Local legislators voice concerns on CLCPA
The bill was signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in 2019 to reduce statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and make the state grid completely powered by renewable energy by 2040. However, the legislators have said that the act did not provide adequate guidelines for how the goals were to be achieved.
Other concerns raised at the legislator's press conference included the effect on energy bills and the possibility of jeopardizing the security and reliability of the state's energy grid.
'I clearly support continuous efforts to keep our communities environmentally sound,' Assemblywoman Buttenschon said in a statement. 'However, we must also be sure that our businesses can thrive. As chair of the Small Business Committee in the New York State Assembly, I am confident that if we listen to our small business owners we can accomplish this collaboratively. They have expressed to me that they want a vibrant environment for their families and employees to live in. We must take a commonsense approach to have a balance between a productive work community and a healthy environment.'
Other concerns brought up in the press conference included:
The implementation of the Advanced Clean Truck Rule. This rule went into effect on January 1 and requires all medium and heavy-duty vehicles to be manufactured as zero emission. This rule includes all municipal plows. The goal of the rule is to have all trucks over 8,500 pounds be zero-emission by 2045. However, several groups — including Utica Mack — have pushed back against this rule, saying that it is detrimental to businesses and communities.Senator Griffo and Assemblywoman Buttenschon have introduced legislation delaying the implementation of the rule to understand the impacts it would have on industries and municipalities in the state. Miller has said he will co-sponsor the bill in the Assembly.
Regulations prohibiting products with hydrofluorocarbons. The legislators said that this new regulation will cripple businesses across the state by imposing significant costs. The National Supermarket Association has said it would cost New York grocery stores between $300,000 and $1 million to replace cooling compressors that power their refrigerators.
The electric school bus mandate. This mandate requires all new school buses purchased in New York State be zero-emission. The goal is for all school buses in operation to be electric by 2035. However, school districts have shared their concerns about finances to buy these buses, among others. Yesterday, Assemblyman Robert Smullen — who is an Assemblyman for Herkimer County — and Senator Griffo voiced their concerns and introduced legislation for an opt-out waiver from the mandate.
'These regulations have created an almost insurmountable burden on businesses like Utica Mack in New York State, forcing us to sell a product that consumers do not want, and that the state's current infrastructure cannot support,' Tom Heiland, President of Utica Mack, said in a statement. 'These laws are not just hurting individual businesses, they are undermining our ability to operate effectively in a state already strained by overregulation. It has become nearly impossible to conduct business in New York under these conditions. We are committed to advocating for a practical solution. Please join us in welcoming Senator Griffo and Assemblymembers Buttenschon and Miller to discuss these issues and direct us all on ways move forward and potentially stop this law.'
All three legislators have asked their constituents to contact the offices of Governor Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie with their concerns. Their information is below:
Gov. Kathy Hochul1-518-474-8390https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form (to send a message)
Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins(518) 455-2585scousins@nysenate.gov
Speaker Carl Heastie518-455-3791Speaker@nyassembly.gov
'The CLCPA has placed an undue burden on our communities, businesses, and schools, all while failing to provide the necessary guidance or resources to achieve its lofty goals,' Assemblyman Miller said in a statement. 'From costly mandates on electric school buses to regulations impacting small businesses and municipalities, the implementation of this policy is creating significant challenges for the people of New York. I did not support the CLCPA because it lacks actionable solutions and imposes unrealistic expectations that disproportionately harm rural and upstate communities. It's clear that this policy needs immediate adjustments to ensure fairness and practicality, and I stand with my colleagues in calling for changes that will better serve our residents while protecting their livelihoods and local economies.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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New York Post
