Blair Horner

This week Governor Hochul will deliver her State of the State address. Like her predecessor Andrew Cuomo, who first broke with tradition, her speech will not be delivered in the state Capitol, but in a performing arts venue contained within the Empire State Plaza, a complex of government buildings and small businesses. And her message will be delivered the first full week of the 2025 legislative session, not on its first day.

Lawmakers return to Albany this week for the start of a new two-year session. In addition to orienting some new members, the Legislature will tackle some of the big issues of the day. And while the legislative session could have a big impact, what will be happening in New York’s courts could be also hugely consequential.

Albany’s big news last week was Governor Hochul’s approval of the Climate Change Superfund Act. The Climate Superfund requires that companies responsible for the bulk of carbon emissions between the years 2000 and 2024 pay about $3 billion each year for 25 years to help the state defray the costs of climate change.

The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (“Climate Law”) was approved five years ago and sets the state on a path toward “net zero” greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of this Century. The “net zero” goal is consistent with the standard set by the world’s climate scientists who have warned that in order to avoid the worst consequences of global heating, all nations need to adhere to the net zero goal.

One of the biggest issues that the Congress faces this month is what to do about the National Defense Authorization Act. Before both houses of Congress left prior to the election, they had actively considered defense spending bills, but those plans did not match.

The U.S. Congress returned last week to try to wrap up its work before the newly elected Congress is sworn in next month. This return – known as the “lame-duck” session – has important topics on its to-do list. Among the most critical items is to try to agree on funding for the federal government – at least through the winter – providing more disaster aid, approving a defense policy bill, confirming judges, and hopefully, taking on some important health care measures.

Americans are hearing about how states can change their laws to insulate themselves from actions expected from the incoming Trump Administration and the new Congress. New Yorkers hear the same. Policies impacting the environment will be a key battleground.

Last year, much of New York choked on the smoke from massive Canadian wildfires, at one point turning New York City’s air orange, giving City residents—temporarily—the worst air quality in the world.

With Donald Trump returning to the presidency and Republicans set to control both houses of Congress, the incoming Administration’s promise to cut $2 trillion in federal spending does not seem far-fetched. Yet how? The President-elect has promised not to cut Social Security and Medicare; and during the campaign he vowed to bolster the military. He also promised to cut taxes.

While the vote tallies for the nation’s elections last week are not fully complete, it is clear that it was a decisive victory for Republicans, with Donald Trump handily taking the Electoral College and winning the national popular vote, a possibility that seemed unlikely in the run up to the vote.