Policy Outsider

The rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans in recent years has been a cause for concern, with reports of violent acts occurring across the country. Advocacy groups alongside federal, state, and local governments have been actively working to address this alarming trend and provide support to victims. As Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month draws to a close, Policy Outsider host Alex Morse speaks with Jo-Ann Yoo, executive director of the Asian American Federation and a member of the Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy's board of advisors, about the violent and harmful acts experienced by Asian Americans. Jo-Ann details the Asian American Federation's response to the surge in hate crimes, and shares how individuals and communities can collaborate to confront violence toward not only Asian Americans, but all marginalized groups.

Guest:

Jo-Ann Yoo, executive director, Asian American Federation

Many immigrant families and communities face barriers to utilizing social services and integrating into their communities. These challenges exist across healthcare, housing, legal assistance, education, workforce development, and more. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, New York State Assemblymember Catalina Cruz talks about her experience as an immigrant, as a lawyer, and as a lawmaker, and how these shape her perspective in developing policy to support immigrants. The conversation also covers the knowledge-generating role of the new Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy, which will inform evidence-based integration solutions for policymakers.

Guest:

Honorable Catalina Cruz, New York State Assemblymember

New York State has the fourth-largest population of older adults in the US, with 3.2 million New Yorkers over the age of 65, a number that is projected to grow to 5.3 million by 2030. Caring for those older New Yorkers is expensive; the state spends more on long-term care services annually ($32 billion) than any other service. To address the needs of the state’s aging population, Governor Kathy Hochul signed Executive Order 23 last fall, which directs the state to develop a Master Plan for Aging.

On today’s episode, Courtney Burke, senior fellow for health policy at the Rockefeller Institute of Government, and Adam Herbst, deputy commissioner for the Office of Aging and Long-term Care at the Department of Health, discuss the process of developing the master plan, the intricate network of government and healthcare systems dedicated to designing this roadmap, and how New York will provide the necessary care and resources to ensure people can age in place.

Guests:

Courtney Burke, senior fellow for health policy, Rockefeller Institute of Government

Adam Herbst, deputy commissioner for the Office of Aging and Long-term Care, Department of Health

In New York, Medicaid provides healthcare for nearly 8 million people and half of all births. With the COVID-19 pandemic highlighting existing health disparities and disrupting the health care system, there is a significant need and opportunity to innovate Medicaid care delivery. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, we examine how New York is using a Section 1115 waiver to address health equity issues. The State's Acting Medicaid Director, Amir Bassiri, and Rockefeller Institute Senior Fellow for Health Policy Courtney Burke join the show to discuss how the waiver works, the goals the waiver seeks to accomplish, strategies for achieving those goals, and a vision for the future of Medicaid.

Terms

CBO—Community-based Organization

CMS—Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

DSRIP - Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment

MRT - Medicaid Redesign Team

HERO—Health Equity Regional Organization

SDHN—Social Determinant Health Network

VBP - Value-based Payment

Guests:

Courtney Burke, senior fellow for health policy, Rockefeller Institute of Government 

Amir Bassiri, New York acting Medicaid director & deputy commissioner for Office of Health Insurance Programs 

David Anderson, president of NY CREATES, an innovation hub headquartered at the Albany NanoTech Complex, joins Policy Outsider to take us into the workings of the semiconductor industry and offer insight into how New York State’s tightly woven research and economic development tapestry supports and drives advanced technologies and manufacturing.

Guests:

Bob Megna, president, Rockefeller Institute of Government

Dave Anderson, president, NY CREATES

In the fall of 2022, Micron, a leading advanced technology manufacturer, agreed to partner with New York State to build a $100 billion dollar semiconductor fabrication facility in upstate New York. How did this deal come to happen? How did federal and state policy, such as the CHIPS and Science Act and New York’s Green CHIPS Program, work to incentivize Micron to come to New York? And what role did local government partnerships play in the deal?

