New York lawmakers routinely approve costly legislation without publicly disclosing what it will cost taxpayers, according to the Times Union. In some cases, bills worth billions list their fiscal impact as “to be determined.”
The practice surfaced again with semiconductor incentives backed by Kathy Hochul and Charles E. Schumer, which later translated into at least $5.5 billion in public subsidies. Unlike most states, New York allows partisan lawmakers — not nonpartisan staff — to write cost sections, and doesn’t require fiscal notes for major bills…