Member Spotlight

Assemblywoman

Paula Elaine Kay

This week, Assemblywoman Paula Elaine Kay joined us to discuss her district, background, and priorities to support her community. Before being elected to the Assembly, she served her community as an attorney, including pro bono work for EMS organizations and nonprofits. Currently, she is a member of various committees, including on Insurance, Racing and Wagering, Agriculture, and Environmental Conservation.

What district do you represent?
I represent the 100th Assembly District, which includes most of Sullivan County and two municipalities in Orange County: The City of Middletown and the Town of Wallkill.

If someone were visiting your district, where should they go?
If you’re driving up from the city, your first stop should be downtown Middletown on North Street, where we have an incredible range of restaurants. One of the great things about Middletown is its diversity, you can find Chinese, Japanese, Latino, American, French, Vietnamese cuisines, really just about anything. It’s wonderful.

As you continue into Sullivan County, you’ll find Resorts World Catskills Casino and the Monticello Motor Club, which is a private racetrack for high-performance vehicles, like Cadillac, BMWs, cars that can be driven on the road but are even more fun on a track.

We’re also home to Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, which is truly a gem. Across both Orange and Sullivan Counties, we have beautiful lakes and rivers where people can hike, swim, hunt, and fish. In the winter, we have ski areas like Holiday Mountain and great opportunities for cross-country skiing.
It’s really a place where you can disconnect and enjoy the outdoors year-round.

What kind of music do you enjoy?
Right now, I’d have to say I’m a Swiftie. I love Taylor Swift. I enjoy all of her albums, and I often listen to her music when I work out. There’s a lot of variety in her songs, which makes it fun.

Do you have a favorite album?
I really like Midnights. There’s a lot of diversity within that album, and it works well for different moods and energy levels.

What about New York sports teams?
I love sports. My favorite New York team is the New York Jets. One of my favorite Jets is actually my colleague, Assembly Member Noah Burroughs who sits next to me on the Assembly floor and played for the Jets—so I definitely have to root for them.

I’m also a former Division III women’s ice hockey player, so I really enjoy watching the Olympics, especially when Team USA won gold in women’s and men’s hockey.

What was your profession before being elected to the Assembly?
I’m a licensed attorney. I have private practice and work extensively in municipal law. I served as a town attorney, planning attorney, and fire district attorney, and I’ve done pro bono work for EMS organizations and nonprofits.

I also worked for former Assembly Member Jake Gunther as Director of Special Projects, where I helped create a series of welcome signs along Route 17, which runs through the Sullivan County portion of my district.

What are your priorities this year?
Housing is a major priority, particularly workforce housing. I’ve organized housing roundtables that bring together developers, nonprofits, school districts, colleges, and local governments, and the trade unions. Some of our largest employers struggle to retain workers because there isn’t enough housing. At the same time, many of those employers own land. So, I’ve been working to connect them with developers to create housing opportunities. So far, we’ve facilitated projects that could result in over 300 new homes across multiple locations. It’s critical to ensure that people who work in our district can also live here, especially since we lack robust public transportation.

Are there any local issues specific to your district?
Yes, one major issue is the potential impact of downstate casinos on Resorts World Catskills. Sullivan County and the Town of Thompson rely on revenue from the casino through a host impact fee. I’ve introduced legislation to ensure that if revenues decline due to increased competition, the county and town will still receive a guaranteed minimum level of funding. It’s essentially a “hold harmless” provision to protect local budgets.

What advice would you give young people who want to get involved in politics?
Come intern. See how government works at every level: town, village, county, state, and federal. Ask questions and stay engaged.

Even small actions can make a meaningful difference. For example, I recently went to Stewart Airport to provide food and gift cards to TSA workers who haven’t been paid. It’s a small gesture, but it shows appreciation and support for people doing difficult work.

Any final comments?
One area I care deeply about is criminal justice. While important reforms have been made, there are areas that need adjustment.

I’ve introduced legislation like “Billy’s Law,” which would allow judges to set bail in cases of arson. This stems from a tragic case in my district where a fire chief lost his life in a fire set by an arsonist who had previously been released on an appearance ticket.

I’m also working on legislation related to aggravated cruelty to animals. In too many cases, individuals who commit serious acts of animal abuse receive appearance tickets and are back out in the community immediately—even adopting new animals. We know there’s a strong link between animal abuse and violence against people, so this is a serious issue.

School safety is another concern. I’ve introduced a bill to address situations where individuals make credible threats against schools but are released immediately. In one case, a parent made a serious threat and was back on school grounds the same day.

I’m also focused on reducing utility costs, particularly for upstate residents, and exploring incentives for volunteer firefighters, especially younger volunteers who may not own homes but could benefit from utility credits.

We need to find ways to support our communities, reduce costs, and encourage people to stay engaged and involved.

