Good Morning, New York! The House GOP caucus continues their fight over the SALT deduction in the federal budget, the state budget is still not complete despite Hochul’s victory lap, and Eric Adams unveils his own budget, which he calls the ‘best ever.’ This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Friday, May 2nd, 2025.

WHERE’S KATHY: In NYC, giving an announcement on the FY26 budget’s investments in child care, then in Washington D.C.

WHERE’s ERIC: No public schedule available

TIPS? Email me: [email protected]

Front Pages

Hall Monitors

— The MTA's latest anti-fare evasion tactic—delaying emergency gate openings by 15 seconds—is raising safety concerns. Disability advocates and riders are blasting the initiative, saying those precious seconds could be deadly in an emergency. While the MTA says it's necessary to recoup nearly $700 million lost to fare beating, critics argue it's not worth risking lives. (NY Post)

— Mayor Adams unveiled his $115 billion budget proposal at his old high school with investments in education, the NYPD, and housing. Facing an uphill reelection battle, Adams used the budget address to criticize the state for allegedly shorting the city on migrant and childcare funding, but a Hochul spokesperson is pushing back, highlighting the state's financial support. The budget is due by the end of June after being negotiated with the City Council. (State of Politics)

— Could Mayor Adams be ousted by the City Council? Some NY state lawmakers are pushing a bill that would allow the Council to remove a mayor with a three-fourths majority vote. City Hall is not happy, blasting it as "smacking democracy in the face", but supporters frames it as aligning city governance with state and federal impeachment processes. (Gothamist)

Capitol Gains

— New York's budget is a month overdue, and lawmakers are getting antsy. While Gov. Hochul is already taking a 'victory lap,' legislators are passing extenders and blaming her for the holdup, citing unresolved issues like education spending and unemployment insurance debt. Plus, Hochul's request for authority to adjust spending without legislative approval is raising eyebrows and drawing comparisons to Cuomo's emergency powers. (State of Politics)

— NYC school districts are sweating as the state budget is still MIA, potentially throwing a wrench in their budget planning. At issue is a change to the Foundation Aid formula, with Hochul wanting to update the formula using more recent poverty data but the legislature favoring a regional cost index. With budget votes looming in May, districts fear getting significantly less funding than expected, which could especially hurt NYC schools. (City & State)

— The New York State Assembly just passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act, but its future in the Senate is uncertain. Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins estimates she has 25 Democrats in her conference, which is just shy of the number needed to pass the bill. While supporters are confident they can pull it off, critics warn the bill devalues human life and lacks sufficient safeguards. (State of Politics)

Trail Mix

— Republicans are butting heads over the SALT tax deduction, a critical piece of Trump's legislative agenda. While some GOP members want to raise the deduction cap to help middle-class families, others are wary of the costs and potential impact on the bill's other priorities, like immigration and military funding. With Democrats ready to pounce on any loopholes, finding a compromise that appeases both sides won't be easy, but Republicans are hoping to get "something real approved." (NBC News)

— Looks like Gov. Hochul is poised for a win with the emerging state budget, securing expansions to Kendra's Law and changes to discovery. But the New York Working Families Party isn't thrilled, with co-director Jasmine Gripper expressing unhappiness with the budget during a recent "Capital Tonight" discussion. The program also touched on the upcoming June mayoral primaries around the state. (State of Politics)

— Cook Political Report have released their house ratings for the 2026 midterm elections. Here are the New York updates (not including Solid seats): NY-17 Lean GOP / NY-04 Tossup / NY-19 Lean Dem / NY-03 Lean Dem / NY-18 Likely Dem / NY-22 Likely Dem (Cook Political Report)