|
Presented by Con Edison: Your afternoon must-read briefing informing the daily conversation among knowledgeable New Yorkers | | | | |  | | By Joseph Spector | Presented by Con Edison | All was largely quiet in the Assembly and Senate in mid-afternoon as lawmakers slowly filed into their seats for what will be a marathon stretch today to finish off the legislative session. As colleague Bill Mahoney pointed out, the Capitol isn’t as frenetic as most end of sessions are generally. There are no plans for a “Big Ugly,” which is Albany-speak for a one large bill that includes all sorts of unfinished business. Instead, the last official day of session is expected to be orderly — if not lengthy and substantial. The final bills as part of an abortion-rights package are set for approval in the Assembly; the Senate and Assembly will pass a nation-leading gun-control package; and the sides already agreed to extend mayoral control in New York City for two years. “I was worried we were going to wind up with a Big Ugly, and I’m really pleased we’re not,” Assemblymember Pat Fahy (D-Albany) told Mahoney. “When it’s a Big Ugly, there’s a lot of stuff I find pretty ugly.” Another item fell off the table Thursday: A constitutional amendment to codify abortion rights and other personal beliefs was scrapped. And it was increasingly unlikely that the Clean Slate Act, which would seal most criminal records after individuals have completed their sentences, would be taken up before lawmakers leave Albany for the year and head home to campaign. There aren’t any plans for messages of necessity to rush bills to the floor or any late-night surprises — at least yet. “I want to avoid messages of necessities and ‘big uglies,’” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) told reporters. “That is my hope. I believe it will work out like that.” | | A message from Con Edison: We're on the move—toward a clean energy future for our home. And the steps we take today are inspiring the generation of tomorrow. Con Edison is already working to push that vision forward with a commitment to power New York with 100% clean energy by 2040. From making it easier to install solar panels to offering electric vehicle incentives, we’re proving a clean energy future isn’t just possible—it’s present. See Our Energy Future | | |
IT’S THURSDAY: Welcome back to Playbook PM as we guide you through the final day(s) of the legislative session in Albany, the primary season and all the political doings in New York City. Thanks for reading!
|  | From the Capitol | |
THE CLEAN SLATE HOLD UP: State education officials have “expressed concerns to lawmakers” that the Clean Slate legislation would bar the department from fulfilling certain screening requirements for teachers and other employees under their purview.
The State Education Department wants its Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability and Office of the Professions to be able to “appropriately access and base decisions on criminal history information related to applicants for certification, licensure, and those licensees under investigation for alleged violations or harm to the public.” In NYSED’s view, according to a statement, “the current version of the bill does not address these concerns for the purposes of background checks for prospective school employees and certification of teachers and administrators and does not fully address these concerns for other professions.” Many of the bill’s advocates and sponsors disagree. — Anna Gronewold CARL SIGHTING: Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, whose Capitol showings have been fewer than his Senate counterparts this year, was spotted at a photo op on the third floor this afternoon. He declined to comment on the proposed constitutional amendment on abortion or Clean Slate legislation, saying he needs a “permission slip” from his communications folks before making any statements. He was equally evasive when asked what time he predicted they would adjourn tonight. — Anna Gronewold MORE VLTS FOR LONG ISLAND: The Senate late Wednesday passed a bill that will allow Jake's 58 Casino Hotel in Islandia to double its number of video-lottery terminals from 1,000 to 2,000 in expectation of more competition from new casino licenses in New York City. POLITICO reported last week that the bill was destined for Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk after an agreement was reached in the Legislature. The bill was moving through the Assembly for final approval today. LIVE TICKET REGS: Democratic lawmakers are set to adopt changes to the state’s live-event ticket regulations, including requiring ticket sellers to promptly disclose the full cost of a ticket to consumers (rather than surprising them with fees when they’re about to complete a purchase) and directing companies reselling tickets to disclose how much a ticket was initially purchased for.” — via Capitol Pressroom’s David Lombardo | | FROM CITY HALL | |
MAYOR DEFENDS GUN TASK FORCE: Mayor Eric Adams defended the leader of his new gun violence task force, which will meet weekly with the administration’s cabinet and agency representatives. The task force, the details of which were first reported by The New York Times on Wednesday, will include deputy mayors from the administration along with the police commissioner and the schools chancellor.
Each agency will also designate a representative to the organization. The group will be co-chaired by Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Sheena Wright and Andre T. Mitchell, founder of a violence prevention group called Man Up! Mitchell was the subject of a 2019 probe by the Department of Investigation, which found that he had improperly steered money from his organization into his personal bank account and had hired family members for various positions. The Department of Probation also found that Man Up! did not have reliable bookkeeping. Adams said that Mitchell has since complied with various recommendations to bring his finances above board, and that his decades working to prevent gun violence made him the logical pick. “We’re not looking for a nun,” Adams said. “We’re looking for someone who is not afraid to be in the street and embrace our people. We are looking for the right person for the job. And A.T. is the right person for the job.” Adams said that the concept of the task force was to pair violence prevention groups doing work on the ground with decision-makers in the administration in the hopes of better meeting the needs of nonprofits. “Think about that for a moment: The person on the ground is co-chairing with a deputy mayor. The highest end of my government is being focused on this issue in a real way," he said. | | | | A message from Con Edison:   | | |
| | ON THE BEATS | |
TRANSPORTATION: Future infrastructure projects pushed by the state will be subject to more scrutiny going forward, under a pair of bills passed by lawmakers in the closing days of Albany's legislative session . One bill, which passed both chambers Tuesday, will require the Empire State Development Corp., a state agency, to make its community advisory meetings open to the public. Another bill approved by the Legislature on March 18 will strengthen the Public Authorities Control Board, an entity with final say over public financing projects. The move comes as Gov. Kathy Hochul uses the Empire State Development Corp. to push through a controversial proposal to redevelop the area around Penn Station to fund improvements to the rail hub.
