative Session Recap 

The Legislature convened on Tuesday and Thursday this week to pass two budget extenders. Both chambers are now adjourned until Monday, April 28, for a scheduled three-day session week.

The Assembly passed only budget extenders this week, while the Senate opted to pass other legislation, including a package of bills focused on environmental protections in honor of Earth Day. The Senate Earth Day package included the following bills:

  • Emission Limits of Toxic Air Contaminants (S.4030 Fernandez) – Directs the Department of Environmental Conservation to establish ambient air quality standards and fenceline monitoring for certain toxic air contaminants.
  • Empowering Lake Associations to Clean Up Lakes (S.1733 Harckham) Creates a program to assist municipalities with water quality improvement of water bodies within the municipality managed by lake associations.
  • Establishes a Delivered Fuels Replacement Program (S.1668 Harckham) Authorizes the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to administer a program to provide grants, loans, and financial assistance to support fuel switching for residences from propane or fuel-oil heating systems to efficient electric heat pumps.
  • Safe Playground Materials (S.3852-A Hinchey) Prohibits manufacturers from including intentionally added PFAS, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS), or lead as components of playground surfacing materials.
  • Prohibits Drilling Fluids and Flowback Water for De-icing (S.2706-A Hoylman-Sigal) Prohibits the use of wastewater from hydrofracking, which contains chemicals and radioactive contaminants, and other drilling operations from being used on any highway for any purpose including de-icing or dust suppression.
  • The Emissions Tampering Act (S.3828-A Hoylman-Sigal) Prohibits the disabling, removal of, and interference with vehicle emission control devices.
  • The PFAS Discharge Disclosure Act (S.4574-B May) Requires certain industrial facilities known or suspected to discharge wastewater containing PFAS and publicly owned wastewater treatment plants to conduct PFAS monitoring and disclose the results from such monitoring.
  • The Just Energy Transition Act (S.5111 Parker) Directs NYSERDA to develop new programs and initiatives in consultation with other state agencies and stakeholders to facilitate the replacement and redevelopment of New York’s oldest and most polluting fossil fuel generation facilities by 2030.
  • Implementing Enhanced Public Participation Plans (S.4513 Ramos) Requires applicants for environmental permits for major projects near a disadvantaged or ‘environmental justice community’ to engage in enhanced public participation activities to ensure host communities have input and a voice.
  • Prohibit Oil and Gas production on Protected State Land (S.1069 Serrano) Prohibits the lease of state forests, reforestation areas, wildlife management areas, and unique areas for the purpose of oil and gas production.

NYS Budget Update

The most recent budget extender ensures that state funding and payroll obligations are covered through Tuesday, April 29. If a budget agreement is not reached by early next week, the Legislature will be required to pass another extender on Tuesday to avoid any disruption in state operations. 

The deadline for the Fiscal Year 2026 New York State Budget has come and gone, with negotiations expected to continue through the weekend, as well as remote conferences. As of now, no overall agreement has been finalized. However, on Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins indicated progress, telling reporters, “I believe by the end of next week we will be passing bills.”

Governor and Attorney General Announce Lawsuit Against Trump Administration  

This week, Governor Kathy Hochul and State Attorney General Letitia James announced that New York State and a coalition of 11 other states are suing the Trump administration for imposing tax hikes on Americans in the form of tariffs issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General James and a coalition of attorneys general, argues that Congress has not granted the president the authority to impose these tariffs and therefore the administration violated the law by imposing them through executive orders, social media posts, and agency orders. The coalition seeks a court order halting these IEEPA tariffs, including the worldwide tariffs that were paused on April 9, and preventing the Trump administration from enforcing or implementing them.

According to the Governor’s press release, economists estimate the increased tariffs will cost the average family thousands of dollars per year, and a report from the New York City Comptroller estimated that even a mild recession caused by the tariffs would lead to over 35,000 lost jobs in New York City alone. New York state agencies could end up paying over $100 million in extra costs due to tariffs increasing prices.

Joining Attorney General James in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont.

