Plugged In @ Hinman Straub – February 27, 2018

Coverage of Albany and New York State government

  • Northeaster Governors Launch States for Gun Safety Coalition
  • Governor Announces New Ad Campaign to Raise Awareness of Addiction Services
  • State Medicaid Director to Step Down
  • DeFrancisco Attacks Governor’s Proposed Tax Law Changes
  • Governor Announces Smart Street Lighting NY Program
  • Sheriffs’ Association Calls for Armed Resource Officers In Schools
  • Political Update
  • Coming Up

Northeaster Governors Launch States for Gun Safety Coalition

Last Thursday, Governors Andrew Cuomo of New York, Dan Malloy of Connecticut, Phil Murphy of New Jersey Governor and Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island announced the formation of the States for Gun Safety coalition to address gun violence.

The four states have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to share information about individuals who are prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm within each state; create a multi-state database to trace and intercept guns that are used in crimes as well as guns transported across state borders; and launch “the nation’s first Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium that will study the issue across multiple disciplines to better inform policy makers nationwide.”

Gov. Cuomo said:

“Rather than wait for the federal government to come to its senses and pass responsible gun safety legislation, New York is joining with New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island to take matters into our own hands. Not only will this groundbreaking partnership take new steps to prevent illegal guns from crossing state lines, but by forming the nation’s first Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium, we will be able to better inform policymakers nationwide on how to keep their communities safe.”

Governor Announces New Ad Campaign to Raise Awareness of Addiction Services

Last Wednesday, Gov. Cuomo announced the launch of the “You Don’t Have to be Alone” ad campaign to increase awareness of the availability of addiction services in the state. The campaign features real people who are in recovery and encourages people to seek help for substance use disorders through state offered services. The ads are available here.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“This administration is committed to using every tool we have to combat this opioid epidemic and help New Yorkers in need.  New York proudly leads the fight against this public health crisis and this campaign will further our efforts to provide support, aid recovery, and take one more step toward a stronger, healthier Empire State.”

State Medicaid Director to Step Down

Jason Helgerson, New York’s Medicaid director, will leave his position once the state’s 2018-19 budget is finalized.  Helgerson was responsible for New York’s effort to “redesign Medicaid, a $68-billion-a-year program serving more than 6.5 million people.

A spokesperson for Gov. Cuomo said:

“[Helgerson] was instrumental in redesigning New York’s Medicaid system to lower costs and help more residents, was invaluable with our efforts to secure the Medicaid waiver from the Obama administration that allowed the largest health care system transformation in the nation to continue, and greatly helped in our efforts to defeat punitive Republican federal legislation that would have devastated New York’s healthcare network.  We will miss him greatly and wish him well in his next chapter.”

DeFrancisco Attacks Governor’s Proposed Tax Law Changes

State Senator John DeFrancisco, who is also seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Gov. Cuomo in November, blasted the Governor’s budget proposal that would “thwart” part of the new federal tax bill.

Last week, Gov. Cuomo submitted budget amendments that would establish an optional payroll tax — still fully deductible under federal law — where employee wages would likely be reduced but workers would get a credit to offset what they owed in state income taxes; and allow the state, local governments and school districts to set up charitable funds that would allow taxpayers to donate money for the same purposes as their taxes, but receive credits against their state or local tax liability.

Senator DeFrancisco called the charitable funds proposal a “gimmick” that will not be permitted by the IRS. He said:

“This governor is so busy trying to gain national headlines that he fails to realize that the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers are benefitting from the Republican income tax cuts.  But in typical Cuomo fashion, Andrew is dreaming up a massive new government expansion that would raise administrative costs across the state, distract our school districts from providing the education our children need, and put taxpayers in legal jeopardy with the IRS. All of this governor’s magical thinking — with this scheme and so many others that have flopped over the past seven years — is designed to avoid the obvious: New York needs to cut taxes, which I will do as governor.”

Governor Announces Smart Street Lighting NY Program

Last week, Gov. Cuomo announced the Smart Street Lighting NY program, which calls for at least 500,000 street lights throughout the state to be replaced with energy-saving LED technology by 2025.

According to the Governor, the program could reduce energy consumption statewide by 482 gigawatt hours annually—the equivalent of nearly 45,000 households—saving taxpayers $87 million annually.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“This modernization program will help save taxpayer money, increase energy efficiency, and increase public safety through increased visibility,” Governor Cuomo said. “It’s a win-win-win that complements this administration’s efforts to fight climate change and create a cleaner, greener New York for all.”

Sheriffs’ Association Calls for Armed Resource Officers in Schools

In the wake of the killing of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, the New York State Sheriffs’ Association called on state lawmakers to approve funding for having at least one armed resource officer in New York schools.

With about 4,750 public schools and nearly 2,000 private schools educating students in grades K through 12 throughout the state, the group acknowledged that doing so would be expensive.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D- Bronx) rejected the proposal, saying that it “will only provide an illusion of safety.”  Instead, he called for “addressing the root causes of gun violence by reducing the number of guns on our streets, limiting access to these deadly weapons and increasing mental health services to ensure the kind of healthy environment that will allow kids to grow and thrive.”

Gov. Cuomo also rejected the idea, calling it “ludicrous and unrealistic.”

Political Update

State Largest Union Endorses Governor for Re-Election

Last Wednesday, New York’s largest union endorsed Gov. Cuomo for re-election to a third term.  Healthcare union 1199SEIU cited the governor’s record on protecting working families, including the Fight for $15, Paid Family Leave, Wage Theft Enforcement, Universal pre-K, Excelsior college scholarship, and his commitment to challenging President Donald Trump and Washington Republicans on worker rights and healthcare access.

1199SEIU President George Gresham said:

“From cuts to healthcare coverage, to attacks on collective bargaining, the Trump Administration has declared war on the worker protections that have sustained families for generations. New Yorkers need elected leaders willing to fight to improve conditions for working families, and Governor Cuomo has done just that.”

Minor Parties Make Endorsements in Westchester Senate Race

The Independence Party has endorsed Democratic State Senate candidate Shelley Mayer in the race to fill the vacant 37th State Senate Seat. Republican Julie Killian received the endorsement of the Reform Party.

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 Senate and Assembly are scheduled to hold their Joint Revenue Forecasting Conference on February 28, and release the Revenue Consensus Report by March 1.

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

Lawmakers are in session next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

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

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