On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, Kevin Younis, chief operating officer and executive deputy commissioner of Empire State Development and one of the principle architects of the Micron deal, sits down with Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna to talk about the deal and the critical role of decades of policy in bringing it to fruition.

Guests:

Bob Megna, president, Rockefeller Institute of Government

Kevin Younis, chief operating officer & executive deputy commissioner, Empire State Development

The recent Ticketmaster-Taylor Swift ticket purchasing debacle brought renewed attention to the stranglehold Ticketmaster holds on the live music industry. On today's episode, New York State Senator James Skoufis, a leading champion of ticket reform legislation, breaks down the problems facing the ticket industry and how state and federal policy can work to protect consumers.

Guest:

Honorable James Skoufis, New York State Senator 

In honor of National Veterans and Military Families Month, today's episode examines life after serving in the military as told by two veterans. We invited Aaron Gladd, chief of staff of the State University of New York and former platoon leader in the US Army, and Colonel Jim McDonough, CEO of The Headstrong Project and former director of New York State’s Division of Veterans’ Services, to share their experiences joining, serving, and transitioning out of the military. They describe the challenges many veterans face moving back into civilian life and discuss how communities and non-profits are working to fill the gaps in veterans’ services left by local, state, and federal governments.

On Tuesday, voters in New York overwhelmingly approved the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Bond Act. On today's episode, we invite New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Executive Deputy Commissioner Sean Mahar to discuss what this support means and what comes next for the environmental bond act. The conversation provides an overview of how funding will be prioritized and highlights the anticipated environmental and economic impacts of this investment.

Guest:

Sean Mahar, executive deputy commissioner, Department of Environmental Conservation

In July, a bill designed to protect same-sex marriages passed the US House of Representatives with bipartisan support. Forty-seven Republicans joined House Democrats in passing the Respect for Marriage Act. Shortly thereafter, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that he was working to drum up sufficient Republican support in the Senate to pass the bill.

Following weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations, Schumer announced in mid-September that the vote would be delayed until after the midterm elections.

To make sense of what is happening with marriage equality, we put together a two-part podcast series, featuring conversations with policymakers, experts, and advocates.

In part one of this series, Rockefeller Institute Fellow Heather Trela, Senior Policy Analyst Leigh Wedenoja, and Pride Center of the Capital Region Executive Director Nate Gray answer questions like: If the US Supreme Court ruled in 2015 to legalize marriage equality nationwide, why is there now a renewed push for legislating this issue? What is the legislative and judicial history of marriage equality and how does that inform the provisions in the Respect for Marriage Act? And how is the recent uncertainty surrounding marriage equality affecting members of the LGBTQ+ community?

In part two, we draw some political parallels to the current moment with a look back at the push for marriage equality in New York in 2011. To understand the political calculations and consequences of a Republican “yes” vote on this issue, Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna talks with Senator Steve Saland, one of four Republican senators who crossed the aisle to say “aye” to the Marriage Equality Act.

A recently passed bill would enact a two-year moratorium on specific types of cryptocurrency mining in New York and require an environmental impact assessment of mining operations if signed by Governor Kathy Hochul. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, NYS Assemblymember Anna Kelles, the bill's sponsor, joins host Alex Morse to discuss what's in the bill, what the legislature hopes to learn from its proposed impact analysis, and how the bill fits with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), New York's landmark climate and environment legislation.

Guest

Honorable Anna Kelles, New York State Assemblymember 

Points of Conversation

03:02 - Blockchain Basics and Cryptocurrency Validation: Proof-of-Stake vs. Proof-of-Work

13:43 - Understanding Decentralized Financing

16:51 - Pause for Examination: How Cryptocurrency Mining Operates and its Potential Impacts

26:17 - The Fracking Playbook

30:54 - How Cryptocurrency Mining Relates to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act

38:00 - How Recent Environmental Policy Decisions Affect Future Policymaking

Changing the way we understand and talk about mass shootings can help us implement more effective gun policy. As National Gun Violence Awareness Month winds down, this episode of Policy Outsider presents a recorded Twitter Spaces conversation between the Rockefeller Institute's Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium Interim Executive Director Jaclyn Schildkraut and New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center Executive Director Michael Anestis. The wide-ranging conversation covers many aspects of mass shootings: common misconceptions, frameworks for understanding how they unfold, and the role of policy in limiting their likelihood.

