Primary Prep: Assembly primaries, Voters back Hochul on congestion pricing

And a pair of closely watched social media regulation bills were signed into law.

Good afternoon — it’s Thursday and the Summer Solstice.

THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2024

TODAY’S CAPCON:

• The primaries to watch between Democrats running for the Assembly.

• A new poll shows how voters feel about Hochul and how session ended.

• Hochul has signed the social media bills into law. What’s next?

🥵 Tonight’s Weather: Albany: Scattered storms, low 70s. New York City: Partly cloudy, high 70s. (National Weather Service)

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☑️ Note: We’ll get to those primaries in a moment. First, here’s a bit from today.

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(SDI Productions/Getty Images)

🚘 Voters back Hochul on congestion pricing, knock the Legislature on environmental bills

📊 A poll released Thursday by Siena College had good and bad news for Hochul and was critical of the Legislature.

A decision from Gov. Kathy HOCHUL that enraged progressive members of the state Legislature has broad support from voters across the political spectrum in New York, a new poll found Thursday.

That was Hochul’s decision to delay congestion pricing, a new toll that was set to charge drivers $15 for entering the busiest parts of Manhattan at the start of July.

• State lawmakers from Manhattan were not happy about the decision and how Hochul announced it in the final week of this year’s legislative session.

But a new poll out Thursday from Siena College found voters in New York don’t agree with those legislators and believe Hochul made the right call.

• 45 percent of registered voters said they support Hochul’s decision while 23 percent oppose it.

• In New York City, 45 percent also said they support Hochul’s decision and 30 percent oppose it.

• In the suburbs of the city, 56 percent of voters side with Hochul and 18 percent oppose it.

Hochul herself isn’t as popular with voters. She reached her lowest-ever favorability and job approval ratings in the poll.