Overview
- Lawmakers approved a $3.4 billion extender Monday that keeps paychecks and services going through Thursday as the budget slips more than two weeks past the April 1 deadline.
- Talks remain stuck on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s push to cut auto insurance costs, proposed changes to the 2019 climate law, and easing environmental review rules used to vet housing projects.
- Deputy Senate Majority Leader Mike Gianaris said the governor was less than willing to compromise, while a Hochul spokesperson said she is flexible but will not retreat from lowering premiums.
- Members pressed for proof that insurance rates would fall, discussing steps like requiring the Department of Financial Services to track prices, lowering insurers’ excess‑profit cap, and adjusting a six‑year rolling average used in rate setting.
- With legislators’ pay withheld until a deal is done and more short-term extensions expected if talks fail this week, pressure is rising to finish a roughly $263 billion spending plan.