Plugged In @ Hinman Straub – April 18, 2018

  • Lawmakers Return to Albany After Post-Budget Break as Senate Democrats Reunite
  • Governor Appears at Labor Events
  • Governor Proposes Legislation to Institute a Salary History Ban to Close the Gender Wage Gap
  • Previewing the April 24 Special Elections
  • Seneca Nation Sues New York State Over Thruway Lands
  • Political Update
  • Coming Up

Lawmakers Return to Albany After Post-Budget Break as Senate Democrats Reunite

On Monday, state lawmakers returned to Albany after a two-week post-budget break.

This was the first time that the Senate met since the Governor, Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Senator Jeff Klein announced the reunification of the mainline Senate Democratic Conference with the eight-member Independent Democratic Conference.

The official reunification of the IDC and the mainline Democrats was put in motion by Senator Mike Gianaris on the Senate floor. Senator Jeff Klein, the former IDC leader, will serve as the Democratic Minority’s floor leader.

City & State New York’s most recent Albany Angle podcast considers the politics behind the Senate Democratic reunification agreement, and how the reunification could impact the Senate for the remainder of the 2018 legislative session and beyond.

The state’s 2018 legislative session is scheduled to run through June 20.

Governor Appears at Labor Events

Gov. Cuomo’s re-election effort appears to have begun as the Governor appears at two labor rallies this week.

Last Wednesday, he spoke at a rally held by workers from the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ.  The union, which is made up of 31,000 workers at 3,500 co-ops, condos and rentals in New York City, are seeking a new contract.  Their current contract expires next week.

Last Thursday, the Governor appeared at a labor rally in New York City where he announced the signing of legislation, enacted as part of the state budget, that is intended to make it easier for public workers’ unions to recruit members and to allow them to deny extra services to people who refuse to join. The new law was adopted in anticipation of an adverse ruling in the pending Supreme Court case Janus v. AFSCME.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“Too often, and at the hands of this federal administration, we are seeing the labor movement going backwards. In New York it is a different story, and our efforts to protect working men and women are moving labor forward, making the workplace fairer and more just than ever before.  This action sends a clear message to the rest of the nation: we will not let this federal administration silence New York’s working class, we will support every voice in every community and in every industry, and we will do everything in our power to protect the right to achieve the American Dream.”

Governor Proposes Legislation to Institute a Salary History Ban to Close the Gender Wage Gap

In conjunction with Equal Pay Day, last Tuesday Gov. Cuomo announced that he has proposed legislation to prohibit all employers, public and private, who do business in New York State, from asking prospective employees about their salary history and compensation.

The Governor also released the Department of Labor’s report and recommendations to close the gender pay gap in New York State.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“New York is the birthplace of the women’s rights movement, from Seneca Falls to suffrage, and that fight continues today as we take aggressive steps to close the gender wage gap.  The gender pay gap exists across the economic spectrum, across all industries, and can follow women throughout their entire careers. By banning salary history, we can break the weight of this unfair, unequal cycle and work to achieve fair pay for all women in this state.”

Previewing the April 24 Special Elections 

As a result of incumbent legislators being elected to other offices in November 2017, there are currently 11 vacant state legislative seats. Gov. Cuomo has called for April 24 special elections to fill these vacancies through the end of 2018.

The Senate Republicans currently hold 31 seats in the chamber. Their ability to continue to control the Senate is based on having the support of one other Democratic State Senator, Simcha Felder of Brooklyn.

With the Senate’s Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) members rejoining the mainline Democratic Conference, Senate Democrats are hoping to win two special elections to replace Democrats who were elected to other offices, which will give them 31 seats in the Senate for the remainder of the 2018 legislative session.

The Senate Democrats then hope to gain additional seats in the November elections, which should enable them to take control of the State Senate in 2019.

Senate District 32 – Bronx

Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda has been nominated as the Democratic candidate to fill the vacant 32nd Senate District in the Bronx, which was most recently represented by Democrat Ruben Diaz.  Pamela Stewart-Martinez is running on the Reform Party line and Hunter College professor Patrick Delices is the Republican nominee.

