Karen DeWitt
Capitol Bureau chiefKaren DeWitt is Capitol Bureau chief for the New York Public News Network, composed of a dozen newsrooms across the state. She has covered state government and politics for the network since 1990.
She is also a regular contributor to the statewide public television program about New York State government, New York Now. She appears on the reporter’s roundtable segment, and interviews newsmakers.
Karen previously worked for WINS Radio, New York, and has written for numerous publications, including Adirondack Life and the Albany newsweekly Metroland.
She is a past recipient of the prestigious Walter T. Brown Memorial award for excellence in journalism, from the Legislative Correspondents Association, and was named Media Person of the Year for 2009 by the Women’s Press Club of New York State.
Karen is a graduate of the State University of New York at Geneseo.
-
New York lawmakers planned to work into the weekend to complete the state budget, now 19 days late.
-
The Senate and Assembly planned to remain at the Capitol until Saturday, in order to complete the bills and finish getting a budget in place.
-
The New York state budget, which is already over two weeks late, is likely to be even later, after the Legislature’s bill drafting office was the victim of a cyberattack.
-
One day after Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that there’s a conceptual deal on the state budget, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said that announcement was premature.
-
Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday that a tentative budget deal has been reached, but it will take several days before a new spending plan is in place
-
The New York state budget is now nearly two weeks late, and lawmakers are due back Monday afternoon to pass a fourth extender to keep government running.
-
The main item holding up a deal is a housing package that would build new affordable housing and strengthen tenant protections.
-
Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said a new budget extender will authorize state spending until next Tuesday. She said budget talks are at “the beginning of the end” — but noted that the end is always the hardest part. The budget was due April 1st.
-
New York state lawmakers are on a four-day break for the Easter holidays, while they let the budget deadline pass. One of many sticking points remaining in the spending plan is how to crack down on growing instances of retail theft.
-
The legislature approved one budget bill, to authorize the state to continue paying its debts, and adjourned until next Tuesday, April 2, one day after the budget is due.