17-07-2025
- New York Post
New York halts offshore wind power lines, citing Trump opposition
The NYS Public Service Commission is halting the approval process for construction of new transmission lines to bring offshore wind power into the New York City downstate region, citing President Trump's opposition to such projects, the groups said. The decision leaves New York's green energy law in shambles — and is a blow to the offshore wind industry's push to become a major power player, energy industry sources said. Gas and electric utility customers would pay for the costs of the transmission lines to transport wind power that doesn't exist, leaving them vulnerable to rate hikes — since the Trump administration blocked the issuance of new permits and leases for offshore wind projects. 3 In a statement, the NYS Public Service Commission has stopped the approval process to construct new transmission lines to help New York City bring offshore wind power. Getty Images The PSC board members who are appointed by Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is running for re-election and pledging to make costly New York more affordable, said they wouldn't take that risk. The PSC said it is 'strategically terminating' approvals to design and build transmission lines to transmit offshore wind power, 'ensuring New Yorkers are not burdened with premature infrastructure costs.' 'One of our most important tasks is to protect consumers,' Commission Chair Rory Christian said in a statement. 'Given the uncertainty coming out of Washington regarding offshore wind, we must act to protect consumers by withdrawing our [approval process], but this is far from the end of the story. We will continue to press forward regarding infrastructure needs for offshore wind in the future once the federal government resumes leasing and permitting for wind energy generation projects.' The decision to postpone approval of transmission line puts New York farther behind to comply with clean energy mandates under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act signed six years ago, energy industry sources said. Some 70% of energy produced in New York is supposed to come from renewable sources by 2030 under the law. The energy sector must achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, according to the law. 3 The stoppage comes as President Trump voiced his opposition to the project. AP John Howard, a former PSC chairman, said the state utility regulators bowed to reality. 'It's a big deal. The Climate Act is not working. We will clearly be missing the emission deadlines by a mile,' Howard said. But New York's green energy sector criticized the PSC's decision to postpone the building of wind power transmission lines. 'We need our state to invest in transmission infrastructure and support a grid that will meet rising energy demand while also enabling long-term ratepayer savings…..here is no time to wait. The most cost-effective energy future for New York includes a significant amount of offshore wind,' the The Alliance for Clean Energy New York and the New York Offshore Wind Alliance (NYOWA) said in a joint statement. 3 Energy industry sources say the latest move by the group is a huge blow to the offshore wind industry to become a major power across the state. The groups said offshore wind projects can take more than a decade to develop, spanning state and federal election cycles that include wind power opponents such as Trump. Hochul backed the PSC's decision. 'Governor Hochul has staunchly defended and remains committed to renewable energy projects, including offshore wind, but has made it clear that New York ratepayers need to be protected in this time of federal uncertainty,' said Ken Lovett, Hochul's senior communications advisor on energy and the environment. 'Given the political hostilities toward offshore wind projects from the federal government, and the resulting economic uncertainties, we agree with the PSC that it would not be fair to saddle ratepayers with costs for a project that may not bear any fruit. We stand ready to rapidly move forward when the conditions become more favorable.' The decision does not impact the recently approved Empire Wind project being constructed off the New York-Long Island coast by Norwegian-based Equinor. The governor recently announced she's planning to build the nation's first new major nuclear power plant in more than 15 years upstate to help meet New York's carbon-emissions free goals.
Politico
16-07-2025
- Politico
Guns in the Statehouse?
