Capitol Confidential

Capitol Confidential New York politics — the good, the bad and the weird. Dan Clark knows how it all works, and what matters to you.

Capitol Confidential is your eyes and ears at the State Capitol, where politicians and newsmakers debate key policy issues that affect you every day. He’s covered the state Legislature, corruption in state government, New York politics, controversial litigation, and more for more than a decade. You’ll get the news you need to know on state government, politics, and policy straight to your inbox each day, with analysis from experts, and more context around top issues across the Empire State.

Thrilled to share a big milestone from the Hearst Newspapers team: today we launched Capitol Confidential Pro, in partne...
11/20/2025

Thrilled to share a big milestone from the Hearst Newspapers team: today we launched Capitol Confidential Pro, in partnership with USLege.

This new platform blends Hearst’s trusted statehouse reporting with USLege’s AI-powered legislative intelligence — giving government affairs professionals real-time insight into what’s happening and why it matters.

Learn more from the link in the comments.

The first conversation on next year’s state budget will be held at the state Capitol this week.And a new bill seeks to o...
11/10/2025

The first conversation on next year’s state budget will be held at the state Capitol this week.

And a new bill seeks to overhaul how corporations in New York would be allowed to participate in politics.

Much more in today's CapCon:

And Stefanik says she won't distance herself from President Donald J. Trump.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, who represents a sprawling district in upstate New York’s North Country, has been teasing a ru...
11/07/2025

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, who represents a sprawling district in upstate New York’s North Country, has been teasing a run for months, but maintained that she would not make a final decision until after Tuesday’s elections. Her announcement in a video kicks off what is expected to be a heated campaign with Gov. Kathy Hochul, who will be seeking her second full term.

Checkout the link in the comments for the full story:

Democrats won big races on Election Day. However, can they maintain that momentum and what’s the future of the party wit...
11/05/2025

Democrats won big races on Election Day. However, can they maintain that momentum and what’s the future of the party with Zohran Mamdani winning the New York City mayor’s race? Here’s Capitol Confidential’s Dan Clark’s biggest takeaways.

11/05/2025

Democrats won big races on Election Day. However, can they maintain that momentum and what’s the future of the party with Zohran Mamdani winning the New York City mayor’s race? Here’s Capitol Confidential’s Dan Clark’s biggest takeaways.

It might be an “off-year” for elections but there are still plenty of races New Yorkers should keep an eye on tonight. H...
11/04/2025

It might be an “off-year” for elections but there are still plenty of races New Yorkers should keep an eye on tonight. Here are five of them.

And how DOJ is responding to Tish James' effort to quash subpoenas.

New data shows Republicans in New York are growing their numbers while Democrats are not. Democrats lost 108,219 enrolle...
11/03/2025

New data shows Republicans in New York are growing their numbers while Democrats are not. Democrats lost 108,219 enrollees over the past year.

And a bill headed to Hochul could make operating a day care outside New York City slightly more fiscally feasible.

Democrats lost 108,219 enrollees over the past year, new data shows.

New York has pulled in a lot more revenue than expected in the first six months of the fiscal year. Here's what that mea...
10/31/2025

New York has pulled in a lot more revenue than expected in the first six months of the fiscal year. Here's what that means for the state's financial troubles.

And new bill creates a new, more serious criminal charge for landlords who harass their tenants to get them to move out.

Finally, it's Friday. Happy Halloween! 🎃

Here's what that means for the state's financial troubles.

10/31/2025

So many nooks and crannies go unnoticed at New York’s Capitol. Capitol Confidential’s Dan Clark reminds us why we shouldn’t set things on fire.

Subscribe to the CapCon newsletter to get an inside look at the latest in New York government and politics (and sometimes fun facts).

Join here: https://tinyurl.com/2ny49u49

Gov. Kathy Hochul said there will not be a special session or income tax hikes to supplant federal food assistance fundi...
10/30/2025

Gov. Kathy Hochul said there will not be a special session or income tax hikes to supplant federal food assistance funding as the state spends $106 million.

And U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney blames Zohran Mamdani for the federal shutdown.

Much more in today's CapCon:

And U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney blames Zohran Mamdani for the federal shutdown.

It's National Cat Day! 😺 In today's CapCon: 🎰 New York's problem gambling surge could spur new sports betting rules📃 Und...
10/29/2025

It's National Cat Day! 😺 In today's CapCon:

🎰 New York's problem gambling surge could spur new sports betting rules

📃 Under a new bill, utility companies would be required to collect a surcharge from data centers to fund upgrades to the state’s energy grid

Much more here:

And a solution to New York's lack of mental health courts across half its counties.

Address

News Plaza, Box 15000
Albany, NY
12212

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Capitol Confidential posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Capitol Confidential:

Share