Plugged In @ Hinman Straub – December 18, 2018

What’s Inside

  • Cuomo Administration Staff Changes
  • Incoming Senate Democratic Majority Announces Committee Chairs
  • Heastie Re-Elected Assembly Speaker
  • Compensation Committee Releases Report
  • 2019 Legislative Session Calendar Released
  • Governor, NYC Mayor Announce Community Advisory Committee to Guide Amazon Headquarters Project
  • Regents Request $2.1 Billion Increase in Education Aid
  • NYPA to Invest $250 Million in State’s Electric Grid
  • Coalition Calls for Emissions Reductions in the State’s Transportation Sector
  • Former SUNY Poly Leader Sentenced in Bid Rigging Case
  • Lawsuit Over DA Oversight Commission on Hold
  • Political Update
  • Coming Up

Cuomo Administration Staff Changes

As is common when a Governor begins a new term, Gov. Cuomo has started to make staffing changes within his Administration.

Dani Lever has been named communications director, where she will oversee the Governor’s press shop, digital communications, and short- and long-term messaging strategy.

Timothy Hartz will serve as Director of Executive Operations. He previously served as special assistant to President Obama and White House deputy director of advance operations.

Laura Edidin, a former assistant U.S. Attorney who most recently served as chief of the human trafficking unit in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, will serve as chief special counsel for ethics, risk and compliance.

Rich Azzopardi, who previously served as Senior Deputy Communications Director, will serve as Senior Adviser to the Governor. Peter Ajemian will assume his former position.

Caitlin Girouard, who most recently worked for Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, will serve as Press Secretary.

Dana Carotenuto Rico, formerly Chief of Staff for the Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), will serve as Deputy Secretary for Legislative Affairs and Policy.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“This administration is laser focused on advancing and implementing policies that improve the lives of residents in every corner of this state, from strengthening gun safety reforms and protecting our natural resources, to fostering economic opportunities that create new, 21st century jobs for New Yorkers.  I am proud to work with these talented and dedicated individuals as we build on our progress and continue to move New York forward.”

More Administration staff changes are expected in the near future.

Incoming Senate Democratic Majority Announces Committee Chairs

Last Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader-Elect Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) announced the new Democratic Senate majority’s committee chairs for the 2019-20 legislative session.  Highlights include:

  • Senator Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) as Chair of the Senate Finance Committee;
  • Senator Shelley Mayer (D-Yonkers) as Chair of the Senate Education Committee;
  • Senator Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx) as Chair of the Senate Health Committee;
  • Senator Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn) as Chair of the Senate Energy & Telecommunications Committee;
  • Senator Todd Kaminsky (D-Nassau County) as Chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee.

See the full list of Senate Democratic committee chairs for the upcoming legislative session here.

Heastie Re-Elected Assembly Speaker

Last Wednesday, the Assembly’s Democratic Majority re-elected Assemblymember Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) as their leader for the 2019-20 legislative session.  Heastie will be formally elected Assembly speaker for the upcoming session when the Assembly convenes in early January.

Heastie was first elected to the Assembly in 2000, and was elected Speaker in 2015.

Heastie said that the Assembly Majority’s 2019 legislative priorities will include “a quality education for our children, access to higher education and affordable health care, and good jobs,” as well as reproductive rights; the DREAM Act; and common sense gun legislation

He said:

“It is truly an honor to have been chosen by my colleagues in the Assembly Majority to serve as speaker of the People’s House. I am thankful for their continued support as well as their unwavering commitment to putting New York families first. It gives me a great sense of pride to lead one of the most diverse legislative bodies in the country. In the year ahead, we will continue to build on our achievements and reaffirm our state’s reputation as a progressive leader

Compensation Committee Releases Report

The New York State Compensation Committee, which was tasked with making recommendations with respect to adequate levels of compensation, non-salary benefits, and allowances for state legislators, statewide elected officials, and state agency heads, released its full report last week.

On December 6, Committee members said on that they would recommend that state legislators’ salaries increase from their current $79,500 to $110,000 on Jan. 1, 2019, then to $120,000 in 2020 and to $130,000 in 2021.  But they also said that lawmakers would face new restrictions on their ability to earn outside income and substantially limit the number of legislative stipends (commonly known as “lulus”) that many lawmakers receive.

The Committee’s report recommends significantly limiting legislative stipends to three leadership posts in each conference, and the chairs and ranking minority members of each chambers’ fiscal committee and Codes committee.

The cap on outside income was modeled after congressional rules. Outside income would be capped at 15 percent of their legislative salary, and lawmakers would be barred from being “affiliating with or being employed by a firm, partnership, association, corporation, or other entity that provides professional services involving a fiduciary relationship, except for the practice of medicine.”

The recommendations also provide that. In order to receive the pay increase, lawmakers must have approved the state budget by April 1 of the preceding year.

The committee’s recommendations become law on January 1, 2019 unless the Legislature rejects them.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie criticized the Committee’s recommendations, saying that the legislative intent was for it to only consider salaries, and not to consider limits on outside income.

