Plugged In @ Hinman Straub – March 14, 2018

Coverage of Albany and New York State government

  • State Budget Update
  • Senate Approves School Safety Package; Assembly Approves Gun Control Bills
  • Governor Releases Open Letter to President Trump Urging Action on Gun Control
  • Governor, Comptroller Announce Decarbonization Advisory Panel
  • Senate Releases Plan to Promote New York Agriculture
  • State Democratic Party Launches Campaign on Women’s Issues
  • Governor Pushes ‘Democracy Agenda’
  • Governor Criticizes Federal Offshore Drilling Plan, Announces Renewable Energy Projects
  • NYC Mayor Calls for Ban on Single Use Plastic Bags
  • Coalition Opposes State Effort on Tipped Wages
  • Political Update
  • Coming Up

State Budget Update

State lawmakers are expected to take a major step forward in the state budget process later today when they their respective one house budget proposals.  That should be followed by a conference committee process through which lawmakers will work to resolve their differences, before entering into negotiations with the Governor.

According the schedule released by the legislative leaders in early February, lawmakers expect to approve the state’s 2018-19 budget by March 29, before the start of the new fiscal year on April 1.

Senate Approves School Safety Package; Assembly Approves Gun Control Bills

Lawmakers took action on bills responding to the recent Florida school shooting last week, but it is unclear whether the two houses will be able to reach agreement on any legislation.

The Republican-controlled State Senate approved a comprehensive school safety package that includes new school security funding, increasing the availability of school resource officers and improving mental health services in schools.

The Democratic-controlled Assembly approved a series of bills focused on keeping guns away from people who may pose a danger to others.  Their package bills that would prevent individuals determined to be a danger to themselves or others from possessing or purchasing firearms, establish a longer waiting period before delivery of a purchased firearm to a person who has not cleared a background check and ban devices that turn legal firearms into machines guns, commonly referred to as “bump stocks.”

Governor Releases Open Letter to President Trump Urging Action on Gun Control

Last Wednesday, Gov. Cuomo released an open letter to President Trump urging him to take action on gun control.

The Governor wrote:

“Major political change comes when a window of opportunity opens and a leader seizes the moment. There are brief moments in history where attention, passion and drive combine to unite the American people and overwhelm the forces preserving the status quo and create change.

The American gun crisis has long been a plague and scourge on our country. You can do something about it and the American people would support it. This is the moment. The Republicans will follow your lead. Yes, they fear the NRA, but they fear the enraged citizen majority more.”

Governor, Comptroller Announce Decarbonization Advisory Panel

Last week, Gov. Cuomo and State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced the members of the state’s Decarbonization Advisory Panel, which the Governor initially announced in December.

The panel will advise the Comptroller, as trustee of the $209.1 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund), on how best to mitigate investment risks stemming from climate change and maximize opportunities from the new, low-carbon economy.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“To address the risks of climate change, New York will continue to take bold action to invest in the use of renewable resources, support the growth of sustainable businesses, and help build a clean energy economy.  We look forward to this panel’s recommendations on how best to decarbonize the pension fund in a way that will secure retirement for hardworking New Yorkers and help support the overall health of the state’s economy and protect our environment for generations to come.”

Senate Releases Plan to Promote New York Agriculture

Last week, the Senate Majority released the Growing Strong plan, a package of initiatives to support New York’s family farmers, increase opportunity and create new farm-related jobs by expanding markets and reducing production costs.

The initiatives include:

  • directing state regulators to study existing state regulations that are harmful to farming;
  • creating a one-stop hotline for farmers seeking information on available state funding and resources to grow their businesses;
  • providing a tax credit for dairy farmers to encourage investment in facilities and equipment that will allow them to take advantage of a growing demand for “value-added” dairy products, like flavored drinks, yogurts, and other products;
  • modernizing regulations for home processors;
  • supporting efforts to recognize “New York” products; and
  • expanding agricultural P-Tech education programs.

State Democratic Party Launches Campaign on Women’s Issues

Last Wednesday, the state Democratic Committee launched a campaign that focuses on issues impacting women, including sexual harassment, domestic abuse, abortion rights and access to reproductive health services. The effort will target Republican-held congressional and state Senate districts.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“While President Trump and Washington Republicans support people like Roy Moore and Rob Porter, New York will lead the way with the strongest sexual harassment laws in the nation. New York is the birthplace of the women’s movement and fighting for equality and opportunity is in our DNA. We will use this moment to turn outrage into progress and build on New York’s legacy as national model for women’s rights.”