While federal inaction to address gun violence persists, local officials face significant challenges preventing and responding to gun violence in their communities. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan discusses the state of gun violence in Albany, what the city is doing to address illegal firearms and gun violence, and what resources local governments need from federal and state governments to help ensure public safety.

Higher education is a powerful tool that can help improve economic standing and mobility. For many families, however, the expense of college  presents prospective students with a dilemma: delay or forego higher education or incur significant debt in pursuit of a degree. On this episode of Policy Outsider, guest Leila Bozorg, Chief of Strategy & Policy at NYC Kids RISE, explains how her organization is working to help New York City families meet this dilemma with a new tool: college savings invested in tax-free child investment accounts. The conversation covers how these child investment accounts work, how the organization measures progress and success, and recommendations for policymakers seeking to advance equity and affordability in higher education.

Over the weekend, and about a week after it was due, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law a $220 billion budget for the 2023 fiscal year. The budget includes significant investments in sectors hit hard by the pandemic, such as healthcare, a full funding of foundation aid (the state's public education funding formula), and $4.2 billion for the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act. On this episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute researchers and fellows join to provide an overview of the enacted budget and put into context the investments made in specific areas, such as education, COVID recovery, local government, childcare, the forthcoming retail marijuana market, and the environment.

Complex government programs, such as Medicaid, are often accompanied by strict registration and eligibility requirements. These administrative burdens can frustrate and stymie potentially eligible individuals, limiting individuals’ access to public programs and legally-entitled benefits. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, University at Albany Associate Professor Ashley Fox discusses her recent article in Public Administration Review which found rule-reduction changes to ease Medicaid enrollment can improve program take-up (i.e., increase enrollment). The conversation covers the consequences of administrative burden on states and individuals and ways governments can use administrative easing to improve public programs.

New York City's top fiscal official, Jacques Jiha, Ph.D., joins Policy Outsider to discuss how the City managed its budget through the turbulence of the pandemic, how the City's budget process differs from the State's, and how the City and State work together to maintain fiscal stability in the largest metropolitan region of the country.

Fresh off delivering 30-day budget amendments to the NYS Legislature, NYS Budget Director Robert Mujica joined host Alex Morse and Rockefeller Institute President Bob Megna for a conversation about this year's budget, the delicate art of negotiations, and what it's like to lead the Division of the Budget through the budget process

Bob Megna, president of the Rockefeller Institute of Government and former New York State budget director, joins Policy Outsider host Alex Morse to discuss the behind-the-scenes of the New York State budget process. The conversation covers the budget development timeline, the players involved, and how the current economic landscape, including the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, may affect policies, programs, and funding priorities.

Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced New York State will help resettle as many 1,143 Afghan nationals evacuated from Afghanistan in cities across the state. On this episode, guests Camille Mackler, founder and executive director of Immigrant Advocates Response Collaborative (ARC), and Professor Sarah Rogerson, director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the Albany Law School, discuss the status of the current refugee crisis, the challenges refugees and resettlement agencies will face in the coming months, and policy changes that may help ease the resettlement process.

The New York State 2021 legislative session wrapped up late last week with a handful of firearm bills passing the Senate and Assembly. On a new episode of Policy Outsider, Joe Popcun, executive director of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium and director of policy and practice at the Rockefeller Institute, and Nick Simons, project coordinator at the Rockefeller Institute, discuss the major firearm bills that will be sent to the Governor, the issues those bills address, and how research can best support policymakers as they seek to disrupt the cycle of firearm-involved violence.

