The Capitol Pressroom

March 31, 2026- A report from the state's Rural Ambulance Services Task Force paints a bleak picture on the reliability of emergency medical services in rural communities, while also offering ideas for improving the landscape. Our guests are task force members Aidan O'Connor, executive director of Greenport Rescue Squad, and Michael Benenati, an EMS coordinator with Ulster County.

March 30, 2026- Assemblymember Gabriella Romero, an Albany Democrat, makes the case for requiring a portion of state "Raise the Age" funding to go to community-based organizations providing alternatives to incarceration.

We also check on the status of budget negotiations, including the possibility of compromise on outstanding points of disagreement.

March 27, 2026- In 2022, Democratic state policymakers rushed through a gun control law following the mass shooting in Buffalo. Now the state is having to walk back a part of the law requiring the disclosure of social media accounts to apply for a concealed carry permit. We discuss the problems with this defunct initiative with Adam Scott Wandt, an associate professor of public policy at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

March 27, 2026- Following a failed attempt to use a drone to deliver prison contraband, we explore what items are forbidden in prisons and the efforts to keep them out. Our guest is Jennifer Scaife, executive director of the Correctional Association of New York.

March 26, 2026- We explore what the Empire State is doing this year to commemorate the founding of America with David Frank, assistant commissioner at the State Education Department, which co-leads the New York State 250th Commemoration Commission.

March 26, 2026- Empire State Association of Assisted Living Executive Director Lisa Newcomb makes the case for increased state funding to help cover the cost of specialized care for New Yorkers with Alzheimer's.

March 26, 2026- We examine the logistical, fiscal and regulatory burdens preventing  vacant commercial properties upstate from being converted into housing. Our guest is Jeff Buell, the principal with Sequence Development.

March 25, 2026- New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels makes the case for extending mayoral control of public schools in the Big Apple. He discusses accountability measures, input from stakeholders and compromises with state lawmakers.

March 25, 2026- We examine the implementation of New York's "Green Amendment," which has been narrowly interpreted in court rulings since 2002. Our guest is Thomas Berkman, a partner at Hodgson Russ and former general counsel for the State Department of Environmental Conservation.

March 25, 2026- We explore the availability of high-speed, affordable internet in New York and consider increasing the state's oversight of internet providers. We speak with Becca Miller, director of the Legislative and Political Department at the Communications Workers of America District 1.