The overwhelmingly Democratic district includes the South Bronx communities of Castle Hill, Longwood, Melrose, Morrisania and Parkchester.

Senate District 37 – Westchester

This seat was vacated by Democrat George Latimer after he won the Westchester County Executive contest in November. Democratic Assemblymember Shelley Mayer will face off against Republican Julie Killian for the vacant the 37th Senate District seat in Westchester, which includes New Rochelle, Rye, White Plains, Yonkers and the towns of Bedford, Harrison, Mamaroneck, North Castle, Rye and Eastchester.

While Democrats have a two-to-one enrollment advantage in Westchester, the district has become a battleground in recent years.  This race is expected to be a competitive, high profile and expensive one.

With the Democrats firmly in control of the Assembly, those races will not have any impact on control of that body.  However, political observers will be watching these races for any indications as to how the national political climate might impact state legislative races in November.

Assembly District 5 – Suffolk County

The 5th Assembly District seat was vacated by Republican Assemblymember Al Graf, who won his bid for a judgeship in Islip in November. The district includes part of the towns of Brookhaven and Islip, including Holbrook, Lake Ronkonkoma, Ronkonkoma, Holtsville, Centereach, Selden, parts of Farmingville, Islandia, North Patchogue and Stony Brook.

Graf’s former Chief of Staff Doug Smith has the Republican nomination; he will face Democrat Deb Slinkosky, who formerly served on the Sachem school board.

Assembly District 10 – Suffolk County

Suffolk County’s 10th Assembly District was most recently represented by Republican Chad Lupinacci; the district includes Lloyd Harbor, Huntington Bay, Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington, Huntington Station, Elwood, South Huntington, West Hills, Melville and Dix Hills.

While the GOP has long held this seat, the party has only a relatively small enrollment advantage over Democrats. The Republicans have nominated Janet Smitelli, a Huntington attorney, while the Democrats have nominated former Suffolk County Legislator Steve Stern.

Assembly 17th District – Nassau County

Former Assemblyman Thomas McKevitt, a Republican, vacated this seat when he was elected to the Nassau County Legislature. The district includes East Meadow, Levittown and North Massapequa.

Republican John Mikulin, a deputy town attorney for the Town of Hempstead and president of the Island Trees Library Board in Levittown, will face Democrat Matt Malin, an employee of the Nassau County Board of Elections.

Assembly District 39 – Queens

The 39th Assembly District was vacated by former Assemblyman Francisco Moya in November, when he won a City Council seat. The district includes parts of Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and Corona. Former Moya aide Ari Espinal is running unopposed.

Assembly District 74 – Manhattan

The 74th Assembly District was vacated by Brian Kavanagh, who last fall won a special election to replace Senator Dan Squadron.  The district includes, which includes part of Manhattan’s east side, is overwhelmingly Democratic district. Democrat Harvey Epstein has the Democratic nod and Bryan Cooper is running on the Republican line.

Assembly District 80 – Bronx

The 80th Assembly District seat was held by former Assemblymember Mark Gjonaj, who left the Legislature for the New York City Council. The district includes Morris Park, Pelham Parkway, Pelham Gardens, and Norwood.  The district is overwhelmingly Democratic.

The race features Gjonaj’s former chief of staff Nathalia Fernandez and Republican Gene Defrancis.

Assembly District 102 – Schoharie, Otsego, Delaware, Greene, Columbia, Ulster and Albany

Former Assemblymember Pete Lopez, a Republican, stepped down from his Assembly position to become the regional administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last fall. Republican Schoharie Town Supervisor Christopher Tague will face against Democrat Aidan O’Connor Jr., a member of the Greene County Legislature, to fill the vacancy in this sprawling district.

Assembly District 107 – Rensselaer and Columbia

Democrat Cindy Doran and Republican Jake Ashby, both Rensselaer County legislators, will compete in the April 24 special election to fill the 107th Assembly District seat left vacant when Steve McLaughlin became Rensselaer County Executive in January.

Doran, of Troy, taught at Troy High School for 30 years. Ashby, a Schodack resident, is an Army veteran who has worked as an occupational therapist and rehabilitation director.

