Capitol Confidential

It's a time of transition for the New York Racing Association.

This includes a new leader, David O'Rourke, who is steering the organization through an evolving gambling landscape, major changes at their tracks and concerns about equine safety.

He joined the Capitol Confidential podcast to talk about all this, and much more, including the legacy he hopes to leave.

Editor's note: This interview is also featured on New York Now

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In the waning days of the legislative session, state lawmakers and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo agreed to ambitious energy and emissions goals to help combat climate change.

And while it's clear where New York needs to end up, it's not so clear how we'll get there.

Business Council of New York's director of government affairs Darren Suarez and New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe joined the podcast to highlight the potential paths New Yorkers might follow, and how it will change life as we know it.

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Legalizing marijuana in New York hasn't been as easy as expected after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo threw his weight behind the idea.

The fate of legislation creating a framework for recreational use is unclear as state lawmakers prepare to make their exit for the year from the Capitol.

This uphill battle isn't a surprise to the Rockefeller Institute's Heather Trela, who recently completed a report on the structural challenges in adopting marijuana legalization through the legislative process.

She joined the podcast to walk the listener through her findings, and examine the different results in Illinois, Vermont and New York (so far).

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It took one month in 2009 for order to be restored in the state Senate following an attempted power grab that upset the status quo in the chamber.

But the ramifications, which are covered on the final installment of the Times Union's "Tales from the Coup" podcast series, would shape the immediate future of the Senate and have effects that remain for the new Democratic majority.

The episode follows the demise of the two renegade Democratic senators who plotted with GOP senators and examines how the rise of the Independent Democratic Conference in 2011 was informed by the chaos in the chamber during the preceding years.

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This bonus episode explores how the "Tales from the Coup" series came together.

Times Union managing editor Casey Seiler talked with podcast host David Lombardo about his interest in the "Senate Coup," wrangling guests and bringing it all together.

The conversation explains how Sen. Diane Savino got involved, the editing process, and what's next for the Capitol Confidential podcast.

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A constitutionally questionable appointment and some cold feed ended the summer stalemate at the Capitol in 2009.

One month after defecting to the Republicans, Sen. Pedro Espada rejoined the Democrats, restoring their majority in the chamber.

This installment of the "Tales from the Coup" series examines the bold step Gov. David Paterson made to end the impasse, negotiations to create a power-sharing agreement in the Senate and the return of the prodigal senator.

New episodes of the Capitol Confidential podcast are released on Fridays.

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The chaos that occurred on June 8, 2009 – when Senate Republicans, along with two wayward Democrats, attempted to take control of the chamber – was just an appetizer for what would come the following month.

This installment of the "Tales from the Coup" series details the madness that unfolded in Albany that summer, as power in the chamber was up for grabs and the state government came to a halt.

The episode covers the constant barrage of meaningless senate sessions, the ouster of a legislative leader and repeated failures to cobble together a majority in the senate. 

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June 8, 2009 was supposed to be a quiet day in the state Senate.

But the plans of the Democratic majority were quickly upended when Senate Republicans initiated a procedural power grab to take back control of the chamber they had run for decades.

This tumultuous day in New York history is the focus for the latest installment of the "Tales from the Coup" podcast series.

The episode explores how the procedural gambit worked, highlights the action on the floor of the Senate and reveals how lawmakers, reporters and Albany insiders responded to the chaos.

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Senate Democrats didn't realize they had defectors in their ranks in 2009 until it was too late.

For months leading up to the coup, political operatives met in secret - including across the street from the governor's mansion - to develop their plot. When the plan was implemented it caught all of Albany off guard, an impressive feat in a town known for its leaks.

The third installment of the Capitol Confidential podcast's "Tales from the Coup" series explores the behind-the-scenes events that led to the coup, with a focus on the Rochester billionaire who got fed up with the Senate Democrats, the meticulous and secret scheming of the Senate GOP and the motivations of the two wayward senators.

The episode features interviews with former Gov. David Paterson, New York Times Reporter Nick Confessore and Sen. Diane Savino, a Staten Island Democrat.

The show is available online at Capitol Confidential or wherever people download podcasts — including iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or TuneIn. New episodes of the series are available every Friday.

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Progressive activists in New York frustrated by the pace of change during this year's legislative session, would have been sorely disappointed by the progress made 10 years earlier in Albany.

Heading into the 2009, there was an expectation that with Democrats controlling all the levers of state government, a liberal wish list - long bottled up by Republican control of the state Senate - would be easy to accomplish at the Capitol.

But the legislative session would be anything but easy for Democratic lawmakers and Gov. David Paterson, as they wrestled with a multi-billion dollar deficit, a bailout for public transit system in New York City, and a Senate majority that was rarely on the same page.

This journey is the subject of the second episode of Times Union's podcast series diving into the "Senate Coup" of 2009, which brought state government to a halt.

New episodes will be available every Friday and a live forum commemorating the 10th anniversary of the coup will be held at the Hearst Media Center in Colonie on May 7.

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