With New York serving as the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, the Empire Center has been closely monitoring the unbelievable impact the virus has had on millions of people. Empire Center analysts have been contributing almost daily to the #NYCoronavirus Chronicles—a special series dedicated to detailing what state and local governments should do to keep people safe and responsibly manage the state’s finances.

Overall, the response to New York’s budgetary challenges from Governor Cuomo and the New York Legislature have been far from perfect, with lawmakers refusing to significantly reduce spending in hopes they’ll be saved by a federal bailout. However, one of our top recommendations—a pay freeze for state employees—was adopted (at least temporarily) to save millions of dollars. The Empire Center will continue developing and defending ideas to accelerate New York’s recovery in the weeks and months ahead.