New York State will legalize adult-use recreational marijuana. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute Director of Operations and Fellow Heather Trela breaks down what is in the 77,529 word marijuana legalization bill and, importantly, what is not in the bill. Trela, a federalism expert turned marijuana policy maven, brings valuable context to the discussion, comparing revenue structure, social justice provisions, and other logistical considerations in New York's legislation to the 14 other states that have already legalized recreational marijuana.

Under the Trump administration, the agencies and processes of the federal bureaucracy—i.e. the "Administrative State"—have been targeted for deconstruction and reorganization. In this episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute Fellow and Professor at Daemen College Lisa Parshall discusses the Trump administration's approach to governing, including how presidents have limited the power and scale of the federal bureaucracy and how this administration has challenged presidential and administrative norms.

COVID-19 has raised many questions about voting in the 2020 election: how do we keep poll workers and voters safe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic? What changes can be made to make voting more accessible? What are some of the challenges voters still face? In this episode of Policy Outsider, guests Laura Bierman, executive director of the League of Women Voters (LWV) of New York State, and Jennifer Wilson, LWV legislative director, discuss changes made to voting procedures for the 2020 election and the work of LWV to expand and ensure voting access. The conversation also covers how Boards of Election across New York State are responding to the pandemic, including operational changes made to protect voters and poll workers.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has a long history of technological innovation. It is, and has been, central to the project of democracy in the US, enabling the growth and free exchange of newspapers and information and connecting citizens to each other across the nation's expanse. In this episode of Policy Outsider, guest David Hochfelder, associate professor at the University at Albany, explains the Postal Service's mandate to provide "universal service," explores the Postal Service's history of innovation, and offers potential new uses for the USPS infrastructure that would satisfy its mandate.

In this episode of Policy Outsider, Rockefeller Institute Fellows and members of the Institute's award winning Stories from Sullivan research team Patricia Strach, Katie Zuber, and Elizabeth Pérez-Chiqués discuss what has happened to substance-use treatment access and effectiveness during COVID-19. The episode presents audio clips from interviews conducted by the researchers with treatment providers and workers on the frontline followed by discussions of the researchers' impressions and findings. The episode also features an introduction by State University of New York Chancellor and former Rockefeller Institute President Jim Malatras who provides background on the Institute’s opioid crisis research which began during his time as president.

The traditional model of criminal justice in the US isolates those who commit criminal acts from both survivors and society and the social support networks that could support their healing and re-integration. At the same time, those who suffer harm are often left without closure and understanding about the harm that took place. On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, guest Jenifer Lee-Gonyea, fellow at the Rockefeller Institute and associate professor of criminology at Mount Saint Mary's College, discusses the restorative model of criminal justice. Restorative justice approaches harm as an opportunity to engage in inclusive healing for those who experienced harm and those who caused it through mediation, honest dialogue, and accountability. The episode also examines restorative justice as policy at various levels of government and how the tools could be used to address broader societal ills, such as persistent racial injustice.

As students return to school amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, school districts are using different models to balance instructional and safety needs ranging from fully in-person to fully remote with a spectrum of hybrid approaches in between. On this episode of Policy Outsider, Brian Backstrom, director of education policy studies at the Rockefeller Institute, and Leigh Wedenoja, senior policy analyst at the Rockefeller Institute, highlight various instructional models and discuss how parents and caregivers can prepare for a school year of uncertainty. The discussion of parent strategies will focus on access to and effective use of technology, communicating with teachers and administrators, helping students develop socio-emotional and social skills in a non-standard environment, and highlighting resources for parents who have children who are at home full- or part-time

On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, guests Joseph Popcun, Rockefeller Institute director of policy and practice, and Nicholas Simons, project coordinator at the Institute, discuss the role of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium in finding and developing effective policy to reduce gun violence.

