Plugged In @ Hinman Straub – January 29, 2016

Coverage of Albany and New York State government – January 29, 2016

What’s Inside 

  • Legislative Budget Review Hearings Continue
  • Senate, Assembly Leaders Agree on Legislative Budget Schedule
  • Governor Launches Campaign to Pass Paid Family Leave
  • Attorney General Releases Report on Ticket Industry Abuses
  • Assembly Speaker Appoints Anti-Poverty Work Group
  • Rockefeller Institute Launches Constitutional Convention Website
  • Assembly Approves Bill to Require Contraceptive Coverage
  • Teachers Union Files Lawsuit Over Teacher Evaluations, Improvement Plans
  • Political Update
  • Coming Up

 

Legislative Budget Review Hearings Continue

Joint legislative budget hearings to review Gov. Cuomo’s 2016-17 Executive Budget proposal continued this week.

At Monday’s hearing on the proposed health budget, state health officials reported progress on curbing Medicaid costs for 6.3 million New Yorkers, telling lawmakers that annual spending growth has dropped to 1.4%. The Governor’s Executive Budget proposes spending $63.3 billion for medical care of low-income residents in the 2016-17 fiscal year, half of which is federally funded.

Lawmakers also expressed concern about the Governor’s proposed minimum wage increase, from $9 per hour to $15 per hour in 2019 in New York City and in 2022 in the rest of the state, and its impact on hospitals and health care providers. They asked how nonprofit and public health entities that provide health care to New Yorkers, many through contracts with the state, will be able to absorb the higher wages that the Governor has proposed.

On Tuesday, local government leaders from around the state made their case to lawmakers. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio urged lawmakers to fund public housing, infrastructure and health care, while also defending the city’s spending and tax practices. The mayors of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany also testified, talking about the impact of the state budget on their respective city’s finances.

On Wednesday, lawmakers heard testimony on the state’s spending plan for education. State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia outlined a request for a $2.4 billion increase in education funding in the next fiscal year. She also called for an elimination of the Gap Elimination Adjustment, and recommended funding increases for pre-kindergarten programs, teacher training and support for English language learners. (Her testimony is here.) The Republican-led Senate has indicated that its top priority will be the elimination of the Gap Elimination Adjustment this year. The Democratic Assembly is expected to push for an increase in Foundation Aid, which was established after the state Court of Appeals in 2006 ruled in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity case that New York State was failing to meet its constitutional responsibilities by underfunding schools.

On Thursday, legislators questioned Department of Environmental Conservation Commission Basil Seggos on the environmental conservation aspects of the Executive budget proposal. Issues that came up at the hearing included the Governor’s $300 million proposal for the Environmental Protection Fund, invasive species, the need for more electric car charging stations, and how the state is addressing climate change.

Legislative budget hearings continue next week on the following topics:

  • Monday, Feb. 1 — Housing
  • Tuesday, Feb. 2 (morning) – Taxes
  • Tuesday, Feb. 2 (afternoon) – Economic Development
  • Wednesday, Feb. 3 (morning) – Mental Hygiene
  • Wednesday, Feb. 3 (afternoon) – Workforce Development
  • Thursday, Feb. 4 – Public Protection

 

Senate, Assembly Leaders Agree on Legislative Budget Schedule

The legislative leaders have announced an agreement on schedule for legislative budget actions, which is as follows:

  • February 25 (tentative) – Senate & Assembly Fiscal Committee Economic & Revenue Reports released
  • February 29(tentative) – Joint Revenue Forecasting Conference
  • March 1 (on or before) – Revenue Consensus Report released
  • March 14 – Senate & Assembly approve respective one-house budget bills
  • March 15 – Joint Senate & Assembly Budget Conference Committees commence
  • March 22 – Final Report of the Joint Conference Committee
  • March 28-31 – Joint Legislative Budget bills taken up by Senate & Assembly

 

Governor Launches Campaign to Pass Paid Family Leave

Earlier today, Gov. Cuomo announced the launch of the “Strong Families, Strong New York” campaign to push for passage of the Governor’s paid family leave proposal in New York State.

As part of his Executive Budget, the Governor has proposed a 12 week paid family leave policy. The Governor’s proposal would offer 12 weeks of employee-funded leave to be used for caring for a new child or a sick relative. It would also guarantee employees the right to return to their current job upon their return.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“There are times in life when family comes first – like when a child is born, a loved one is sick, or a parent is dying – and I believe everyone deserves the right to be there in those times. The lack of paid family leave is a rampant economic injustice that runs against the grain of the American promise. It’s unacceptable that people are still forced to choose between caring for their families and keeping their jobs, and we’re going to change that in New York. We’re going to pass 12 weeks of paid family leave and stand up for what’s really important in life – and I urge all New Yorkers to join us in this fight.”

 

Attorney General Releases Report on Ticket Industry Abuses

On Thursday, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced the release of a report on the live entertainment ticketing industry, the result of a three-year investigation of the online ticketing market by his office.

The report, titled Obstructed View: What’s Blocking New Yorkers from Getting Tickets, looks at ticket resellers and brokers, and highlights “troubling industry practices that work to keep affordable tickets out of the hands of ordinary New Yorkers.”

The report finds that:

  • Just 46% of tickets (on average) are offered for sale to the general public when event tickets first go on sale;
  • Many ticket brokers use computer “bots” to purchase large numbers of tickets from the box office;
  • Secondary sellers inflate ticket prices by 50% (on average); and
  • Some sports teams impose “price floors” on secondary ticket sales that result in artificially high prices.

