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Austin C. Jefferson

Before becoming Albany Bureau Chief in late 2025, Austin C. Jefferson was a state politics reporter for City & State NY, covering state government, elections and major legislative debates. His reporting has also appeared in the Daily Freeman, Chronogram Magazine and The Legislative Gazette. Having grown up in the Hudson Valley, he’s always happy to argue about where Upstate New York truly begins.

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UPDATE: State Lawmakers Cut Hochul’s Car Insurance Scheme From Their Budget

The Uber-backed plan to lower car insurance rates has drawn criticism from legal professionals, crash victim advocates and state pols who say the legislative changes would strip crash victims of rights.

March 10, 2026

Senate Majority Leader Questions Hochul’s Insurance Premium Scheme

The growing chorus of state lawmakers who want clarity on how the governor's auto insurance helps real New Yorkers now includes Stewart-Cousins, the second-most-powerful woman in state government.

March 5, 2026

Lawmakers Raise Doubts About Hochul’s Insurance Proposal

The governor's Uber-backed insurance plan is leaving state lawmakers unsure of its effect on crash victims and high auto premiums.

February 27, 2026

Mamdani Pitches Free Buses (Cheap!) Plus Other Transportation Needs on ‘Tin Cup’ Day in Albany

The mayor gave his former colleagues in state government a glimpse of his thinking on transportation and city operations, and hopes they can send more cash his city's way.

February 12, 2026

AV Snub: School Bus Drivers Close The Doors On Autonomous Vehicles

School bus drivers are joining the chorus of opposition to a possible statewide expansion of Waymo, but it could be too late.

February 5, 2026

TRAIN IN VAIN: Amtrak Pulls Plug On Metro-North Expansion

All aboard? Not so fast. Amtrak is putting the brakes on an expansion of the Metro-North that would have extended service to Albany.

January 28, 2026

State Pols Could Regulate E-Bikes Despite Not Knowing What They Are

State lawmakers are flirting with the idea of regulating e-bikes as if they were cars, but don't have all the facts.

January 23, 2026

Heastie Undecided On Gov. Hochul’s Uber-Backed Push to Lower Car Insurance Rates

The Assembly Speaker is definitely not sold on Gov. Hochul's effort to reduce car insurance costs by lowing payouts to victims.

January 22, 2026

SCOUT’s Honor: Hochul To Expand MTA Program Pairing Nurses and Cops to Combat Mental Illness in Subways

Gov. Hochul's pitch to state lawmakers follows a nine month-long investigation by Streetsblog into how New York's social safety net struggles to help ill people in the subway.

January 13, 2026

Advance Look: Hochul Offers Major Transportation Policies in 2026 ‘State Of The State’ Speech

Why wait for the governor to start her annual address? We have the goods for you now.

January 13, 2026