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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Hochul Vetoes Bill Mandating Two Operators on Most Subway Trains
The veto from Hochul came over the concerns of organized labor who saw the legislation as a way to make subway travel safer.
Mamdani’s Free Buses Plan Faces ‘Uphill Battle’ in Albany
The fight over free buses could be an early barometer of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Hochul's ability to compromise.
Upstate County’s New Bus Service Will Turn A Transit Desert Into A Rural Network
Jefferson County was one of the few counties in New York without a bus service. Now job seekers and students will have previously unfathomable options in their North Country communities.


