Dispatches from Planet Albany

Finalizing a state budget requires varying degrees of compromise from the governor and legislature.

But knowing when and where you have to give and when your negotiating partners will give a little more or won't budget another inch, is a key aspect of executing this annual dance in Planet Albany. To understand the budget choreography, host David Lombardo spoke with two veterans of the state budget process, Shontell Plummer, a partner with Tusk Strategies, and Miguelina Camilo, chief of staff for the New York City Council speaker.

They also recount amusing remarks from the floor and how Silver v. Pataki weighs on legislative staff.

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The state budget is three weeks late and a deal does not appear imminent.

Eventually all the pieces for a final budget will fall into place - seemingly all at once - but we wanted to explore how Gov. Kathy Hochul is approaching that point, as she utilizes one of her favorite tactics and one new one. To analyze these machinations we spoke with Nick Reisman, the Albany bureau chief for Politico New York.

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The race for an open Assembly seat in Trump Country is getting an unusual amount of coverage because Republican Marc Molinaro has chosen to mount his political comeback in the district.

But Democrat Thomas Boomhower is hoping to disrupt the script and is running a longshot campaign, which will first require a primary win in June. He visited the studio to talk about the components of a potential upset, explain how his mom inspired him, and describe how he would serve in the Assembly.

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Now that campaign signatures have been collected and submitted for ballot access, we're entering the phase of the election calendar in New York when candidates wait to see if they'll withstand any administrative or legal challenges to their petitions.

To learn about this process we talked with Adam Fusco, one of the small cadre of election lawyers in the state, who explained how he looks for defects, navigating the courts, and why - despite primarily working for Republicans - he takes on Democratic clients in parts of New York City.

Plus, on The Capitol Pressroom, Adam discusses his work on behalf of GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, who is looking to compel the Public Campaign Finance Board to give him matching campaign funds.

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The general consensus is tha state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli is the prohibitive favorite to be the Democratic nominee in November, when he seeks a fifth full term in office.

But we wanted to explore the variables and conditions that could lead to a Democratic outsider pulling off the biggest statewide upset in more than three decades, so we're checking in with Alex Elmasri, vice president of operations and growth for The Parkside Group.

Spoiler alert: The smart money is still on DiNapoli.

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Tusk Strategies Partner Shontell Plummer responds to last week's Planet Albany Power Ranking discussion by explaining the ebb and flow of power at the Capitol and identifies who was underrated and overrated on the lists.

She also takes a victory lap for her prediction of a budget that would be at least four weeks late.

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Who are the five most powerful people in Planet Albany?

That's the question for this episode, as host David Lombardo, Bloomberg Government Capitol reporter Raga Justin and Assemblymember Josh Jensen, a Rochester-area Republican, share their personal lists.

The only rules are they can't include Gov. Kathy Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Also, we don't define what constitutes power or "Planet Albany."

After you hear the episode, make sure you vote on who had the best list and let us know (anonymously) about your power rankings.

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After following a traditional career trajectory for three decades, Marc Molinaro is mixing things up this year as he looks to return to the state Assembly, a chamber he left in 2012.

The decision is a head scratcher for most in Planet Albany, so we talked with the Greene County Republican about why serving in the Assembly is the right fit for him at this point in his life. We also explore the North Country congressional run that never materialized, the state of the gubernatorial race and how he'll fit in at the Capitol as a freshman lawmaker.

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In the best of circumstances, a Republican bid to be governor of New York is going to be a longshot.

And the landscape has been less than ideal for the first three months of Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman's challenge to Gov. Kathy Hochul.

We explore the current polling (down 20 points), fundraising (outgunned and potentially excluded from public financing) and environment (Trump in the White House and Hochul on cruise control) with the help of Nick Reisman, the Albany bureau chief for Politico New York.

And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please leave us a rating and consider becoming a recurring contributor to support the podcast (because we could really use the money).

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Assemblyman Al Stirpe, a Syracuse-area Democrat, provides a reality check on budget negotiations and considers how the points of contention might play out in the coming weeks.

We discuss the prospects of a two-way agreement on immigration reform, the potential for a compromise on Gov. Kathy Hochul's attack on the CLCPA, and the lack of substantive disagreement on the money in the state budget. We also explore the possibility for pension reform and how Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie navigates his majority conference.

And if you enjoy Dispatches from Planet Albany, please leave us a rating and consider becoming a recurring contributor to support the podcast (because we could really use the money).

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