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September 25, 2020
Sept. 25, 2020 – This year, political parties in New York will have to meet new vote thresholds to retain their automatic ballot access. The Independence Party is hitching their efforts to cryptocurrency entrepreneur and former child actor Brock Pierce. We heard from the party’s Chairman, Frank MacKay on their nominee for President. Read More
September 25, 2020
Sept. 25, 2020 – We continued to meet the incoming class of freshman lawmakers in our Heading to Albany series. Today, we met Jenifer Rajkumar, who is on track to become the first South Asian woman elected to state office in New York. Read More
September 25, 2020
Sept. 25, 2020 – The summer tourism industry in New York was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bob Provost, President and CEO of the New York State Tourism Industry Association, explained the economic toll of the pandemic this summer and what the industry can expect this fall. Read More
September 24, 2020
Sept. 24, 2020 – Communities across the Western United States have been ravaged by wildfires. New York has sent firefighters to the region to help those states in their effort. We met one of the people that recently returned from their firefighting mission. Read More
September 24, 2020
Sept. 24, 2020 – The legislature continued their series of hearings into the effect COVID-19 has had on New York. Sen. Luis Sepulveda (D-Bronx), chair of the Senate Crime Victims, Crime, and Correction Committee, recapped his hearing on the effect the pandemic has had on the state’s corrections system and incarcerated New Yorkers. Read More
September 24, 2020
Sept. 24, 2020 – The race to succeed retiring Democrat Nita Lowey quickly became a crowded contest. One of the candidates that threw their hat in the ring was State Senator David Carlucci (D-New City). We heard from the candidate on the lessons learned during the campaign and changes he would make in hindsight to his unsuccessful effort. Editor’s Note: This post has been updated to reflect Carlucci’s finish in fourth place. Read More
September 23, 2020
Sept. 23, 2020 – Michael Kink, Executive Director of the Strong Economy for All coalition, weighed in on the revenue raisers that progressives are pushing the state to adopt. Read More
September 23, 2020
Sept. 23, 2020 – We heard from Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R-Pulaski) about how he believes the state should move to correct its budget gap. Read More
September 23, 2020
Sept. 23, 2020 – New Jersey is facing their own financial woes and have responded by raising taxes on high earners to help fill their gap. Dustin Racioppi, Statehouse reporter for the USA Network – New Jersey, explained the moves the Garden State is taking. Check out Dustin’s reporting here. Read More
September 23, 2020
Sept. 23, 2020 – Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (D) shared the findings of the latest cash report from his office which paints a tough financial picture for the state. Read More
The Capitol Pressroom is a daily one-hour radio program broadcast from the Legislative Correspondents Association Pressroom on the third floor of the State Capitol in Albany. The show features interviews with important newsmakers.
It also features analysis from seasoned political reporters who work the Albany beat for newspapers and wire services around the state including The New York Times, Newsday, the Albany Times, Union, Gannett News Service and the Associated Press.
The Capitol Pressroom Weekend, is a one-hour show filled with the week’s best interview segments from The Capitol Pressroom.
| City | Station | Time |
| Binghamton | WSKG-89.3 FM | Saturday, 9pm |
| Odessa | WINO-89.9 FM | Saturday, 9pm |
| Hornell | WSQA-88.7 FM | Saturday, 9pm |
| Oneonta | WSQC-91.7 FM | Saturday, 9pm |
| Elmira | WSQE-91.1 FM | Saturday, 9pm |
| Ithaca | WSQG-90.9 FM | Saturday, 9pm |
| Watkins Glen | WSKG-90.5 FM | Saturday, 9pm |
| Buffalo | WBFO-88.7 FM | Saturday, 6am |
| Olean | WOLN-91.3 FM | Saturday, 6am |
| Jamestown | WUBJ-88.1 FM | Saturday, 6am |
| Sharon, CT | WHDD-91.9 FM | Saturday, 12pm |
| Sharon, CT | WHDD-1020 AM | Saturday, 12pm |
| Annandale-on-Hudson | WLHV-88.1 FM | Saturday, 12pm |
| New York City | WNYC-820 AM | Sunday, 6am |
David Lombardo
Host
Lombardo brings 10 years of experience in journalism, state politics, and digital media to the position. He previously served as Capitol reporter for the Albany Times Union, where he was also host of the Capitol Confidential podcast. Lombardo’s work in podcasting and data visualization has been recognized by the New York Associated Press Association. He was named to Albany 40 Under 40 Rising Stars by City & State New York.
Lombardo earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the State University of New York at Geneseo.
Timothy Williams
Senior Political Producer
Timothy Williams has produced “The Capitol Pressroom” since 2017. Williams was recently promoted to senior political producer at WCNY. He was named to Albany 40 Under 40 Rising Stars by City & State New York.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Sociology from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
The Capitol Pressroom streams online right here weekdays at 11 a.m.
