The state Senate and Assembly have submitted their one-house budgets, and both omitted Gov. Hochul's spiky car insurance proposal from their spending agenda.
The Uber-backed plan to lower car insurance rates has drawn criticism from legal professionals and crash victim advocates who say the legislative changes would strip crash victims of rights while misstating the drivers of high costs. (Streetsblog's intense coverage probably helped frame the debate.)
Hochul and the car insurance industry have argued that fraud and "jackpot" payouts have increased costs for insurance companies so much that they can't reduce premiums. Her proposed limits on who can collect damages following a crash are intended to rein in those costs, even as the connection appears dubious to some, including state lawmakers.
The one-house budgets serve as the state Legislature's first opportunity to stake an official position on the governor's executive budget proposal. The absence of language on car insurance in each chamber's budget rebuttal could signal a lack of consensus among state lawmakers or between the governor and the state Legislature itself.
It can also set the stage for a protracted legislative debate over a complicated policy issue, similar to negotiations over discovery reform last year.
Each house also left out approval for robotaxi pilots in upstate New York and Long Island, now that the governor has ditched it. The plan was reportedly a victim of political calculus as Hochul rallies union support for her insurance proposal. Organized labor balked at the prospect of taxi and rideshare drivers losing their jobs to robots. Each chamber also extended the window for testing autonomous vehicles to 2028, suggesting the topic is not dead forever.
The Stop Super Speeders Act, legislation that would put speed-limiting devices in the cars of reckless drivers via a New York City pilot, was included by the state Senate, where state Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Brooklyn) introduced legislation with a similar intent before it was watered down and eventually killed last session.
Part of the holdup was in the Assembly, which has not included the bill in its one-house budget, and whose leader, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, has raised concerns about drivers' rights to due process.
The Assembly and state Senate proposed a free bus pilot mirroring the successful 2024 program.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani ran on the promise of making buses fast and free in New York City after a 2024 pilot led by himself and state Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris (D-Queens) proved successful and popular.
Hochul is against the concept as well as raising the revenue it would require, as some lawmakers see the transit affordability measure as a long-term policy goal.
Lawmakers are expected to vote on their one-house budget later this week.
More news:
- The Times loves cars so much, it even loves how they wink at each other.
- Speaking of the Times, the Paper of Record really botched its story about a Toronto suburb that has become a tourist attraction because of its many immigrant food vendors, enraging locals. The paper barely referenced the fact that in suburban areas, “visitors” mean “cars,” instead unleashing a torrent of racist crap in the comments section as readers targeted the wrong villain.
- At long last, amNY offered victims some equal time in their fairly relentless cheering for Gov. Hochul’s car insurance scheme.
- There’s always a Streetsblog angle ... even on ICE. (Daily Beast)
- Why can’t we have nice enforcement? (Bloomberg)
- Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman gave his state of the county address, touting flat taxes and law enforcement investments.(Newsday)
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Bronx) and Rep. Pat Ryan (D-Gardiner) made a stop in the North Country to hear from voters. (WAMC)
- Advocates want the state to stop the plan to widen the Cross Bronx Expressway before it's too late. (amNY)
- State lawmakers want to raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy. (The New York Times, NY1)
- A former Metro-North cashier was sentenced to three years of probation after stealing $206,000 from the MTA. (Mid-Hudson News)
- State comptroller candidate Raj Goyle is gaining endorsements from the nations south asian community. (City & State)
- The teens responsible for bringing an explosive device toa recent Gracie Mansion protest are facing terrorism charges. (Gothamist)
- Town board members are looking to create a bike and pedestrian path connecting the hamlet and the village of Rhinecliff. (The Red Hook Daily Catch)