Are you a public official or staffer that would like to be featured in our spotlight? If so, reach out to your favorite D&A team member or contact us at team@dickinsonavella.com to set up an interview!

Aung Hset/D&A

CLCPA Changes Take Center Stage in Budget Negotiations

In an Empire Report op-ed, Hochul officially laid out her proposal to roll back goals and parts of the 2019 CLCPA. The proposal comes after weeks in which Hochul has indicated her intent to amend the CLCPA to address rising energy prices while remaining committed to the state’s climate agenda. In the op-ed, Hochul proposes establishing a new 2030 deadline to implement GHG emission regulations and an interim 2040 goal to meet the GHG emission limit target. However, Hochul’s proposals would not change the already established 2050 goal of an 85% reduction in emissions from 1990 levels. Notably, Hochul also proposes amending how the state calculates GHG emissions to ensure it meets its GHG emission goals. Currently, the state is expected not to meet its goals established by the CLCPA.

After the op-ed, lawmakers in both chambers criticized Hochul’s proposals, with Assemblymember Al Stirpe saying, “I think she just could have done a much better job,” and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon remarking that “Nothing we have heard thus far from the governor’s office makes any damn sense.” Additionally, lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, said that Hochul has not released any language. “No one should be allowed, no matter who they are, to change our laws without showing any of us what the hell they’re being proposed to do without seeing it in writing,” said Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger. With the proposed changes, lawmakers joined advocates in an “emergency rally” on Wednesday to urge Hochul and leaders of the Legislature not to roll back the CLCPA. The rally ultimately ended in arrests of a few protestors, including State Comptroller candidate Raj Goyle.

Hochul has defended her proposals and urged voters to call their legislators to “Help us change the climate law so we can keep your utility bills down. We’re not saying no to it. We’re just saying, give us a longer runway.” Hochul also argues that amending the CLCPA is “responsible governing” as the proposals are “acknowledging the realities before you and addressing them.” However, lawmakers argue that Hochul is not focusing enough on building up the state’s renewable energy supply. “We have a climate crisis. We need to do everything we can to build renewables as quickly as possible. There is an affordability crisis, and the proposals won’t help that,” said Assembly Environmental Conservation Chair Deb Glick.

With the proposals officially unveiled right before the April 1st Final Budget deadline, lawmakers are now expecting the Final Budget not to be approved by then. In addition to amending the CLCPA, lawmakers must address other issues that have reportedly been taken a backseat, including auto insurance reforms, taxes, SEQRA reforms, houses of worship buffer zones, and state aid to cities.

Darren McGee/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

EXECUTIVE UPDATES

Yesterday, Hochul announced the disbursement of $10.5 million to the City of Rensselaer and $4.5 million each to the City of Watervliet and the Village of Scotia. Disbursed through the ninth round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, the City of Rensselaer would be able to use the funds to redevelop its downtown around the Broadway business district, including new waterfront apartments and adaptive reuse projects, as well as expanded public amenities and cultural spaces. The $4.5 million in funding from the fourth round of the NY Forward program that the City of Watervliet and the Village of Scotia received would be used to develop their downtown business districts and expand local infrastructure. The awards build on the state’s commitment to fostering local economic development and improving local infrastructure.

On Wednesday, Hochul r allied with local lawmakers and community organizations across Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse to tout her Executive Budget proposals on SEQRA reforms, auto insurance reforms, universal childcare, and energy affordability. Hochul argued that her proposals would help address the state’s affordability crisis and build on last year's Enacted Budget, which included a rebate check, an increased child tax credit, and tax reductions. To help include her Executive Budget proposals, Hochul called on voters to call their lawmakers in support. “I’ll never stop fighting for your family — and that means building more housing, lowering auto insurance rates, expanding access to child care, and taking action to address rising utility costs for working families across the state,” said Hochul. Additionally, Hochul rallied on Long Island to raise support for her Executive Budget proposals.

On Tuesday, Hochul announced the disbursement of $42 million to support the creation of more than 200 units of supportive housing across the state. The funding is expected to help individuals and households at risk of being unhoused to secure long-term, stable housing. Specifically, the funding will support projects that pair affordable housing with on-site services such as mental health care, substance use treatment, and employment assistance, targeting vulnerable populations including veterans, survivors of domestic violence, and individuals with disabilities. The funding builds upon the state’s commitment to expanding specialized housing, including 1,305 new units and 2,195 housing units under development.  “These additional units will allow individuals who may be staying in shelters or on the streets to maintain stable housing and address physical and behavioral health needs,” explained Hochul.