The show also airs in the cities below:
| City | Station | Time |
| Albany | WVCR-88.3 FM | 5pm |
| Annandale-on-Hudson | WLHV-88.1 FM | 6pm |
| Binghamton | WSKG-89.3 FM | 8pm |
| Buffalo | WBFO-88.7 FM | 8pm |
| Clayton | WRVH-89.3 FM | 8pm |
| Cortland | WSUC-90.5 FM | 8pm |
| Elmira | WSQE-91.1 FM | 9pm |
| Fenner | WMVQ-90.5 FM | 8pm |
| Hamilton | WRCU-90.1 FM | 8pm |
| Hornell | WSQA-88.7 FM | 9pm |
| Ithaca | WSQG-90.9 FM | 9pm |
| Ithaca | WRFI-88.1 FM | 3pm |
| Jamestown | WUBJ-88.1 FM | 8pm |
| Odessa | WINO-89.9 FM | 9pm |
| Olean | WOLN-91.3 FM | 8pm |
| Oneonta | WSQC-91.7 FM | 9pm |
| Oswego | WRVO-89.9 FM | 8pm |
| Rochester | WXXI-1370 AM | 11pm |
| Sharon, CT | WHDD-1020 AM/91.9 FM | 6pm |
| Syracuse | WRVD-90.3 FM | 8pm |
| Utica | WRVN-91.9 FM | 8pm |
| Watertown | WRVJ-91.7 FM | 8pm |
| Watkins Glen | WSKG-90.5 FM | 9pm |
| Watkins Glen | WRFI-91.9 FM | 3pm |
September 25, 2020
In past years, New York’s Independence Party would throw its weight behind Republican efforts to maintain control of the state Senate. This year, though, the third party’s chairman doesn’t think that the chamber is up for grabs, noting he can “only deal in reality.” “We’re not taking sides at this point,” Independence Party Chair Frank MacKay said Friday on The Capitol Pressroom. Read More
August 27, 2020
Despite serving as the frontman for a coalition opposing higher taxes, former Gov. David Paterson believes the state will adopt some new measure aimed at wealthy New Yorkers to bring in more revenue during the pandemic. “If anybody thinks they’re getting out of this situation without suffering the way the rest of us will, they’re really missing the point,” Paterson told The Capitol Pressroom. Read More
August 21, 2020
The arrival of an out-of-state, hemp-infused seltzer on store shelves this week in New York has the state’s hemp industry calling foul. Kaló, a 12-ounce drink with 20 milligrams of “naturally occurring CBD and other cannabinoids,” is being sold in violation of state law, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Health. But it’s not clear what the state is doing about the illegal product, which is produced in New Jersey, aside from referring the matter to the federal Food and Drug Administration for follow up. Read More
August 21, 2020
The anointing of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s close ally as the next head of New York’s public colleges and universities isn’t sitting well with the state’s faculty. A resolution crafted by the Faculty Council of Community Colleges and University Faculty Senate, which is not expected to be voted on during Friday’s meeting naming Jim Malatras the next chancellor of the SUNY system, calls for a vote of no confidence in the politically appointed members of the SUNY Board of Trustees. Read More
August 20, 2020
State regulations implementing broad restrictions on single-use plastic bags in New York were curtailed Thursday by a judge overseeing a lawsuit from a plastic bag manufacturer and New York City bodegas. While the law restricting plastic bags was upheld, the court threw out the state’s regulations implementing the measure, according to the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance, which opposed the regulatory effort. “Unfortunately, we are back where we started, and New York’s bag ban is still broken,” American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance Director Zachary Taylor said in a statement. “If there is one thing that is very clear from the judge’s ruling it’s that New York has an unworkable plastic bag law and it must be fixed.” Read More
August 11, 2020
In less than five months, the incoming class of freshmen Democratic Assembly members will have their first significant vote when the chamber chooses the speaker for the next two years. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie hasn’t faced any significant opposition for the post since beating out a handful of contenders for the job in 2015, and is expected to officially be re-elected to the post in 2021. Based on recent interviews with The Capitol Pressroom, though, it doesn’t appear that all the fresh faces coming to Albany are excited about giving him two more years as leader. When the question was posed to Phara Souffrant Forrest, a socialist who defeated a Brooklyn Assembly member in June, she paused for six full seconds before deferring an answer. “We’ll wait until … January to talk about that,” she said. Read More
July 31, 2020
The long-awaited state investment in local outreach to promote participation in the census process is starting, according to Empire State Development. Counties and cities can expect to receive about half of the $20 million allocated in last year’s budget, with $3.4 million immediately being distributed to 15 “populated” municipalities with the lowest response rates compared to the rest of the state. Other counties and cities will receive $4.1 million on Monday and then $2.5 million will supplement the localities with the worst participation, according to ESD. Read More
July 30, 2020
“We’re ready. We’re able.” That was the message State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli delivered Thursday on The Capitol Pressroom, when asked about restoring oversight powers to his office that were stripped by Gov. Andrew Cuomo during the pandemic under the guise of expediting the state’s response to the emergency. Read More
July 30, 2020
A 2.68 percent decline in the state’s pension fund for the past fiscal year means taxpayers will have to shoulder more of the cost of retirement benefits paid out to public employees. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced the dip Thursday, and acknowledged on The Capitol Pressroom that it would translate to increases beyond what was projected this spring by the state Division of Budget. Read More
July 16, 2020
The state’s investment in a complete count of New Yorkers may not materialize in time for the ongoing census effort. While last year’s state budget included $20 million for outreach designed to foster participation with the census, none of that money has been distributed after 15 months and it seems unlikely that it will be spent anytime soon without an infusion of cash from Washington D.C. New York’s response rate is currently 4.5 percentage points behind the national average and ranks near the bottom in the country. Read More
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