More Capital Tonight, New York education budget hearing revolves around future of 'Save Harmless' and inside a bill to create a working families tax credit:
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/ca...bruary-1--2024
Democrats want to hit pause on carbon sequestration and state Senate Education Committee Chair Shelley Mayer discusses budget proposal:
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/ca...bruary-2--2024
N.Y. Conservative Party in Albany discusses redistricting and other issues, and Hochul criticizes enforcement against unlicensed cannabis shops:
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/ca...bruary-5--2024
Also, New York Republicans push bigger tax break for married couples:
https://www.timesunion.com/state/art...ly%20headlines
"A contingent of New York Republicans are rushing a tax bill through Congress that would bring a temporary shot of relief to millions of married couples in relatively high-taxed states.
The State and Local Taxes Marriage Penalty Elimination Act would double the current $10,000 cap on federal deductions for married couples who make up to $500,000, allowing them to deduct $20,000 on their 2023 tax returns. The SALT deduction, as it is known, lets federal taxpayers factor in the taxes they’ve paid to their state and local governments when filing a federal return. Republicans (and some Democrats) have argued that higher property and state income taxes in states like New York mean residents have been unfairly hurt by the lower limit on deductions.
The measure, which was debated at an emergency meeting of the U.S. House Rules Committee on Thursday and could potentially head to a full floor vote next week, met with skepticism from Democrats, who accused New York Republicans of using the tax relief measure for short-term political gain as the upcoming November election nears.
U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican who represents a swing district in the Hudson Valley, is one of a contigent of New York GOP members who had earlier threatened to torpedo a broader tax bill that the House voted to pass this week if the chamber did not raise the SALT cap. Lawler and fellow New York Republican Reps. Andrew Garbarino, Nick LaLota and Anthony D’Esposito were able to strike a deal to pass a bill raising the SALT cap as a standalone measure.
In an interview, Lawler cited New York’s “high-tech, high cost of living” status as a major impetus behind the bill and said he hears persistent concerns from Hudson Valley residents centered on housing costs and affordability in general. The freshman Republican and former state assemblyman won his suburban district by a thin margin in 2022. The seat is a prime target for Democrats.
“My feeling is that our residents should not be unfairly penalized by the federal government for living in a high-tax state, and should not be subject to double taxation,” Lawler said, calling the onetime deduction allowed by the new bill “one of the most reasonable fixes to SALT that we could get through in a divided Congress.”
In the House Rules Committee hearing earlier this week, Lawler was grilled by Democrats who took issue with what they deemed a piecemeal approach to tax relief, as well as the rushed proceedings. (The committee met on an “emergency” basis early Thursday with little notice to members.)
The original $10,000 cap on SALT deductions, which Lawler and other New York Republicans are are seeking to overturn, was included as part of a broader tax plan that went into effect in 2017 under former President Donald J. Trump. (U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, now one of Trump’s most devoted supporters, and several other New York GOP members voted against that package because of its reduction of the SALT deduction.)
During the Rules Committee hearing, congressional Democrats questioned why Lawler and other Republicans did not call for a broader overhaul of the entire 2017 tax measure.
U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., criticized the measure’s “emergency designation” as it wound through Congress, citing other crises like opioid death rates and natural disasters.
“This isn’t an emergency. This is offensive,” McGovern said. “We have had floods and hurricanes and blizzards hit this country and this committee doesn’t hold a meeting. … The emergency we are meeting on today is Mike Lawler and his New York Republicans’ election.”
New York Republicans maintain that the current reduced SALT deduction represents an unfair penalty on joint filers, especially those in high-cost states. In the Thursday congressional hearing, Lawler cited statistics from New York showing that in 2017, 35 percent of tax filers used the SALT deduction. Following the changes to tax law, the number dropped to 10 percent of filers in 2020.
Lawler said that despite objections from Democrats about last-minute regulatory changes, the Internal Revenue Service “will be more than capable of handling this.”
N.Y. Republicans in competitive seats object to Senate's bipartisan border deal:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...te-border-plan
Report: 887K N.Y. children to benefit from House-backed Child Tax Credit expansion bill:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...ax-credit-bill
Suozzi, Pilip split on Senate border deal in NY-3 campaign:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...-ny-3-campaign
Republicans slam Gov. Hochul over N.Y.'s migrant influx:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...migrant-influx
New York Republicans urge Independent Redistricting Commission to adopt current congressional maps:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...maps-to-stand-
Former Rep. Lee Zeldin on redistricting, southern border situation and using the term 'hostages' for Jan. 6 defendants:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...-border-crisis
New York Senate Education Committee chair discusses Hochul's budget proposal:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...udget-proposal
Caucus calls for restoration of Medicaid Quality Incentive Program:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...entive-program
Enforcement against unlicensed New York cannabis shops not good enough for governor, industry members:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...dustry-members
Wine in New York grocery stores up for debate again this year:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...gain-this-year
Judge upholds New York law allowing early voting by mail:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...ng-by-mail-law
New York Republicans to Hochul: Send National Guard to the borders:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...-to-the-border
New York AG: OxyContin marketer agrees to pay $350M rather than face lawsuits:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...-face-lawsuits
New York Republicans to hold 2024 nominating convention in Binghamton:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...-in-binghamton
Some New York schools to get $100M to address learning loss, mental health:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...-mental-health
Bill advances to compel Amtrak to comply with Americans With Disabilities Act:
https://nystateofpolitics.com/state-...sabilities-act
From Reinvent Albany, Testimony: Watchdog Supports Gov’s Budget Request for $114.5M in Public Match Funding with No Changes to Program:
https://reinventalbany.org/2024/02/t...es-to-program/
NY’s Biggest Corporate Giveaway Still Looks Bad Despite Consultant’s Rose-Colored Glasses:
https://reinventalbany.org/2024/02/n...lored-glasses/
Subsidy Sheet: Massive Statewide Push to Stop Local IDAs from Diverting $1.8B a Year from New York’s Public Schools:
https://reinventalbany.org/2024/02/s...ublic-schools/
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