Earlier this week, Hochul held a pres s conference touting her Executive Budget proposal to crack down on illicit DIY machine guns and 3D printed ghost guns. Under her proposal, the sale of certain guns will be restricted, criminal penalties for the manufacture of 3D-printed guns will be increased, and the distribution of digital codes used to 3D print guns will be restricted. The proposal builds upon Hochul’s commitment to curb incidents of crimes with illicit guns and combat gun-related deaths, as well as supporting the state’s previous initiatives on gun control. “To address the rapidly growing threat of DIY machine guns and 3D-printed ghost guns, I am working to ensure our laws remain the strongest and safest in the nation,” said Hochul.

To increase support for her Executive Budget proposals to reform SEQRA, Hochul held a roundta ble to tout her reforms. At the roundtable, Hochul explained that her SEQRA reforms would alleviate the red tape communities face when planning new infrastructure or housing projects, allowing such projects to be accelerated if they meet certain criteria. The reforms build upon Hochul’s previous actions on advancing affordable housing in the state and would help complement Hochul’s $25 billion Housing Plan to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes statewide. “I have heard the urgency of these reforms from leaders across our state, and standing with them, I will fight to get it done,” said Hochul.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Next week, the Legislature is scheduled to be in session Monday to Wednesday

The Budget is due by Wednesday, April 1st

Darren McGee/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

Lawmakers Set to Reform Tier 6 in the Final Budget

With this year being an election year and a renewed push by unions, lawmakers, and Hochul, they have expressed their openness to reforming Tier 6 in the Final Budget. First created in 2012, it was claimed it would save state and local governments up to $80 billion, but it received criticism from unions for requiring more years of work and less generous benefits than other tiers. While Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has said he is “one of the biggest advocates” for reforming Tier 6, Hochul and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins have not committed to any specific proposals but support the push. Currently, some proposals to reform Tier 6 include lowering the retirement age, ending the cap on overtime, eliminating penalties for early retirement, or increasing incentives to work additional years.

DOH Secures Approval for Essential Plan Transition

After meeting with CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, Hochul announced that the state DOH has received the final approval from the Trump Administration to transition the Essential Plan into the previously used Basic Health Plan. While the approval will allow the state to preserve coverage for roughly 1.3 million individuals, roughly 480,000 individuals would lose coverage under the new criteria because they earn too much. However, neither Hochul nor the Legislature has publicly formalized a plan that would ensure coverage for the 480,000 individuals. It is currently unclear if such plans would be included in the Final Budget.

Aung Hset/D&A

Assembly Passes Problem Gaming Legislative Package

On Wednesday, the Assembly passed a legislative package aimed at addressing problem gaming. The package includes a resolution that would memorialize March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month, establish a task force to study proposition bets, and require insurance coverage for addiction treatment. While the bills passed in the Assembly, they must be passed by the Senate before reaching Hochul’s desk. “This package takes critical steps to protect our residents from problem gambling and the harm it brings them and their loved ones,” said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie

NYC Schools Chancellor Lobbies for Changes to Class Size Mandate and Extending Mayoral Control

Earlier this week, NYC Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels visited Albany to lobby lawmakers to extend the deadline for NYC public schools to reduce classroom size and adopt a revised benchmark. Additionally, Samuels was asking lawmakers to extend mayoral control to four more years, as proposed by Hochul. In an interview, Samuels explained that he was asking for “an additional two or three years, starting with a 70 percent compliance in September and going on for the next couple of years until we get to 100 percent.” While the Senate NYC Education Chair John Liu said that Samuels has provided a “preliminary plan of action” to address the class-size mandate, neither the Senate, the Assembly, nor Hochul has committed to amending the mandate. It was also reported that delaying compliance with the state mandate would save NYC $1.3 billion, helping the Mamdani Administration close its $5.4 billion budget deficit.

On extending mayoral control, lawmakers continue to express skepticism. While Samuels has argued that mayoral control is necessary for accountability and ensuring that NYC meets the class size mandate, “It is the position of the Assembly and the Senate that such a continuation of mayoral control should be rightfully done outside of the budget,” said Assembly Education Chair Mike Benedetto.

Lawmakers Indicate Immigration Protection to Be In the Final Budget

After weeks of negotiations on a potential legislative package on immigration protection, including the New York for All Act, lawmakers have signaled that the package may be included in the Final Budget. Previously, lawmakers have said a package would be introduced outside of the Budget. However, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins has said that the package will be included in the Final Budget or outside the Final Budget as being on “parallel tracks.” “Either outside or within the budget, that’s something we’re taking very seriously, recognizing that we still have ICE, which is out of control," Hochul said earlier this week. Senate Corrections Chair Julia Salazar said lawmakers are negotiating the extent of allowable state cooperation with ICE. “At what point, if somebody is charged with a crime, would it warrant local governments sharing those individuals’ immigration status or citizenship status with the federal government?” explained Salazar.

