The Capitol Connection
Thursdays, 3-3:30 p.m.
Maybe you voted for them and maybe you didn’t, but either way, what they do and how they think affects you. Each week on The Capitol Connection, you can keep yourself abreast of political developments and gain a little insight into how New York State’s politicians think. David Guistina holds conversations with the governor, the comptroller, members from the Assembly and Senate, and other political movers and shakers.
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(Airs 03/05/26 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. We’ll talk about the potential financial impact of the war in Iran, the $260 billion dollar state budget which the comptroller says is spending more that it’s taking in, and the need, he says, for more money to fund the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). -
(Airs 02/26/26 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with Therese Daly, President and CEO of United Way and 211 New York, about their push to increase funding as numbers rise among people utilizing food, housing, mental health and other assistance from 211 New York. -
(Airs 02/19/26 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with New York State Assemblyman Patrick Carroll, a Democrat, about Immigration and Customs Enforcement, congestion pricing, medical aid in dying, and much more. -
(Airs 02/12/26 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with Lola Brabham, President of The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU), about their 2026 legislative agenda and how they hope to make up financial cuts to New York’s higher education institutions in the Big Beautiful Bill. -
(Airs 02/05/26 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with Blair Horner, Senior Policy Advisor for NYPIRG, The New York Public Interest Research Group, about the $260 billion dollar state budget, the environment, higher education and much more. -
(Airs 01/29/26 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with New York State Inspector General Lucy Lang, and a special guest, about the 40th birthday of the office, as well as the history of the role in American history. -
(Airs 01/22/26 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO of The New York Immigration Coalition, about their 2026 legislative agenda including passage of the New York For All Act which would ban the state from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). -
(Airs 01/15/26 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with Yancey Roy, Albany Bureau Chief for Newsday, about the Governor’s State of the State Address and her major proposals, the governor’s race, and much more. -
(Airs 01/08/26 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with New York State Assembly Minority Leader William Barclay, about their agenda for the 2026 session, his thoughts about Congresswoman Elise Stefanik dropping out of politics forcing him to switch his endorsement to Bruce Blakeman, discussion of the new prison reform law, and more. -
(Airs 01/01/26 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with Jimmy Vielkind, public media reporter for WNYC, The Gothamist and the New York Public News Network, about some of the new laws in New York in 2026, some of the bills Governor Hochul vetoed, and some of the top political stories of 2025.
