Policy Outsider

On Thursday, December 18th, President Trump signed an executive order seeking to expedite the rescheduling of marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug. On this episode of Policy Outsider, we do a lightning round with Heather Trela, Rockefeller Institute's resident cannabis policy expert, on what the executive order does and does not do, what rescheduling means for the marijuana industry, and what we can expect in the months to come.

Guests

• Heather Trela, Director of Operations and Fellow, Rockefeller Institute of Government

On this episode of Policy Outsider, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy Deputy Director & Intergovernmental Liaison Guillermo Martinez leads a conversation with leaders in the Providence Farm Collective, a non-profit organization in Western New York with a mission of cultivating farmer-led and community-rooted agriculture and food systems to actualize the rights of under-resourced peoples.

Guests

• Kristin Heltman-Weiss, Executive Director, Providence Farm Collective
• Hamadi Ali, Deputy Director, Providence Farm Collective
• Guillermo Martinez, Deputy Director & Intergovernmental Liaison, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy

Learn More

• What is Providence Farm Collective (PFC)?

Included in one of the bills to fund the federal government and end the government shutdown was a provision closing what is known as the "hemp loophole." This gray area, created by a 2018 law, allowed an industry of hemp-derived intoxicants that were federally legal to be sold throughout the US in places where states hadn't stepped in to regulate these products. On this episode of Policy Outsider, Heather Trela, the director of operations and a fellow at the Rockefeller Institute, spells out the distinction between hemp and marijuana, details how the "hemp loophole" came to be, and explains what closing the loophole means for this industry.

Guests

• Heather Trela, Director of Operations and Fellow, Rockefeller Institute of Government

The Elder Economic Security Index is a tool that quantifies how much income older Americans need to meet their basic needs and age in place with dignity. On this episode of Policy Outsider, we unpack how the index works, what the latest findings tell us about economic security in later life, and how policymakers, advocates, and communities can use the index to shape better policy and programs.

Guests

• Maria Alvarez, Executive Director, NY Statewide Senior Action Council
• Nidya Velasco Roldán, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Gerontology Institute, UMass Boston
• Dina Refki, Executive Director, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy

Learn More

• Late-life Financial Security in New York: Evidence from the 2024 Elder Index (PDF)

The Supreme Court's interpretation of the Second Amendment has changed significantly over the last 20 years. Rulings in cases like DC v. Heller in 2008 and New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen in 2022 recast the "right to bear arms" in a new legal framework that makes it more challenging to create effective firearm regulations. On this episode of Policy Outsider, we speak with a New York State legislator and a political science scholar about constitutional originalism—the theory underlying aspects of these rulings—and the practical considerations of legislating in the complex legal environment created by the Court's decisions.

Guests

• Honorable Charles D. Lavine, New York State Assemblymember, Assembly District 13
• Robert J. Spitzer, Member, Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium; Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, Political Science Department, SUNY Cortland

In the third part in our series, "A Look at Labor," Vilda Vera Mayuga, commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), is interviewed by Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa. Their discussion covers the goals of DCWP and how they approach their work, implementing and enforcing protections for workers in the digital economy, securing restitution for retail and other workers, and the labor priorities that the next mayor will have to address.

Guests

• Vilda Vera Mayuga, Commissioner, New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP)
• Maria Figueroa, Director of Labor Policy, Rockefeller Institute of Government

In the second episode in our series, "A Look at Labor," Rockefeller Institute Director of Labor Policy Maria Figueroa interviews New York State Senator Jessica Ramos. Their discussion covers the priorities of Senator Ramos as chair of the Labor Committee in the senate, the impacts of federal immigration actions, funding cuts, and other federal policy changes on workers, and the labor issues at play in a transition to a decarbonized energy infrastructure.

Guests

• Honorable Jessica Ramos, New York State Senator, Senate District 13
• Maria Figueroa, Director of Labor Policy, Rockefeller Institute of Government

Sharing a language does not always mean sharing meaning. That became clear to researcher William Wical when he and community organizer Tyrique Glasgow were reviewing interviews Wical had done of Black men who'd been involved in a hospital-based violence intervention program. On this episode of Policy Outsider, we learn about how a confusion of meaning resulted in a new endeavor: the Glossary Project. The episode explores Wical and Glasgow's efforts to get academics, practitioners, victims of gun violence, and the media all speaking the same culturally competent language.

Guests

• William Wical, Postdoctoral Fellow, Center Gun Violence Solutions, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
• Tyrique Glasgow, Founder, Young Chances Foundation

On this episode of Policy Outsider, the Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy is joined by John Ravitz, executive vice president and COO of the Business Council of Westchester and a former New York State legislator, to discuss one of the most pressing issues facing both local and national economies: the workforce crisis. From labor shortages in healthcare and education to the vital role of Westchester’s immigrant workforce, Ravitz offers a candid and informed look at the challenges businesses face and the innovative strategies being used to adapt. The discussion, led by Institute on Immigrant Integration Deputy Director & Intergovernmental Liaison Guillermo Martinez, explores the impact of sweeping immigration policy changes, new federal laws, and the rise of minority-owned businesses, while also looking ahead to how technology and demographic shifts will shape the future of work in Westchester County.

Guests

• Guillermo Martinez, Deputy Director & Intergovernmental Liaison, Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy
• John Ravitz, Executive Vice President and COO, Business Council of Westchester

New York’s Medicaid program provides health insurance to nearly seven million New Yorkers, and it is a critically important way for people to get healthcare. On this episode of Policy Outsider, we discuss why the administration of the Medicaid program—that is, how it is staffed, how it procures services, how it captures, analyzes, and acts on its data—is so important to delivering effective outcomes. The discussion also emphasizes areas of potential improvement of the program's administration and highlights why right now—in the middle of the most significant health policy reforms since the Affordable Care Act—might actually be the best time to rethink how we administer this $100 billion program.

Guests

• Oxiris Barbot, President, The United Hospital Fund (UHF)
• Courtney Burke, Senior Fellow for Health Policy, Rockefeller Institute
• Bob Megna, President, Rockefeller Institute
• Chad Shearer, Senior Vice President for Policy and Program, The United Hospital Fund (UHF)

Learn More

• Options for Modernizing Medicaid Administration (blog)
• The Importance of Medicaid and Why Administration Matters (recorded forum)
• Why Administration Matters: UHF Co-Hosts Medicaid Forum (article)