Good Wednesday morning! We've seen some talk about elected officials' safety following the assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker — the latest but far from the only case of elected officials being targeted with violence.n Recently, New Jersey lawmakers revived the idea of hiding elected officials' addresses on public documents, this time through Daniel's Law. And now there's another proposal: Let New Jersey elected officials and their top staffers carry guns pretty much anywhere they go. A bill introduced by Assemblymembers Bob Auth and Greg Myhre, A5958, would add elected officials and their chiefs of staff to the list of occupations not subject to New Jersey's strictest laws on carrying and possessing firearms. This would have perhaps held more meaning before the Supreme Court's Bruen decision, which basically tossed New Jersey's longstanding ban on concealed carry for everyone but law enforcement, retired law enforcement, military and a select group of other officials. 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Politico
11-07-2025
- Politico
Unmasking ICE agents
SHOW YOUR FACE: New York Democrats are itching to ban masks again. A group of state lawmakers and city officials want to bar ICE agents from wearing face coverings during immigration raids. And Mayor Eric Adams is pushing for a citywide regulation on masks that targets menacing protesters. The two pushes — one from a mayor aligned with President Donald Trump and another from a throng of Democrats who abhor him — are playing out just months after Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a state spending plan that included new mask-wearing restrictions, which were significantly weakened during budget negotiations. Videos of masked ICE agents rounding up people they believe to be undocumented have gone viral, and the agency says the use of masks ensures their officers' safety from criminals who may target them. On Friday, ICE agents were allegedly ambushed by 10 people who shot at them. The agency has been under pressure to detain more undocumented immigrants as the Trump administration set an unprecedented goal of 1 million deportations a year, leading to more aggressive tactics that critics say are extreme. City Comptroller Brad Lander, Borough President Mark Levine and Assemblymembers Tony Simone, Grace Lee and Jo Anne Simon were in downtown Manhattan today lobbying for a bill that restricts law enforcement from wearing masks. The bill, which will be introduced by Simone, was inspired by a similar state law proposed in California. It's called the 'MELT Act' and would require 'all law enforcement' — not just ICE — to wear clear identification with names and badge numbers. 'When the enforcement agents mask themselves and don't wear badges — so you have no idea who they are, what agency they work for, what authority they operate under — then it becomes impossible to hold them accountable for their actions,' said Lander, who spoke outside the federal courthouse where he was arrested last month by ICE agents while escorting an immigrant. (ICE claims Lander was arrested because he 'assaulted our brave law enforcement,' though video of the incident does not support that claim.) Lander said agents wear masks 'for the purpose of striking fear into asylum seekers and immigrants in the hope that they will be terrorized by masked gangs who seek to grab and abduct them.' In a statement, ICE responded to Lander and the proposed legislation. 'Our agents are being assaulted by rioters with rocks and Molotov cocktails thrown at them and shot at, these sanctuary politicians must tone down their rhetoric,' said Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security. 'This despicable rhetoric about our brave law enforcement has contributed to a 700 percent increase in assaults against them. 'Additionally, Comptroller Lander has clearly never been on an ICE operation because he would see our officers verbally identify themselves, wear vests that say ICE/ERO or Homeland Security, and are flanked by vehicles that also say the name of the department. When our heroic law enforcement officers conduct operations, they clearly identify themselves as law enforcement. These arguments are getting a little desperate.' The legislation includes broad exceptions for medical masks 'to prevent the transmission of airborne diseases' and 'masks that protect officers from the cold.' Law enforcement would be allowed to don masks in special circumstances like narcotics operations or SWAT raids, Simone said. Hochul initially wanted to make it a crime for New Yorkers to wear masks with the intent to menace and harass others — an idea inspired by a viral video of masked pro-Palestinian protesters harassing subway riders. But the legislation was defanged after opposition from left-leaning lawmakers and the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus. The law that passed only allows for individuals to be charged with wearing a mask if it was used to conceal their identity in the commission of a separate crime. The mask restrictions had been one of Hochul's budget priorities and allowed her to stake out a tough-on-crime position while appealing to pro-Israel New Yorkers rattled by masked pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses. In the coming weeks, Adams is now expected to introduce legislation in the City Council that aims to pick up where Hochul's mask proposal fell flat. 'Mayor Adams has been clear that while we will always protect everyone's right to peacefully protest, cowards who hide behind masks to harass and threaten others are unacceptable and should be illegal once again,' Adams' spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus said in a statement. 