Imagine this: You’re a state lawmaker dedicated to serving your constituents and trying to thread the needle on affordability and public safety. The governor of your state has offered a proposal intended to lower auto insurance rates, but under any scrutiny, it leaves questions about actual savings and proper compensation for the pain and suffering of crash victims.

This is what state lawmakers in New York are dealing with as they attempt to craft a state budget they can explain to voters. Right now, there’s optimism that the budget could get hashed out before May, but we here at Streetsblog Empire State are cynics.

Catch up on our latest updates and other news, as always.