The 2027 Legislative Session Already Started
Let’s be clear about this: the New York State Legislature returns to Albany in January. But the work that shapes the legislative session is already underway.
State agencies are developing budget priorities. The Executive Chamber and Division of the Budget are weighing competing fiscal and policy demands. Legislative offices are beginning to develop their agendas for the upcoming session. Associations, advocates, labor organizations and other stakeholders are determining which priorities deserve their attention and how much political capital they are willing to spend.
For organizations with business before the state, fall is not simply preparation for the legislative session. It is part of the legislative session.
This is the period to evaluate what happened last year, identify what has changed, build relationships, test arguments, engage stakeholders, and determine where an organization can realistically make progress.
We asked six members of our team, each approaching Albany from a somewhat different perspective, what organizations should be thinking about now.
Doug Clark: Decide what success actually looks like.
The strategic question is not simply what you want from Albany. It is what can reasonably be accomplished in the next session and what needs to happen between now and January to help make that possible.
One of the most useful exercises an organization can undertake in the fall is to establish clear objectives and determine what will be required to achieve them. That may mean advancing a specific bill, preventing a provision from moving forward, securing funding, addressing a regulatory issue, or simply ensuring policymakers understand the practical consequences of a proposal.
Further, not every priority will move through the same process or on the same timeline. A proposal that does not have a clear path through the Legislature may still be achievable through the state budget or an agency action. Similarly, an objective that cannot be accomplished in single session may benefit from a longer-term strategy focused on building support and strengthening the case for future action. Those distinctions can have a significant impact on how an organization approaches strategy.
The legislative vehicle can change. The underlying objective should remain clear.
Fall is the time to make those determinations, set realistic objectives, and decide where to invest limited time and resources.
Mia Wolfe: Get upstream of the budget.
January is when the Executive Budget becomes public. It is not when the budget begins.
By the time the Executive Budget is released, state agencies have already developed their requests, and the Executive Chamber and Division of the Budget have spent months weighing competing proposals. Legislative leaders and lawmakers also have a sense of which issues are likely to receive attention.
For organizations seeking funding or trying to influence a policy with fiscal implications, waiting until January can mean entering the conversation after much of the groundwork has already been completed.
That does not mean every budget request needs to be fully formed by October. It does mean organizations should understand how their request fits into the state’s broader fiscal and policy environment and begin making the case early. A strong budget strategy requires more than identifying a dollar amount. Organizations need to establish the need for the request, demonstrate its value and explain why it belongs among the state’s priorities.
The earlier that case begins to take shape, the more time there is to build support before the budget negotiations start.
Michael Trunzo: Know the environment around your issue.
Good advocacy is rarely just about making a compelling argument for your own position. It requires understanding the environment in which that argument will be considered.
Organizations should take a hard look at what happened during the last session. Did the legislation advance? Who supported it? Where did it stall? Which lawmakers and staff played key roles? Were there fiscal or political issues that ultimately helped or hindered your efforts?
Then ask what has changed since.
Changes in legislative membership, new committee chairs, agency priorities, fiscal pressures, new regulations or developments within an industry can all alter the dynamics around an issue. An argument that made sense six months ago may need to be reframed based on what has happened since.
The months between sessions provide time to do that homework without the pressure of a rapidly moving legislative calendar. January is a much harder time to discover that the landscape around your issue has changed, or that the political currents have shifted and you’re suddenly working against the grid.
Erin Hammond: Use the fall to listen.
Fall is also an opportunity to engage policymakers before the pressure and pace of session takes over.
Once session begins, lawmakers and their staff are inundated with requests, meetings, and competing priorities. The months before January provide a different opportunity. Without an immediate legislative ask driving the discussion, organizations can spend more time explaining who they represent, the challenges their industry is facing and how state policy affects them in practical terms. Those conversations can build familiarity and credibility that become increasingly valuable once the legislative process is underway. The same principle extends beyond elected officials. Legislative and agency staff, local stakeholders, business groups, labor organizations, advocates, and other interested parties all have a role in shaping how an issue develops. Establishing those relationships early creates a strong foundation to easily discuss issues during the legislative session.
The objective is not to schedule the highest number of meetings. It is to build and develop relationships that allow for more direct, candid conversations when the stakes are higher.
The insight gained through conversations now should help shape the strategy an organization brings into January.
Phil Bolen: Understand who else has a stake.
Few significant policy questions exist in isolation. A proposal involving health care, workforce, economic development, transportation or public services can quickly intersect with employers, organized labor, local governments, providers, trade associations, community organizations and other stakeholders.
Those interests may not line up neatly.
Before session begins, organizations should identify who has a stake in their issue and understand the interests, concerns and influence each group brings to the discussion. That means recognizing natural allies, anticipating potential opposition and identifying where there may be opportunities to build common ground or address concerns before they become obstacles.
That exercise is particularly important when an issue affects workforce or labor relations. Positions that appear straightforward on paper can become considerably more complicated once the interests of employers, employees, unions and other stakeholders come into play.
Coalitions can strengthen an advocacy effort, but effective coalition building starts with understanding the fault lines. Knowing where disagreement exists before legislation starts moving gives organizations more time to address concerns, identify areas of compromise and avoid being surprised by opposition.
Ruben Lindo: Refine your positions and strategies
Before session begins, organizations should be asking difficult questions about their own positions. What is the strongest argument against the proposal? Who bears the cost? What evidence supports the organization’s position? Are there unintended consequences? What questions are likely to come up in a hearing or meeting? Is there a narrower or more workable approach that could achieve the same objective?
That exercise can help identify weaknesses before they are raised by a lawmaker, stakeholder or opposing interest. It also gives organizations an opportunity to refine their position, strengthen the supporting evidence, and develop a more complete response to challenges they may face.
The strongest advocacy is rarely built around a single talking point. It is built around an argument that acknowledges real concerns while remaining persuasive under scrutiny.
Founded in 2015, Shenker Russo & Clark LLP, is a Government Affairs and Alcohol Beverage Licensing / Hospitality Law Firm located one-half block from the New York State Capitol on State Street in Albany, New York. www.srclawoffices.com