Assembly 142nd District – Erie County

Michael Kearns, a Democrat who ran on the GOP line, left the Assembly to become Erie County clerk in the fall. Erie County Legislator Patrick Burke has the Democratic nomination, while the Republicans have nominated Erik Bohen, a Democrat, as their candidate.

The 142nd Assembly District includes parts of South Buffalo and Lackawanna, and West Seneca and Orchard Park.

Seneca Nation Sues New York State Over Thruway Lands

Last Thursday, the Seneca Nation of Indians sued New York State in federal court, arguing that the state violated federal law when it built a 2.7-mile section of the Thruway through the Seneca’s Cattaraugus Territory in the 1950’s.

The lawsuit says that state needed, but did not obtain, federal government approval to get a land easement on the Seneca’s land.  The Senecas are seeking compensation from the state for its use of their land, and it also seeks to stop the state from collecting tolls on the Seneca’s land.

Seneca Nation President Todd Gates said:

“After decades of seeing our property invaded without authorization from the federal government that is required to protect our native land, we find it necessary to take legal action against these state officials.  We are not seeking to cause any disruption, but rather to ensure that the New York State authorities comply with federal law and gain approval from the Department of Interior for the Thruway that encroaches on 300 acres of land that has belonged to the nation and our ancestors for generations.”

Political Update

Trichter Launches Bid For State Comptroller

Last week, Jonathan Trichter announced that he is running for State Comptroller; he plans to plans to seek to run on the Republican and Conservative Party lines. (Watch his campaign launch video here.)

Trichter is a Democrat who has largely worked for Democratic candidates, but in 2010 he worked with Harry Wilson, a Republican businessman who unsuccessfully ran for comptroller in 2010 against incumbent Democrat Tom DiNapoli.

In his campaign announcement, Trichter said:

“The Comptroller [DiNapoli] came to office not because he was qualified but because he was everybody’s best friend in Albany. It’s no surprise, then, that he has brought to bear the powers of that office to protect the Albany status quo. I don’t have any friends in Albany. I will use the powers of the Comptroller to protect ordinary New Yorkers.”

Citizen Action Endorses Nixon For Governor

Last week, Citizen Action of New York endorsed Cynthia Nixon in her Democratic primary challenge to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Karen Scharff, Executive Director of Citizen Action of New York, said:

“Citizen Action is endorsing Cynthia Nixon for Governor because we trust her to make the choices that will support working families across New York. For 17 years, Cynthia has partnered with us to make sure every child in New York gets the quality education they need. Now, we’ll be fighting alongside her to achieve her bold vision for a New York that works for all.”

Citizen Action also announced that it has endorsed New York City Councilman Jumaane Williams for Lt. Governor.

Nixon Calls for Legalization of Marijuana

Last Wednesday, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon called for the state to legalize recreational marijuana.  In a video, she said that the issue is one of racial justice, while also noting that doing so would generate tax revenue and create new agricultural opportunities.

Gov. Cuomo has not supported legislation of the drug, but has said that his administration is “studying the issue.”

Hawkins Launches Third Bid for Governor

Howie Hawkins, who ran unsuccessfully for Governor as the candidate of the Green Party in 2010 and 2014, announced last week that he plans to again seeks the party’s nomination to run in November.

Hawkins received 59,906 votes in the 2010 election, and 184,419 votes in the 2014 race.

He supports single-payer health care; requiring the state to transition to 100 percent clean energy in 15 years; increasing taxes on high earners and reforming the state’s campaign finance laws.

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 through Wednesday this week.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) holds its next meeting on April 19.

On April 23, the Assembly Health Committee is holding a public hearing in Albany “to examine the practice of medical aid in dying, as well as potential legislation to authorize this practice.” A second hearing will be held in Manhattan on May 3.

The Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) holds its next meeting on April 24.

The state Board of Elections holds its next meeting on May 3.

The state Board of Regents holds its next meeting on May 7 and 8.

The state Republican Party will hold its convention to designate its candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and comptroller in Manhattan on May 23 and 24.

The state Democratic Party will hold its convention to designate its candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and comptroller on Long Island on May 23 and 24.