Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative & Unpacking Utility Rebate Checks

Thank you so much for joining us back on the show, Samuel.

Thanks, Chantel.

Nice to be here.

Of

course.

Now, this week, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New Yorkers are set to receive utility rebate checks.

Of course, this was a measure that was included in this year's enacted state budget.

So can you walk us through the process that legislative leaders had in the governor in terms of budget negotiations and getting this over the finish line?

Well, Chantel, this started with the Assembly one-house proposal.

They floated this as part of their budget deal.

The State Senate wasn't on board at first.

They were sort of looking at more of the long-range things, but they later came on board.

And then when it came to the sort of three-way negotiations, so we finally got to the budget deal, they decided to, the governor went along and agreed to go with that.

So that was sort of that...

So this sort of idea has been in the works since March.

And also, of course, last year the governor also provided those income tax rebates in the fall.

So it wasn't sort of a new idea, but it was sort of this tension of like, do we do something short-term, provide relief to people? but also sort of that sort of long-term let's find some relief, you know, or find some structural relief for high utility bills.

Thank you so much for joining us back on the show, Samuel.

Thanks, Chantel.

Nice to be here.

Of

course.

Now, this week, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New Yorkers are set to receive utility rebate checks.

Of course, this was a measure that was included in this year's enacted state budget.

So can you walk us through the process that legislative leaders had in the governor in terms of budget negotiations and getting this over the finish line?

Well, Chantel, this started with the Assembly one-house proposal.

They floated this as part of their budget deal.

The State Senate wasn't on board at first.

They were sort of looking at more of the long-range things, but they later came on board.

And then when it came to the sort of three-way negotiations, so we finally got to the budget deal, they decided to, the governor went along and agreed to go with that.

So that was sort of that...

So this sort of idea has been in the works since March.

And also, of course, last year the governor also provided those income tax rebates in the fall.

So it wasn't sort of a new idea, but it was sort of this tension of like, do we do something short-term, provide relief to people? but also sort of that sort of long-term let's find some relief, you know, or find some structural relief for high utility bills.