'Mayor Adams also called on the state to pass legislation that would make this illegal — just as it was prior to the COVID-19 pandemic — and while some changes were made, he has said that the legislation does not go far enough. We are examining ways to work with the City Council to pass further legislation on the local level.' — Jason Beeferman From the Capitol JESS ON JESS: Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas' 'phone's been ringing off the hook' about a potential primary challenge to state Sen. Jessica Ramos, and she's 'taking this all into consideration.' Left-leaning Democrats were furious at Ramos for endorsing Andrew Cuomo in the mayoral primary, with many seeing it as a betrayal of the progressive movement that helped her unseat former state Sen. Jose Peralta in 2018. Peralta was a member of the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference, which often aligned with Republican lawmakers. González-Rojas, a Democrat who reps western Queens, was speaking on the Max Politics podcast Tuesday. 'A lot of conversations are happening, no decisions are made,' said González-Rojas, who endorsed both Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander in the primary. She said she'll have to make a decision this year, ahead of what would be a June 2026 primary. Meanwhile, Mamdani supporters are dreaming of backing primary challengers against Congress members like Hakeem Jeffries, Ritchie Torres, Jerry Nadler, Dan Goldman and Yvette Clarke, CNN reported, and Democratic City Council Member Justin Brannan is weighing a run against Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis. Brannan's longtime aide Chris McCreight is also planning a 2026 rematch after losing to GOP Assemblymember Alec Brook-Krasny last year, City & State reports. — Jeff Coltin ALBANY'S OUTSIDE INCOME: At least 23 members of the state Legislature will be forced to retire from either their public or private jobs if a Republican lawsuit challenging new outside income rules is unsuccessful. They're part of a group of 54 state legislators who earned outside income last year, according to financial disclosure forms recently posted by the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government. Lawmakers holding private sector jobs has been one of the most contentious issues in the Capitol for decades. While some legislators have argued the jobs are an essential part of maintaining a government whose officials understand regular people's struggles, they've been at the center of a long list of scandals that have brought down lawmakers like former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. The side gigs now face an uncertain future. Legislators imposed a cap of $35,000 on outside earnings as part of a 2022 deal to raise their state salaries. Republicans challenged that cap as part of what is turning into a multiyear legal battle, and the new rules are currently on stay pending appellate court arguments. A total of 30 of the 62 Republicans in the state Legislature who served in 2024 and were still in office to file financial disclosure forms this spring reported making at least some outside income last year. That compares with only 24 of the 124 Democrats. Of the 23 legislators who definitely made more than $35,000 from these jobs and would be affected by the new rules, there were 17 Republicans and six Democrats. A failure to permanently block the new law in the courts raises the possibility of a GOP exodus from Albany or many members being forced to give up lucrative side gigs. The highest-earning legislator in 2024 earned over a half-million dollars in outside income. Find out who they are — and how much outside dough they brought in — in a POLITICO Pro report from Bill Mahoney. FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL POLL ALERT: Mamdani holds a 10-point lead over Cuomo in the general election for New York City mayor, while Adams trails in fourth place behind Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, according to a new Slingshot Strategies poll, POLITICO reports. Mamdani gets support from 35 percent of registered voters, followed by Cuomo with 25, Sliwa with 14, Adams at 11 and attorney Jim Walden at 1 percent. Thirteen percent of respondents said they weren't sure, while 1 percent picked another candidate. The survey of 1,036 registered New York City voters was conducted between July 2-6 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. It comes as Cuomo weighs whether to mount a serious campaign on his independent 'Fight and Deliver' line — and while the former governor and the current mayor publicly bicker and call on the other one to drop out in order to best consolidate opposition to Mamdani. Adams in particular is in a bad spot. His net approval rating is at -34, with 28 percent of respondents expressing a favorable view and 62 percent unfavorable. By comparison, Mamdani is at +4 and Cuomo is at -2. Adams trails Mamdani among every single subset of voters — including Black voters — except one: Republicans, where Adams picks up 26 percent to Mamdani's 7 percent. Sliwa leads among Republicans however, with 43 percent, while Cuomo gets 16 percent. — Jeff Coltin IN OTHER NEWS — HOCHUL STOPS WATCHDOG FROM WATCHING: The state agency tasked with overseeing New York's prisons has been kept out of the facilities for the past five months under the direction of Hochul's office. (Capitol Pressroom) — 'THEY'RE KILLING US': Immigrants complain of inhumane conditions while being held in the office building at 26 Federal Plaza for days at a time. (Gothamist) — U.S. ATTORNEY PUNISHES PRESS: Interim U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III told his staff to remove the Times-Union from his office's media list after the newspaper revealed the high-profile official listed an abandoned building as his residence. (Times Union) — MAMDANI'S MAYORAL CONTROL: The head of the city's teachers' union said he was open to tweaks to mayoral control after Mamdani said he wants to get rid of it. (POLITICO Pro) Missed this morning's New York Playbook? We forgive you. Read it here.