A recent surge in shooting incidents following months of coronavirus lockdown in metropolitan areas around New York State. As a cause of death, gun violence receives far less research funding than other leading causes. Lack of federal funding for firearm fatality research over the last twenty years has made it difficult for policymakers to develop targeted, effective policy for reducing gun violence. Popcun and Simons share how the Consortium aims to fill that void by orienting gun violence researchers toward the evidence and data needs of practitioners and policymakers. By focusing attention on gun violence as a policy problem, the Consortium helps state and local governments pursue and execute effective solutions to reduce and prevent firearm-involved homicides, suicides, and injuries.

On this episode of Policy Outsider, guest Heather Trela, director of operations and fellow at the Rockefeller Institute, discusses how COVID-19 is affecting the marijuana industry and efforts to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana at the state level.

Trela discusses how prohibition of marijuana at the federal level means marijuana businesses throughout the nation are ineligible to apply for federal economic small business relief. For businesses in most states that were able to comply with social distancing requirements this may not be an issue. For smaller businesses in Massachusetts, where recreational marijuana dispensaries were closed to prevent an influx of out-of-state customers, the lack of relief may mean closing.

On this episode of Policy Outsider, guest Leigh Wedenoja, senior policy analyst at the Institute, outlines existing and future challenges imposed by COVID-19 on students and the education system.

Millions of Americans are adjusting to education going suddenly and fully online. The school year will likely finish online and, without a vaccine, schooling will likely be partially or fully online next fall. In this episode, Wedenoja explores how students at all ages will be affected by the disruption to their schooling and how the disruptions of COVID-19 make it difficult to plan for the challenges students are likely to face.

On the latest episode of Policy Outsider, guest Liz Farmer, a fellow at the Future of Labor Research Center, discusses how work-from-home arrangements put in place as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic are likely to increase work-from-home trends and alter business operations.

In episode 17, “Online Learning to Bridge Cultural Divides," Dr. Rhianna Rogers, associate professor at SUNY Empire State College and Ernest Boyer Presidential Fellow at the Institute, calls in via video conferencing software to illustrate how online learning can be structured to improve student engagement. Rogers explains the importance of breaking down barriers to higher education access, such as the cost of textbooks and computer programs. Rogers, who is leading the Spring 2020 Center for Law and Policy Solutions (CLPS) Internship Program, identifies her background—living abroad in multiple countries and a lifelong learner—as an influence on her teaching methods, which are focused on bridging cultural divides through active learning and engagement.

On the latest episode, Brian Backstrom, director of education policy studies, shares insights from a recent Rockefeller Institute forum on effective early intervention in dyslexia. Backstrom discusses what dyslexia is, the needs of students with dyslexia and of teachers who teach them, what impacts could be in store for New York if a universal dyslexia screening program is enacted, and the experiences of other states implementing this approach.

The episode also features audio from the Institute-hosted forum that brought together dyslexia research experts Dr. Bennett Shaywitz and Dr. Sally Shaywitz, co-founders and co-directors of the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, Dr. Jay Russell, former head of The Windward School, Tim Castanza, co-founder and executive director of Bridge Prep Charter School, and Amanda McCaleb, the literacy intervention specialist for Springfield (MO) Public Schools. Video from the forum can be found by visiting the Rockefeller Institute's Facebook page. 

This special edition of "Policy Outsider" was recorded live at a forum hosted by the Rockefeller Institute of Government and features distinguished scholar Robert J. Spitzer's presentation on gun policy. Spitzer notes that gun ownership continues to decline, and that the gun safety movement is newly invigorated, motivated, and financed. He also points out that there is substantial public support for most of the more common gun policy proposals, even among gun owners. At the same time, federal courts are proving more conservative in their rulings and agitating for broad interpretation of gun rights under the Second Amendment.

Spitzer's discussion included a PowerPoint that provides an overview of the history of guns in the United States, how the nation's relationship with guns and gun policy has evolved, current gun laws and statistics, and projections for future trends concerning firearm ownership and policy. The PowerPoint is posted on The Institute's website and can be found on the Rockefeller Institute website by visiting www.rockinst.org/outsider