Plugged In @ Hinman Straub – May 31, 2017

Coverage of Albany and New York State government

  • Governor Announces Judicial Appointments
  • Governor Calls for Federal Assistance at Penn Station
  • Governor Announces Release of Citizens’ Guide to Shared Services Initiative
  • Poll: Governor’s Approval Ratings Rise
  • Attorney General Announces Settlement With Target Over 2013 Data Breach
  • Attorney General Announces Settlement With Tech Company Over Sale of Insecure Wireless Padlocks
  • Profiles of Newly Elected Legislators
  • IDC Releases Video Highlighting Support for Progressive Policies
  • Political Update
  • Coming Up

Governor Announces Judicial Appointments

Last week, Monday, Gov. Cuomo announced a number of appointments to the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court, the state’s intermediate-level trial court.

The Honorable Rolando Acosta was appointed as Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division for the First Judicial Department, and Supreme Court Justices Cynthia Kern, Peter Moulton, Jeffrey Oing and Anil Singh were appointed to fill four Associate Justice vacancies.

In the Second Department, Supreme Court Justices Linda Christopher and Angela Iannacci were designated to fill two Associate Justice vacancies.

Supreme Court Justices Stanley Pritzker and Philip Rumsey were designated to fill two Associate Justice vacancies on the Appellate Division-Third Department.

And in the Fourth Department, Supreme Court Justice Joanne Winslow was designed to fill an Associate Justice vacancy.

Governor Calls for Federal Assistance at Penn Station

Last Sunday, Gov. Cuomo wrote to President Trump, saying that the conditions at Penn Station have reached a crisis point and asking for the federal government to provide assistance for the short-term construction and transportation alternatives.  Amtrak said recently that it plans to close some of Penn Station’s 21 tracks for two extended periods this summer, from July 7 to July 25 and from Aug. 4 to Aug. 28, to make repairs.

The Governor called for the federal government to facilitate and help finance a long-term solution to the station’s troubles. He said that he does not believe that Amtrak, which owns the station, should continue to operate it, and suggested that some other entity should take over the construction and management of the station.

Last Tuesday, the Governor announced a competition to solicit ideas to improve subway service, with the promise of a $1 million prize.

Governor Announces Release of Citizens’ Guide to Shared Services Initiative

Last Thursday, Gov. Cuomo announced the release of a new citizens’ guide to the state’s shared services initiative, Considering Shared Government Services in New York State: A Guide for Citizens and Public Officials.  The guide was prepared by the Campbell Public Affairs Institute of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

The document is intended to serve as a blueprint on how to get the best results from their county’s shared services planning efforts.  The County-Wide Shared Services Initiative, which was enacted as part of the state’s 2017-18 budget, requires County Chief Executive Officers in the 57 counties outside of New York City to convene Shared Services Panels to identify and develop shared services projects in an effort to reduce property taxes.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“The shared services initiative empowers citizens to directly engage their local elected officials in finding ways to cut property taxes by reducing the cost of local government.  This guide from the prestigious Maxwell School will be a vital asset for each county and each citizen as they work to reduce their own property taxes.”

Poll:  Governor’s Approval Ratings Rise

A Siena College Research Institute poll released last Wednesday shows Gov. Cuomo’s approval rating hitting a second term high at 61 percent. The Governor holds a 17-point lead against a hypothetical opponent, with 53 percent of voters saying they would prefer to reelect him and 36 percent who would vote for “someone else.”

View the poll crosstabs here.

Attorney General Announces Settlement With Target Over 2013 Data Breach

Last week, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced that that 47 states and the District of Columbia have reached a settlement with the Target Corporation to resolve the states’ investigation into the retail company’s 2013 data breach. Target has agreed to pay $18.5 million and improve its cybersecurity systems under the settlement.

The 2013 data breach affected more than 41 million customer payment card accounts and exposed contact information for more than 60 million customers. The agreement, which is the largest multistate data breach settlement to date, will result in $635,224 for New York State.

Attorney General Schneiderman said:

“New Yorkers need to know that when they shop, their data will be protected.  This settlement marks an important win for New Yorkers – bringing over $635,000 into the state, in addition to the free credit monitoring services for those impacted by the data breach, and key security improvements to help protect Target consumers moving forward.”

Attorney General Announces Settlement With Tech Company Over Sale of Insecure Wireless Padlocks

Last week, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced that his office has entered into a settlement agreement with Safetech Products LLC over the sale of insecure wireless padlocks.  Safetech has agreed to encrypt all passwords, electronic keys or other credentials in its locks and other Bluetooth-enabled devices, to prompt users to change the default password upon initial setup of wireless communication, and to establish a comprehensive security program.

Attorney General Schneiderman said:

“Today’s settlement with Safetech marks the first time an Attorneys General’s Office has taken legal action against a wireless security company for failing to protect their customer’s personal and private information.  Companies employing new technologies must implement and promote good security practices and ensure that their products are secure, including through the use of encryption. Together, with the help of companies like Safetech, we can safeguard against breaches and illegal intrusions on our private data.”

Profiles of Newly Elected Legislators

Brian Benjamin (D) — 30th Senate District

Democrat Brian Benjamin was elected to fill the vacancy in the 30th Senate District, which includes Harlem, East Harlem, Upper West Side, Washington Heights, Hamilton Heights and Morningside Heights.  He replaces Bill Perkins, who was elected to the New York City Council.

His policy priorities include addressing that state’s school funding formula so that New York City schools receive their fair funding; promoting affordable housing and tenants’ rights; and investing in technology-based skills training.

Christine Pellegrino (D) – 9th Assembly District

In an upset, Democrat Christine Pellegrino won the special election for Long Island’s 9th Assembly District on Tuesday, defeating Conservative Tom Gargiulo 58 percent to 42 percent. Republicans hold a 13-point registration advantage in the district, and have held the seat for decades.

Pellegrino, an elementary school reading teacher, is a strong supporter of the movement to opt-out of the Common Core standardized tests.  She had significant support from the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) and grassroots education advocates.

Senate Democrats, IDC Continue to Spar

With the election of Democrat Brian Benjamin to the Senate, there are now 32 Democrats sitting in the State Senate, compared to 31 Republicans.  But because Senator Simcha Felder, a Democrat who ran on both major-party lines in 2016, conferences with Republicans, and the eight members of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) are aligned with the Senate Republicans, the mainline Senate Democrats are in the minority.

The state’s Working Families Party (WFP) called on the eight members of the Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) to end their leadership coalition with the Senate Republicans and realign themselves with the Senate’s mainline Democrats.  The WFP is calling on the Senate’s Democrats to unify in order to pursue a progressive anti-Trump “Resistance Agenda” that the group says is being blocked by the Senate’s Republican conference.

It does not appear that the IDC will reunite with the mainline Democratic conference any time soon.  The IDC released a video in which IDC members pledge their support for abortion rights; the DREAM Act; single payer health care; publicly-funded political campaigns; and counteracting the policies of the Trump Administration.  The video appears to be a challenge to the Senate’s mainline Democrats to muster the votes needed to get these issue passed in the State Senate.

Political Update

Assemblyman to Run for Rensselaer County Executive

Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin (R-Troy) has announced that he plans to run for Rensselaer County Executive.  The incumbent, Kathy Jimino, recently announced that she will not run for a fifth term.

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

The Legislature is not in Albany this week.  Lawmakers return to Albany on Monday, June 5. There are 11 scheduled session days remaining in the 2017 legislative session.

The Indian Point Closure Task Force will meet on May 31 in Cortland.

The State Board of Elections holds its next meeting on June 1.

The Board of Regents holds its next meeting on June 12 and 13.

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

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