Policy Outsider

While federal inaction to address gun violence persists, local officials face significant challenges preventing and responding to gun violence in their communities. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan discusses the state of gun violence in Albany, what the city is doing to address illegal firearms and gun violence, and what resources local governments need from federal and state governments to help ensure public safety.

Solar arrays, agriculture, pollinator plantings—these are some of the potential uses for roadside right-of-ways (ROWs), the grassy areas that run alongside the highway. Collectively, across the United States, ROWs make up an area larger than the state of New Jersey. In this follow up to her analysis, "All the Above: The Many Ways to Use Roadside Right-of-Ways," Nathan Fellow Kaitlin Stack Whitney talks in-depth with Policy Outsider host Alex Morse about the challenges and opportunities presented by this space and the innovative uses policymakers and planners are bringing to the roadside.

Guest:

Kaitlin Stack Whitney, Nathan Fellow at the Rockefeller Institute of Government and assistant professor at Rochester Institute of Technology

Higher education is a powerful tool that can help improve economic standing and mobility. For many families, however, the expense of college  presents prospective students with a dilemma: delay or forego higher education or incur significant debt in pursuit of a degree. On this episode of Policy Outsider, guest Leila Bozorg, Chief of Strategy & Policy at NYC Kids RISE, explains how her organization is working to help New York City families meet this dilemma with a new tool: college savings invested in tax-free child investment accounts. The conversation covers how these child investment accounts work, how the organization measures progress and success, and recommendations for policymakers seeking to advance equity and affordability in higher education.

Over the weekend, and about a week after it was due, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law a $220 billion budget for the 2023 fiscal year. The budget includes significant investments in sectors hit hard by the pandemic, such as healthcare, a full funding of foundation aid (the state's public education funding formula), and $4.2 billion for the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act. On this episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute researchers and fellows join to provide an overview of the enacted budget and put into context the investments made in specific areas, such as education, COVID recovery, local government, childcare, the forthcoming retail marijuana market, and the environment.

Complex government programs, such as Medicaid, are often accompanied by strict registration and eligibility requirements. These administrative burdens can frustrate and stymie potentially eligible individuals, limiting individuals’ access to public programs and legally-entitled benefits. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, University at Albany Associate Professor Ashley Fox discusses her recent article in Public Administration Review which found rule-reduction changes to ease Medicaid enrollment can improve program take-up (i.e., increase enrollment). The conversation covers the consequences of administrative burden on states and individuals and ways governments can use administrative easing to improve public programs.

New York City's top fiscal official, Jacques Jiha, Ph.D., joins Policy Outsider to discuss how the City managed its budget through the turbulence of the pandemic, how the City's budget process differs from the State's, and how the City and State work together to maintain fiscal stability in the largest metropolitan region of the country.

Fresh off delivering 30-day budget amendments to the NYS Legislature, NYS Budget Director Robert Mujica joined host Alex Morse and Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna for a conversation about this year's budget, the delicate art of negotiations, and what it's like to lead the Division of the Budget through the budget process

Too many young children and families lack access to proper health care and early education. To address this need, the New York State Department of Health put forward the First 1,000 Days on Medicaid initiative, which aims to improve lifelong education and health outcomes for underserved children by focusing on early childhood development programs and interventions. In a new episode of Policy Outsider, guest Melodie Baker, project leader of the Rockefeller Institute’s partnership project with the Department of Health on the First 1,000 Days initiative, joins host Alex Morse to discuss how using local collective impact strategies might help strengthen these innovative practices designed to increase education attainment and health access for children and families in need.  

Bob Megna, president of the Rockefeller Institute of Government and former New York State budget director, joins Policy Outsider host Alex Morse to discuss the behind-the-scenes of the New York State budget process. The conversation covers the budget development timeline, the players involved, and how the current economic landscape, including the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, may affect policies, programs, and funding priorities.

Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced New York State will help resettle as many 1,143 Afghan nationals evacuated from Afghanistan in cities across the state. On this episode, guests Camille Mackler, founder and executive director of Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative (ARC), and Professor Sarah Rogerson, director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the Albany Law School, discuss the status of the current refugee crisis, the challenges refugees and resettlement agencies will face in the coming months, and policy changes that may help ease the resettlement process.