Governor Pushes ‘Democracy Agenda’

Last Thursday, Gov. Cuomo, joined by U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D – Minnesota), called for   the state legislature to approve legislation that he has proposed that would mandate transparency in political advertising and require online platforms to maintain an archive of political ads and strengthen the state’s election infrastructure in order to protect state elections from foreign influence. The Governor argues that state action is needed to protect the integrity of our elections because the federal government has yet to act.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“Hacking violations are a fundamental crisis that goes to the bedrock of our democracy.  This legislation cracks down on the toxic cocktail of social media explosion, lack of protection and regulation and targeting in social media to protect the integrity of our elections once and for all.”

Last week, the Assembly approved the Governor’s proposal to expand the state’s disclosure requirements for political communications. (Read more about this issue on our Lobbying, Ethics and Elections Compliance blog.)

Governor Criticizes Federal Offshore Drilling Plan, Announces Renewable Energy Projects

On Friday,, Gov. Cuomo was joined by former Vice President Al Gore to denounce the Trump administration’s proposal to open up new areas to offshore drilling.  The Governor also formally requested an exclusion from the new five-year National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, and announced that the state will advance 26 large-scale renewable energy projects – 22 solar farms, three wind farms and one hydroelectric project — throughout the state.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“Instead of protecting our waters from another oil spill, like the one that devastated the Gulf, this new federal plan only increases the chances of another disaster taking place.  This is a total disregard for science, reality, and history, and their actions defy everything we know. We believe the future is a clean energy economy and New York is going to lead a counter-movement to what this administration is doing to the environment and illuminate the path forward.”

NYC Mayor Calls for Ban on Single Use Plastic Bags

Mayor Bill de Blasio, via Twitter, called for a statewide ban on plastic shopping bags.  On Sunday, the Mayor tweeted “We need to ban plastic bags — the time for the debate on this is over. They’re bad for the environment, they’re bad for the economy, they’re bad for New York. The state is behind the curve here, it’s time to put our planet first.”

In 2017, the New York City Council passed a bill that would have imposed a five cent fee on every plastic or paper grocery bag as a way to reduce litter and help the environment.  But state lawmakers passed their own bill that pre-empted the city’s law.

Gov. Cuomo then established a state Plastic Bag Task Force to study the issue.  In January, the Task Force released a report which included a series of option to address plastic bag litter, but did not make any specific recommendations.

Coalition Opposes State Effort on Tipped Wages

Earlier this week, a coalition of business owners and employees launched a web site to oppose an end to the tipped wage credit in New York. The effort comes as the state Department of Labor (DOL) is holding hearings that are reviewing the wage and could potentially eliminate it.

Gov. Cuomo announced in December that he plans to direct the state Commissioner of Labor to hold public hearings to examine industries and evaluate the possibility of ending minimum wage tip credits in New York State.

The current minimum wage for restaurant workers is between $7.50 and $8.65, depending on the area of the state, and tips are meant to bring them to the minimum wage of $10.40 or $13. The Governor’s proposal would not eliminate tipping, only the subminimum wage.

The DOL’s first hearings on the issue are scheduled for  April 20 on Long Island, April 25 in Watertown and April 30 in Syracuse.

Political Update

Undeclared GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Gains Support

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro has not said that he is running for Governor this fall, but he received the endorsement of 21 Republican county chairs last week.

The push for Molinaro comes after he won a straw poll on March 2nd at a meeting of Republican officials.

Report:  Sex and the City Star Preparing to Challenge Gov. Cuomo

NY1 reported last week that the actress Cynthia Nixon, a longtime education activist, has begun preparing to run for governor this fall. According to the report, she has been consulting with campaign operatives Rebecca Katz and Bill Hyers, who were behind Bill de Blasio’s first campaign for New York City mayor in 2013.

Nixon has not officially declared her candidacy, and a spokesperson said that she has not made a final decision on whether she plans to run.

Winners & Losers

Each week, City & State New York publishes a list of the week’s political “winners” and “losers.”  Read last week’s list here.

Coming Up

Lawmakers are scheduled to be in Albany through Thursday this week.

The Senate and Assembly are scheduled to approve their respective one-house budget proposals later today.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) holds its next meeting on March 15.

The Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) holds its next meeting on March 27.

The state’s 2018-19 State Fiscal year begins on April 1.

The state Board of Elections holds its next meeting on April 5.