Governor Hochul said:

President Trump’s reckless tariffs have skyrocketed costs for consumers and unleashed economic chaos across the country. New York is standing up to fight back against the largest federal tax hike in American history. Attorney General James and I are partnering on this litigation on behalf of New York consumers, because we can’t let President Trump push our country into a recession.

Attorney General James said:

The president does not have the power to raise taxes on a whim, but that’s exactly what President Trump has been doing with these tariffs. Donald Trump promised that he would lower prices and ease the cost of living, but these illegal tariffs will have the exact opposite effect on American families. His tariffs are unlawful and if not stopped, they will lead to more inflation, unemployment, and economic damage.

NYS COELIG Elect Chair and Vice Chair

This week, the NYS Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government announced the election of Seymour W. James, Jr., Chair of the Commission, and the re-election of Vice Chair.

Chair Seymour W. James, Jr., is currently a partner at the law firm of Barket Epstein Kearon Aldea and LoTurco. Vice Chair Ava Ayers is currently an associate professor of law at Albany Law School, teaching courses on the law of government, administrative law, legal ethics, and civil procedure. 

More information can be found here.  

Governor Announced Chobani Investment in the Mohawk Valley

Governor Hochul has announced that Chobani – a food and beverage company originally known for its high-quality Greek yogurt — has chosen New York State’s Mohawk Valley as the location for the nation’s largest investment in natural food manufacturing after a competitive nationwide search.

Chobani, which opened its first U.S. plant in 2005 in New York, will build a 1.4 million square foot, $1.2 billion facility in Rome, Oneida County, capable of producing over one billion pounds of high-quality dairy products per year. The expansion will add more than 1,000 jobs to the region and nearly double Chobani’s total New York State workforce.  

Chobani has selected Rome, New York for this project based on:

  • A skilled local workforce, including a high concentration of military veterans living in the area, as well as graduates from nearby colleges
  • Easy access to the major population of the East Coast
  • Availability of affordable housing in the area as well as Governor Hochul’s ongoing commitment to building affordable homes in New York State
  • Additional resources coming from the state to support the creation of new jobs

Governor Hochul said:

Through this partnership with Chobani, we’re revitalizing Upstate New York’s manufacturing sector one spoonful at a time. Chobani has been a major employer in the Mohawk Valley for decades, and this massive new $1.2 billion investment will bring more than 1,000 good-paying jobs to Oneida County — the largest natural food manufacturing investment in American history. When I took office I pledged to make New York the most worker-friendly and business-friendly state in the nation, and projects like this one show our strategy is working.

More information can be found here.

In The News

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

Hochul’s favorability, job approval hit high marks as Schumer falls.

Democrats renew calls for ‘bigger, better’ bottle bill.

Chobani to build $1.2 billion yogurt factory in Rome.

Hudson Valley food bank says USDA cuts will result in 2 million fewer meals.

Democrats want New York to reward whistleblowers reporting fraud.

Mandani aims at Cuomo, beginning ad war in N.Y.C. Mayor’s race.

Andrew Cuomo ambushed by protesters during NYC mayoral candidate forum: ‘Cuomo lies, people die’.

As Trump reportedly eyes HUD cuts, N.Y. housing advocates warn of impact.

The $40 billion issue the N.Y.C. mayoral candidates aren’t discussing.

N.Y. attorney general’s lawyer urges Justice Dept. to reject Trump official’s call for criminal probe.

State budget talks remain on policy as child care advocates implore leaders to address voucher crisis.

State lawmakers: Late New York budget makes talks a family affair.

N.Y. Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes discusses the city of Buffalo’s financial needs.

As a state budget deal looms, face mask proposal continues to complicate talks.

Eric Adams pleads with Trump to revive wind farm off NY coast for energy boost, 1,000 good paying jobs.

Third-party casino bidder at Nassau Coliseum would need to stick with Las Vegas Sands’ terms, official says.

Langworthy intros bill to streamline environmental reviews.

Tax hikes could offset Hochul’s $3B ‘rebate’ checks, localities warn.

New York schools face multiple challenges in electric bus transition.

Coming Up

The NYS Board of Regents will meet on May 5 and 6.

The Public Service Commission will hold its next meeting on May 15.