Last Friday, the Government Justice Center, “an independent, not-for-profit legal center that provides pro bono representation and legal services to protect the rights of New Yorkers in the face of improper action by state or local governments,” announced that it is filing a lawsuit to block implementation of state pay panel’s report, including the pay increase.  One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit is Assemblyman Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Suffolk County).

2019 Legislative Session Calendar Released

The Legislature has released its calendar for the 2019 legislative session.

Lawmakers will begin the session on Wednesday, January 9th, and are scheduled to end session on Wednesday, June 19.

Governor, NYC Mayor Announce Community Advisory Committee to Guide Amazon Headquarters Project

Last Tuesday, Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio announced the formation of a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) “to share information and solicit ongoing community input about Amazon’s planned headquarters project in Long Island City, Queens.”

The CAC, which will be made up of community and citywide stakeholders recommended by local elected officials, will be part of the process to “develop plans for the headquarters and onsite public amenities, investments in neighborhood infrastructure to benefit the surrounding communities, and training and hiring programs to ensure that homegrown talent fills the 25,000 to 40,000 new jobs at the headquarters.”

Gov. Cuomo said:

“Amazon’s new headquarters in Long Island City is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our economy and community input will be a critical part of the development process. We look forward to working with local elected officials, community organizations and residents to ensure their voices are heard as we work to create tens of thousands of well-paying jobs, generate billions in revenue that will be reinvested in the region, strengthen our infrastructure, and expand opportunity for New Yorkers.”

Some local elected officials, including State Senator Michael Gianaris (D-Queens) and New York City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Queens), have expressed concerns about the size of the state’s incentives for Amazon and the impacts the projects will have on the community. According to news reports, both declined to participate in the CAC process.

Regents Request $2.1 Billion Increase in Education Aid

The state Board of Regents is seeking an additional $2.1 billion for school spending in the state’s 2019-20 fiscal year.  The Regent’s request includes $1.6 billion in Foundation Aid, the state formula which drive state resources toward high-needs students, including $85 million for English Language Learner support programs; $26 million for universal pre-kindergarten; and $25 million for career and technical education.

The state is spending $26.7 billion in education funding in the current fiscal year.

NYPA to Invest $250 Million in State’s Electric Grid

Last week, the New York Power Authority (NYPA) announced that it will invest $250 million between now and 2025 “to accelerate the flexibility of the electric grid to give New Yorkers greater access to renewable energy resources such as wind and solar power.”  NYPA’s funding will “address key market and financing barriers,” accelerate implementation of up to 150 megawatts (MW) of grid flexibility projects, and decrease market risk.

NYPA’s funding is intended to support the state’s clean energy goals by accelerating private sector investment, maintaining affordable energy and addressing climate change.

Coalition Calls for Emissions Reductions in the State’s Transportation Sector

On Friday, a coalition of 62 organizations called on Gov. Cuomo to commit to achieving a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from New York’s transportation sector by 2030 from 2005 levels in his 2019 State of the State address.

Specifically, the coalition is calling for a regional strategy to limit and put a price on carbon in the transportation sector; targeted investments in equitable, low-carbon transportation; expanded deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in New York; a state-wide campaign to electrify public and private fleets, including the MTA and other public transit agencies, school buses, and other medium- and heavy-duty vehicles; and shifting away from single-driver vehicles to improve access to clean, safe, reliable, and affordable transportation options such as walking and biking.

Former SUNY Poly Leader Sentenced in Bid Rigging Case

Last Tuesday, SUNY Polytechnic Institute founder Alain Kaloyeros was sentenced to 42 months in prison and fined $100,000 for his role in the “Buffalo Billion” bid-rigging scandal.

Kaloyeros and three co-defendants were convicted in federal court in July of rigging the bidding process on $855 million in state contracts for high-tech facilities SUNY Poly was building in Buffalo and Syracuse in order to steer them toward specific developers.

Kaloyeros said that he plans to appeal the conviction.  The judge allowed him to remain free while his lawyers appeal his conviction.

Lawsuit Over DA Oversight Commission on Hold

Gov. Cuomo, state legislative leaders and the state’s District Attorney’s Association have agreed to delay the establishment of a commission that was enacted to investigate misconduct by prosecutors and would otherwise become effective on January 1, 2019.

The District Attorneys Association of the State of New York (DAASNY) filed lawsuit in October challenging the law, arguing that it “intrudes into law enforcement’s performance of its duties while simultaneously violating the due process rights of prosecutors.”

The Governor acknowledged, when he signed the bill, that it is legally flawed.  But he said that its defects could be remedied by the Legislature when it returns to Albany in January.

Under the agreement pausing the litigation, the state defendants are required to keep the district attorneys apprised of any changes to the law.  If the law is not amended by June 30, the original lawsuit will go forward.

Political Update

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 Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) holds its next meeting on December 18.

On December 18, the annual award ceremony for the state’s Regional Economic Development Councils will be held in Albany.

On January 1, 2019, Gov. Cuomo will deliver his 3rd inaugural address on Ellis Island, the historic gateway for millions of immigrants coming to the United States.

The New York State’s 2019 legislative session begins on Wednesday, January 9.

The state Board of Regents holds its next meeting on January 14 and 15.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) holds its next meeting on January 17.

On January 23, the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee is holding a public hearing “to examine recycling-related issues.”