Power & Politics

A day after proposing the final budget of her 12-year tenure as the Mayor of the City of Albany, Kathy Sheehan joined Power & Politics this week.

At the same time, the Mayor is also advocating for the Common Council to go back to the pre-2023 inclusionary zoning ordinance, writing a letter to the Council to reconsider their veto override in 2023. Then, the Council approved a measure expanding inclusionary zoning requirements.

The discussion also included:
-Mayor Sheehan's reaction to the confession, and arrest, of Lorenz Kraus
-$500,000 proposed for a Youth Support Hub Pilot Program
-Crisis Caseworker Police Officer positions, and new "Director of Wellness" Police Department position
-Proposed increases to city official salaries, and positions ahead of new administration in January

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The Federal Government is on the verge of a shutdown, as Congressional leaders will need to agree on a stopgap funding plan by midnight on Tuesday.

CBS6 spoke with NY-17 Congressman Mike Lawler (R) on Monday: "What's a non negotiable for you at this point that you think you need to hold the line?"

"We have passed Continuing Resolutions to keep the government funded year after year after year when Republicans and Democrats have been in charge. This is a straightforward, clean CR to keep the government funded through November 21 so that Congress can finish its appropriations negotiations between the House and the Senate and the White House to pass a final Fiscal Year 26 appropriations package. What has changed here is that Democrats in Washington, and in particular Senate [Minority] Leader Chuck Schumer, have changed their position. They no longer believe in clean CRs. They want to demand a pound of flesh in exchange for their votes, and that's just not the way that government should function. We have a responsibility, as my Democratic colleagues have said, time and again, to keep the government funded to ensure there are no disruptions to things like Social Security or veterans benefits or border security or our military, and to make sure that we are doing the work of the American people. We do not want to have a government shutdown which will create chaos in the marketplace and in our economy, which is totally unwarranted and unnecessary. There is a clean CR on the table that already passed the house. All the Senate has to do is follow their own rules. You need 60 votes to break the filibuster and pass a clean CR, which the Democrats did every time during Joe Biden's presidency. The only difference now is that Donald Trump is president, and Chuck Schumer seemingly is worried about a primary from his left."

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As the 2026 legislative session approaches, Tom Tatun, Executive Director of the Retired Public Employees Association discusses their legislative priorities. Those include enhanced pension and healthcare benefits, along with COLA increases.

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Natasha Pernicka discusses the rising service levels at food pantries in the Capital Region, up five percent this year from already record levels last year. She discusses the impact of rising food costs, inflation, and the impending SNAP benefit changes.

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NYS Assemblymember Mary Beth Walsh (R,C-Ballston) discusses the recent efforts by Governor Kathy Hochul to have bipartisan stance against political violence, and Walsh's role as Assembly Minority floor leader in that aspect. Also a Family Court attorney, she also discusses the potential for changes to New York's Raise the Age and Bail Reform. We also touch on her involvement in calls for changes to the process of the New York State Draft Energy Plan, and the 2019 Climate Law.

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Despite multiple meetings with community leaders, advocates, organizations, & those with experience inside Albany County Correctional Facility claim their voices are not being heard. Silenced Behind Bars discusses the conditions inside Albany Correctional Facility.

Participants:

Pastor Jim Ketcham The New York State Council of Churches 

Ta-Sean Murdock, Executive Director of The Center for Law and Justice 
Roni Minter, Founder The Freedom Unshackled Coalition 

Lameka King-- family member

Gary Ferrand -- Formerly incarcerated

Sam Fein-Albany County Legislator (D)

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Morgan Hook, Democratic Consultant and Partner at BlueJacket Strategies, analyzes Governor Kathy Hochul's endorsement of Zohran Mamdani

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Lizzie Andrus, who took up a project as a high school Sophomore at Shenendehowa to help push for Universal School Meals to its eventual implementation, joined Power & Politics on Thursday.

"Growing up in my family we talked so much at the dinner table, so [civics] really had piqued my interest from a young age," Andrus said. "And then I focused on Universal Free Meals, specifically an effort at the end of my sophomore year of high school, because that was when Congress decided, in June of 2022, to end pandemic era federal funding for free meals. And I had noticed that in my transition to high school, throughout freshman and sophomore year, that I had benefited long with a lot of my friends, had benefited with having free breakfast and lunch in school. And so it was more an effort of if this had such high success rates and such great accolades brought forth because of it, why not continue to work?"

Andrus, who also won the Gold Award as a part of the Girl Scouts, is currently a Sophomore at Ithaca College

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Terry Strada, who lost her husband in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, shares her story on the day of the attacks, and the years since. She also speaks of her advocacy, fighting for accountability and justice for her, and the hundreds of families impacted by the terror attack.

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