Lawmakers haven't passed a bill that would allow New York City to set speed limits below 25 miles per hour. The legislation, named Sammy’s Law after a 12-year-old who was hit and killed by a driver in 2013, has been a top priority for street advocates worried about rising traffic fatality levels. Interestingly, a similar bill allowing smaller villages to set speed limits to 25 miles per hour did pass the Assembly and Senate. Two other bills that were priority items for transit groups did pass: legislation requiring the instruction of pedestrian and bicycling safety in driver’s education courses and a bill that increases funding for projects municipalities are pursuing that add design features for pedestrians and bicyclists. — Danielle Muoio Dunn ENERGY: Environmental groups were pleased with the passage of an advanced building codes and appliance efficiency standards measure by the Legislature. The measure does not mandate a phase-out of fossil fuels in new construction, as Hochul had proposed in her budget and the Senate had backed, but allows the building codes council to consider lifecycle costs and benefits and emissions impacts of the code. It will also enable Hochul to appoint the heads of DEC and NYSERDA to the council. Some unions and environmental advocates were also pushing the Assembly to bring to a vote a newer bill that would enable utilities to build geothermal networks to decarbonize buildings. The bill, NY S9422 (21R) , already has passed the Senate. “It’s a good national model for how we can find common solutions to advance climate progress while uplifting New York’s workforce,” said Lisa Dix, who heads up the New York work of the Building Decarbonization Coalition. John Murphy, International Representative of the United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters and Sprinkler Fitters, worked with Dix and AGREE’s Jessica Azulay on the bill. “This is a crucial or a critical step forward to saying there’s a roadmap to decarbonize effectively, efficiently and sensibly without putting additional demand on the electric grid,” Murphy said. — Marie J. French EDUCATION: Adams touched on the immigrant experience as well as his humble beginnings at the commencement ceremony for students at Queens College this morning. Adams said that while the nation has its flaws, there aren’t other places where the country is linked to a dream. "There’s not a German dream, there’s not a French dream, there’s not a Polish dream but darn it, there’s an American dream and that dream is so significant and I believe in all of my heart that I do pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. I pledge allegiance to that flag,” he said during a speech. He called for opening borders to immigrant populations and “allow them to come and appreciate what America has to offer.” The mayor also pointed to his “difficult start,” noting he grew up in Queens, was arrested at the age of 15 and had dyslexia. "I was arrested, dyslexic and now I’m elected as the mayor of the city of New York,” he said. “Don’t surrender, don’t give up. Forge ahead and don’t be distracted.” — Madina Touré EDUCATION: New York has a new member on the state Board of Regents. The Legislature elected Dr. Roger P. Catania to serve on the 17-member board to represent parts of the North Country and northern Albany area. Catania is a former superintendent for the Lake Placid Central School District — Joseph Spector | | The Campaign Trail | |
NO HOCHUL, NO PROBLEM: The gubernatorial debate season officially kicks off tonight with the first Democratic one — minus Hochul.
Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams will square off by themselves during the NY1-sponsored debate. Hochul, of course, will be monitoring the last day of session in Albany. Hochul, Williams and Suozzi will all be on stage next Tuesday for the first three-candidate debate, hosted by CBS in Manhattan. As for tonight’s debate, Spectrum customers can watch it live at 7 p.m. on the Spectrum News App and on Optimum channel 64 — Joseph Spector MORE CANDIDATES, PLEASE: Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon (D-Brooklyn) announced that she will join the crowd competing for an open Congressional seat in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. While the district runs from 14th Street down through Sunset Park, no area will be more competitive than Simon’s home turf. A POLITICO analysis of turnout in the newly drawn seat showed that, during the last midterm, votes were concentrated in Brooklyn neighborhoods like Cobble Hill and Park Slope. Simon’s own Assembly district, as she noted in a campaign announcement today, leads the entire state in turnout. “I’ve dedicated my life to fighting for equal rights for all of us — as a civil rights lawyer and a legislator — and I’m ready to take that fight to Congress,” she said in a statement. “We need bold actions right now to protect our climate, improve our educational system, end gun violence, protect access to abortion, and indeed, our very democracy. I have a proven track record of success in these areas.” — Joe Anuta | | AROUND NEW YORK | |
— Construction has resumed on a massive $1 billion development project in Hyde Park, home of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.
— The 911 operator who mishandled a call from the site of the Buffalo mass murder last month has been fired. — The new hottest thing in the Hamptons is … pickleball. — Officials in Rochester are calling for the cancelation of a “Reawaken America Tour” event planned for the Main Street Armory. — GOP gubernatorial hopeful Andrew Giuliani told a Syracuse audience that he wants to “re-fund” the police. | | A message from Con Edison: We can all make a 100% clean energy New York a reality. It’s as simple as a few swaps to get started. Whether it’s updating to clean heating and cooling in your business or switching to an induction stovetop in your kitchen, every smart change you make can power so much more. See Our Energy Future | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |  |
