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Capitol Conversations: Bureau reporters break down the latest

The New York State Capitol.
Denise Young
/
WXXI News
The New York State Capitol.

Lawmakers finally began passing more budget bills ahead of the Memorial Day holiday, more than seven weeks after the April 1 deadline.

Thursday was marked by emotional debate over immigration provisions contained in the Public Protection & General Government budget bill. The bill limits cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

It restricts how all law enforcement agents can wear masks, and it gives individuals the right to sue if they’re harmed by enforcement.

Meanwhile, there is still much to be settled in the budget, including written details on plans to improve pension benefits for public workers and scale back state climate laws. The total size of the budget itself has also yet to be finalized.

The New York Public News Network’s Jimmy Vielkind and Samuel King discuss those developments at the Capitol.

Jimmy Vielkind covers how state government and politics affect people throughout New York. He has covered Albany since 2008, most recently as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal.
Samuel King is a Capitol News Bureau reporter for the New York Public News Network, producing multimedia stories on issues of statewide interest and importance.