Nickolas Scribner was a hardworking 27-year-old when he died in his sleep in November 2024. According to Nickolas’ mother, an autopsy found her son’s system contained nothing but ice cream and an herb known as kratom. This week, Nickolas’ death has helped inspire new statewide regulations.

This month, The New York Racing Association announced that the upcoming summer schedule at Saratoga Race Course will feature more racing days than any previous summer. While the extended season could very well give local businesses a boost, some owners have doubts.

WAMC's David Guistina in conversation with Mike Goodwin, News Editor at The Times Union, about New York Governor Kathy Hochul raising the age to purchase a recreational drug.

Changes made earlier this year to the Electric City’s garbage pickup service could be temporarily suspended. Trash collection could be the first contentious issue the new council faces in January.

Earlier this year, Texas-based Avelo Airlines began contracting with U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement to operate deportation flights out of the United States. While there is no indication any of these flights are originating from Albany International Airport, several advocates and lawmakers have launched efforts to ground Avelo’s Capital Region operations.

The Saratoga Springs City Council on Tuesday opted not to release $50,000 in funding that had already been allocated for a process known as participatory budgeting.

Federal PFAS limits were put into place for the first time during the Biden administration. Current federal limits are 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, while New York’s are much higher at 10 parts per trillion.

In a post on social media platform TruthSocial Saturday, Trump said Blakeman is “MAGA all the way.”

With the calendar year wrapping up and Governor Kathy Hochul filtering through hundreds of bills, let’s take a look back at some of the biggest issues that New York State politics faced this year.

(Airs 12/19/25 @ 10 p.m.) The Legislative Gazette is a weekly program about New York State Government and politics. On this week’s Gazette: New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced her support this week for medical aid in dying legislation, the New York State Energy Planning Board adopts an energy plan for the state, and we’ll visit a high school to talk to educators and students about how the cell phone ban is going.