The legislative session has (sort of) come to an end. 

While the New York state Senate left town for the summer, the Assembly has indicated it would be returning in the next few weeks to finish passing bills, including one to provide health care for New York residents without legal status.

But more than any other session in recent years, these last few months have highlighted a divide between moderate and progressive Democrats, as well as friction between the Legislature and governor. 

Capital Tonight welcomed two veteran observers of Albany to discuss these dynamics.

“Gov. Hochul showed herself to be a relatively conservative Democrat,” said Michael Kink, executive director of the Strong Economy for All Coalition. “Her budget didn’t increase taxes on the super rich or the wealthiest corporations. She was looking for tuition increases at SUNY. Her approach to government has been dramatically conservative and I think the Legislature has a majority of progressive and pro-labor Democrats that wanted something bigger and better from government.”

He continued.

“And, if you look at it substantively, the Legislature, progressive and pro-labor Democrats are probably more connected to the actual needs and desires of people in New York than the governor is right now,” said Kink.

Morgan Hook, managing director of SKDK, agreed in part with Kink’s assessment, but also saw some political practicalities in how lawmakers and the governor negotiated with each other this session.

“If I have one big criticism of the Hochul administration from this past session, it’s that I felt they were looking too much at the election results from last year when they have four years of runway to govern and sort of get some big things done,” Hook said. 

Hook made the point that in multiple polls, New Yorkers have strongly indicated they are concerned with crime and affordability, and to her credit, the governor focused on those areas. 

Additionally, he said, Hochul is not Andrew Cuomo, and the Legislature is still trying to figure her out.

“It’s different right? Kathy Hochul is not Andrew Cuomo and this Legislature is not the Legislature that he had for a decade, either,” Hook said. “We all have Cuomo PTSD. We all expect the governor to act in this bullish, bullying way and she is not that.”