Courtesy of the Office of Assemblymember Paula Elaine Kay

Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Rally to Increase Protections for Pets and Animals

Earlier this week, Assemblymember Paula Kay and Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton joined advocates and a bipartisan group of lawmakers in holding a rally to urge the Legislature to pass their bil l that would authorize bail in cases involving aggravated cruelty toward animals. Lawmakers and advocates argue that the bill would ensure increased protection for pets and animals by giving judges more tools and discretion in animal cruelty cases. “We know there is a clear correlation between animal abuse and other forms of violence in the home. It is critical that we give judges the tools they need to protect not only our animals, but our communities as a whole,” explained Kay.

Aung Hset/D&A

Assembly Republicans Urge for Increased Funding for CCAP

This week, Assembly Republicans held a press conference urging Hochul and the Legislature to increase funding and resources for the state’s Child Care Assistance Program. Assembly Republicans explained that while they support expanding the program, state funding has not kept pace with increased demand, leaving childcare providers and counties unable to process new applications and disproportionately impacting rural communities. “While programs like the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) have expanded access, they haven’t been matched with sustainable funding, leaving families and providers facing real uncertainty,” explained Assemblymember Mary Beth Walsh.

Aung Hset/D&A

Lawmakers Rally to Increase Taxes

With discussions over taxes reportedly put aside as lawmakers focus on Hochul’s proposals to amend the CLCPA, they held a rally to increase taxes on the wealthy. Lawmakers argue that with the Trump Administration reducing state aid and social services, Hochul must agree to raise taxes to fill any budget gaps. While the Senate and Assembly propose raising taxes in their respective One-House Budget proposals, Hochul has reiterated her opposition to tax increases. Additionally, a group of city lawmakers sent a letter to Hochul this week urging an increase in corporate taxes. Unlike raising personal income taxes on the wealthy, Hochul has not committed to raising corporate taxes.

OTHER UPDATES

Aung Hset/D&A

NYC Council Passes Security Perimeter Bill

Yesterday, the NYC Council, led by Council Speaker Menin, passed a bill that would establish a security perimeter around houses of worship. Part of Menin’s Five-Point Plan to address antisemitism, the bill would authorize the NYPD to establish plans for a security perimeter around houses of worship and educational centers. While the previous version of the bill would establish buffer zones of up to 100 ft outside houses of worship were omitted after NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch raised legal concerns, Mayor Mamdani said that he is “keenly aware of the serious concerns” regarding the bill, with his spokesperson explaining, “He wants to ensure both the right to prayer and the right to protest are protected here in New York City.” While Mamdani said he would veto the bill if his administration deemed it illegal, the bill was passed with 35 cosponsors, allowing the Council to override the veto.

NYC Mayor Appeals to Block the Expansion of CityFHEPS

On Tuesday night, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani filed an appeal to continue former Mayor Eric Adams’s effort to block the expansion of eligibility for CityFHEPS. CityFHEPS, a rental assistance voucher program approved by the City Council for expansion, has been blocked by the Adams Administration. While Mamdani said during his campaign that he would expand CityFHEPS’ eligibility, he explained this week that doing so would cost NYC $4 billion over the next few years, adding to the already existing $5.4 billion budget deficit.

“I also have to be honest with New Yorkers that while we all predicted that it would be a difficult fiscal situation that we would find in January, there are very few who believed that it would be at the scale that we have found,” explained Mamdani. However, Council Speaker Julie Menin urged Mamdani to drop the lawsuit against the expansion of the program, saying, “The administration should drop the litigation. We’ve been saying this for months: the Council is ready to reach a responsible settlement that protects vulnerable New Yorkers, and that’s also fiscally responsible.”

NYCDOE Publishes AI Guidance for Schools

Earlier this week, the NYCDOE unveiled its AI guidance for schools, allowing the use of AI for certain tasks, such as lesson planning. Using a “traffic light” framework, the guidance would still prohibit the use of AI in certain tasks, including grading, counseling, and establishing lesson plans for students with disabilities. For certain tasks, including research or creative projects, the use of AI would be allowed with careful “thought and strong adult oversight.” NYC Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels explained that the guidance would help teachers decide how to use AI in their classrooms. “While there is no tool or resource in the world that can replace what our teachers bring to their classrooms every day, AI can be used as a powerful tool to make the work of our educators more efficient, giving them more time to focus on supporting our students as they develop essential critical thinking skills,” explained Samuels.

Friday Morning Brief March 27, 2026

EXECUTIVE UPDATES

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

OTHER UPDATES

Other Interesting Friday Reads

Friday Morning Brief March 27, 2026

EXECUTIVE UPDATES

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

OTHER UPDATES

Other Interesting Friday Reads

Subscribe to the D&A Friday Morning Brief

Friday Morning Brief March 20, 2026