Attorney General Schneiderman said:

“Ticketing is a fixed game. My office will continue to crack down on those who break our laws, prey on ordinary consumers and deny New Yorkers affordable access to the concerts and sporting events they love. This investigation is just the beginning of our efforts to create a level playing field in the ticket industry.”

 

Assembly Speaker Appoints Anti-Poverty Work Group

Earlier today, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced the appointment of an Assembly Majority anti-poverty work group. The work group will consider issues related to nutrition and hunger; literacy, funding needy schools and higher education; supportive housing, shelters and rental assistance; fair labor practices, including a meaningful minimum wage; job training; access to quality child care and after-school programs; and access to health care.

Speaker Heastie said:

“Nearly 1.4 million people in this state currently live in conditions of extreme poverty. There are unacceptable rates of poverty among New York’s children, elderly, women and minorities. We need to find ways to break the vicious cycle that forces people to focus on getting by and never allows them to focus on getting ahead.”

 

Rockefeller Institute Launches Constitutional Convention Website

The Rockefeller Institute, public policy think tank located within the SUNY system, announced that it has launched a multi-year educational campaign that is designed to promote awareness and understanding of the 2017 New York State Constitutional Convention referendum. Its partners in the effort include the Government Law Center at Albany Law School, the League of Women Voters of New York State, and the Siena Research Institute.

The state constitution requires that once every twenty years, voters are given to the opportunity to vote on whether the state should hold a convention to revise and amend the state constitution. This question will be on the ballot again in November 2017.

Learn more about this issue here.

 

Assembly Approves Bill to Require Contraceptive Coverage

On Monday, the Assembly approved the Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act (A.8135-B), which would require health insurance plans in the state to cover all FDA-approved categories of contraceptive drugs, devices, and products, as well as voluntary sterilization procedures, contraceptive education and counseling, and related follow up services. It would also prohibit insurance companies from imposing any cost-sharing requirements such as co-payments or deductibles.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said:

“By ensuring that women are able to make their own reproductive choices, we are creating a much brighter future for everyone. Research has shown that women whose income falls below the poverty line are much more susceptible to unplanned pregnancies. This legislation would ensure that women are never forced to forgo contraceptives or other family planning services.”

 

Teachers Union Files Lawsuit Over Teacher Evaluations, Improvement Plans

On Tuesday, the state’s largest teachers union filed a lawsuit against the State Education Department (SED) and the Board of Regents, claiming that changes made to teacher evaluations and improvement plans violate collective bargaining rights.

New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) filed the suit in state Supreme Court in Albany on behalf of four teachers and six local teachers unions. The union is challenging two specific provisions of current law. The first gives school superintendents the ability to create and implement teacher or principal improvement plans for those rated “developing” or “ineffective” under the evaluation system. The second gives school superintendents the power to make corrective action to an evaluation plan if the state education commissioner says it does not meet the necessary criteria — essentially the authority to alter the plan agreed to by the school district and local union.

Read NYSUT’s lawsuit here.

 

Political Update

Nassau GOP Taps Attorney to Run in Special Election

On Thursday, the Nassau County Republican Committee chose Christopher McGrath, a personal injury attorney, as its candidate to run in an April 19th special election to replace former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos in the 9th Senate District.

Gov. Cuomo has not yet called for a special election to be held, but he is expected to do so in the near future. McGrath will face Democratic Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky, a former federal prosecutor.

The 9th Senate district includes the Nassau County communities of Long Beach, Cedarhurst, Island Park, Lawrence, Lynbrook, Malverne, Rockville Centre and Valley Stream.

Teachout to Run for Congress in 19th CD

Zephyr Teachout announced this week that she plans to run to replace Rep. Chris Gibson in New York’s 19th Congressional District. Teachout, an associate professor of Law at Fordham University, ran for Governor in 2014. She lost to Gov. Cuomo in the Democratic primary.

Three GOP candidates have already begun campaigning: Former state Assembly minority leader John Faso in Columbia County, heating oil executive Andrew Heaney in Dutchess Count and Bob Bishop, a hay executive and farmer in Delaware County.

The 19th C.D. includes all of Ulster and Sullivan, Columbia, Schoharie, Otsego, Delaware, Greene counties, part of Montgomery, Dutchess, Rensselaer counties, and one town in Broome County.

Winners & Losers

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

 

Coming Up

The Conservative Party of New York State is holding its annual political action conference in Albany on January 31 and February 1.

The Legislature is in session Monday and Tuesday next week, February 1 and 2.

Legislative budget hearings continue next week on the following topics:

  • Monday, Feb. 1 — Housing
  • Tuesday, Feb. 2 (morning) – Taxes
  • Tuesday, Feb. 2 (afternoon) – Economic Development
  • Wednesday, Feb. 3 (morning) – Mental Hygiene
  • Wednesday, Feb. 3 (afternoon) – Workforce Development
  • Thursday, Feb. 4 – Public Protection

The Senate Judiciary Committee will take up Gov. Cuomo’s nomination of Michael Garcia as an Associate Judge of the Court of Appeals on Feb. 8.

The Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) holds its next meeting on February 17.

The Board of Regents holds its next meeting on February 22 and 23.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) holds its next meeting on February 23.

The state Board of Elections holds its next meeting on February 23.

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