Overview
- Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday a $268 billion state budget framework that she said covers affordability, climate and city aid, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie responded that there is still no final deal.
- The outline targets auto-insurance costs by barring use of factors like ZIP code and credit score in pricing, ending a rule that let insurers raise rates up to 5% without prior approval, and narrowing which crash injuries qualify for pain‑and‑suffering claims.
- The plan adjusts New York’s 2019 climate law by moving required regulations to 2028 and adding a 2040 target to cut emissions 60% from 1990 levels while keeping the 2050 goal, a shift environmental groups have criticized.
- New York City would get about $1.5 billion in added aid plus a proposed pied‑à‑terre tax on second homes valued at $5 million or more that officials estimate could raise roughly $500 million a year, with further details still being drafted.
- The package would restrict local cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement by banning 287(g) agreements, shielding schools and hospitals as sensitive locations, and prohibiting police from contacting ICE in non‑criminal encounters, and it would send $1 billion in utility rebate checks to households.