Tuesday Headlines: Can Anyone Hear Me Edition

What exactly do Assembly members need to hear to back the Stop Super Speeders Act?

That’s likely what advocates are wondering as they make regular visits to the state Capitol, pushing for the legislation to be included in the state budget. The thrust of the bill is that repeat reckless drivers would have technology called intelligent speed assistance devices installed that would cap their car’s speeds close to the listed limit.

This is raising a ton of questions for the Assembly, even as the state Senate and governor are in agreement that action is needed to protect New Yorkers. Meanwhile, parents want to know how many more of their children need to die before the problem sinks in with politicians.

“I always say our kids are supposed to bury us. We are not supposed to bury our children. And unfortunately, the streets are so dangerous in New York City,” said Nickya Whittington.

Her 7-year-old son was hit and killed by a school bus driver in 2018, and her other child was left with hand and knee fractures after being hit by a car just a year later. She worries that New York City will become a place where children can’t be children anymore, without action from the state.

“A kid can’t even play on the sidewalk anymore because a car could come speeding,” she said.

Negotiations on the state budget are progressing according to legislative leaders, but the Stop Super Speeders Act is not a done deal.

More news:

• Assembly Transportation Chair Bill Magnarelli (D-Syracuse) has a reelection fight on his hands for the first time in decades. (The Syracuse Post-Standard)
• Critics are calling Gov. Hochul a “chameleon.” (The Buffalo News)
• State Sen. James Skoufis (D-Orange County) had a star turn in New York Focus.
• The man who allegedly drove drunk through a Long Island nail salon and killed four in 2024 has rejected a second plea deal from prosecutors. (Newsday)
• The MTA and LIRR unions couldn’t come to a labor agreement yesterday ahead of a possible strike. (The Daily News)
• President Trump’s Penn Station plans could unify New York City’s railroads. (Gothamist)
• State lawmakers passed a 9th budget extender as negotiations continue for the state’s spending plan. (NY1)
• Older voters could decide outgoing Rep. Jerry Nadler’s (D-Manhattan) replacement. (amNY)
• Everybody in the state comptroller’s race wants to call themselves a progressive. But who actually is? (City & State)
• Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is swinging by the White House to discuss his campaign for governor. (State of Politics)
• State Sen. Rob Rolison wants the Wappinger Falls sidewalk repaired and opened. (Mid Hudson News)
• State Sen. Pete Harckham is facing a challenge from Yorktown Town Supervisor Sergio Esposito. (Mid Hudson News)
• Troy wants to regulate license plate readers amid data privacy concerns. (The Times Union)
• Advocates say the I-81 local hiring initiative has been a success. (Central Current)