Hochul Confronts Tax, Budget Battles After Top Judge’s Defeat

The New York state Senate’s rejection of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s nominee for top judge may have shifted the power dynamic between the newly elected moderate Democratic governor and the growing left-leaning side of the state legislature, setting up future battles over whether to increase taxes on the wealthy and raise the minimum wage.

The Senate, in an unprecedented move, on Wednesday in a 20-39 vote discarded Hochul’s nominee Hector D. LaSalle from serving as chief judge on the state Court of Appeals. The vote ended a standoff between state lawmakers and Hochul over how the nomination should proceed. What happens ...