Plugged In @ Hinman Straub — May 6, 2016

Coverage of Albany and New York State government – May 6, 2016

What’s Inside 

  • Governor’s Office Subpoenaed in Federal Probe
  • Governor Announces Search Committee For Next State Police Superintendent
  • Governor Announces Campaign to Address Underage Drinking
  • Profiles of Newly Elected State Legislators
  • Comptroller Issues Report on Enacted State Budget
  • New York City Mayor Proposes $82.2 Billion Spending Plan
  • Former Assembly Speaker Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison
  • Political Update
  • Coming Up

 

Governor’s Office Subpoenaed in Federal Probe

Last Friday, the Daily News reported that “[a] former top aide and several others close to Gov. Cuomo are being probed by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office for potential improper lobbying and undisclosed conflicts of interests involving an upstate power plant and Cuomo’s signature “Buffalo Billion” economic development program.”

Shortly after the article hit, the Governor’s office issued a statement acknowledging that “the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District has an ongoing investigation focused in Upstate New York (commonly referred to as the Buffalo Billion and Nano investigation),” and indicating that the that the Governor “has ordered an immediate full review of the program” by Bart Schwartz, an independent investigator who has served as Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York.

Subsequent news reports identified two former Cuomo aides as the subjects of the inquiry.

Read news coverage the Daily News, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Buffalo News, Politico NY, and the Times Union.

 

Governor Announces Search Committee for Next State Police Superintendent

Last week, Gov. Cuomo announced the appointment of a search committee to identify the next Superintendent of the New York State Police.  Current Superintendent Joseph D’Amico recently announced that he plans to retire from the position.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“The State Police play a vital role in ensuring the safety of New York’s families and communities.  Under the leadership of Superintendent D’Amico, the State Police have shown remarkable courage and discipline in their service, and I have tasked this search committee with identifying candidates who will build on that record for all New Yorkers. I look forward to receiving their recommendations in the weeks ahead.”

The members of the search committee are:

  • Ray Kelly, Vice Chairman of K2 Intelligence, and former Commissioner of the New York City Police Department;
  • Bob Duffy, Chairman and CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance, and former Lieutenant Governor, Mayor of Rochester, and Chief of the Rochester Police Department;
  • Mylan Denerstein, Partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, and former Counsel to the Governor;
  • Michael Balboni, President and Managing Director of Redland Strategies, former New York State Senator and Deputy Secretary for Public Safety;
  • Thomas Zugibe, Rockland County District Attorney and President of the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York;
  • Senator Patrick Gallivan, Chair of the Senate Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections, and former Erie County Sheriff; and
  • Rachel Small, Deputy Secretary for Public Safety.

 

Governor Announces Campaign to Address Underage Drinking

On Tuesday, Gov. Cuomo announced the launch of the “No Excuses” education campaign, which is intended to curb underage drinking in the state. The campaign will include the distribution of more than 15,000 display materials, in Spanish and English, to restaurants and liquor stores across the state.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“Far too many times we’ve witnessed the dangers of underage drinking and the tragic and life-altering consequences that come with it.  With prom and graduation season just around the corner, this campaign sends the message that this reckless behavior just isn’t worth it.”

 

Profiles of Newly Elected State Legislators

All of the newly elected state legislators were elected at the April 19th special elections, and will have to run for re-election this fall:

Democrat Todd Kaminsky served as a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.  He was elected to the Assembly in 2014, where his legislative priorities included property tax relief, school funding, ethics reform and Hurricane Sandy recovery.  In winning the seat formerly held by Senator Dean Skelos, he is the first Democrat to hold a seat on Long Island since 2010.

Democrat Jaime Williams was elected to fill the vacancy in Brooklyn’s 59th Assembly District. She has served as Chief of Staff for the former Assemblymember Roxanne Persaud, has run a domestic violence prevention program, and earned a master’s degree from Fordham University, all while raising three children.  She replaces Roxanne Persaud, who was elected to the State Senate.

Republican Ron Castorina won the race for In Staten Island’s 62nd Assembly District without any opposition. He was most recently the Republican commissioner for Staten Island at the New York City Board of Elections, and worked as counsel to former Assemblyman and New York City Councilman Vincent Ignizio. He replaces fellow Republican Joe Borelli, who was elected to the New York City Council.

Democrat Alice Cancel won the race for Manhattan’s 65th Assembly District.  Cancel, a long time district leader, replaces former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

 

Comptroller Issues Report on Enacted State Budget

On Tuesday, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli released his analysis of the state’s enacted 2016-17 budget, which totals between $155.6 billion and $156.1 in spending.

The report lauds portion of the budget, including a $1.4 billion increase in school aid, a minimum wage increase and phased-in personal income tax cuts for most taxpayers, but notes that the budget will increase state debt and shift significant state spending off-budget and to public authorities.

Comptroller DiNapoli said:

“The creation of a paid family leave program and increases in the state minimum wage will help distribute the benefits of economic growth more broadly among New Yorkers, while the boost in education funding will help school districts around the state.  Despite these accomplishments, the state budget should be created with transparency and this budget came together at the last minute and with little public scrutiny. While the state’s financial footing is currently sound, there are open questions regarding the use of lump sum appropriations and whether future spending will match future revenue.”

 

New York City Mayor Proposes $82.2 Billion Spending Plan

Last week, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio put forth his $82.2 billion Executive Budget proposal.  At just $100 million more than the city’s current spending plan, it focuses on generating savings at city agencies.

The Mayor’s proposal also includes some new programs that are intended to address problems that arose over the past year. These include funds for the city’s Board of Elections, where problems arose during the state’s presidential primary; for the Sanitation Department to buy smaller plows to deal with narrow streets in places like Queens, where 170 plow trucks became stuck during a blizzard in January; and $170 million to build a new correctional center for adolescents, which would enable the city to remove the roughly 180 adolescents who are currently housed on Rikers Island.

Read the Mayor’s FY 2017 budget fact sheet here.

 

Former Assembly Speaker Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

On Tuesday, a federal judge sentenced former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to 12 years in prison.  He was convicted last November of a number of charges, including honest services fraud, money laundering and extortion. He resigned as Assembly Speaker shortly after he was indicted, but retained his Assembly seat.  Upon his conviction, he forfeited his Assembly seat.

Gov. Cuomo issued the following statement:

“Today’s decision sent a simple message that officials who abuse the public’s trust will be held accountable. Justice was served.”

 

Political Update

Longest Serving State Senator Will Not Run for Re-Election

On Tuesday, State Senator Hugh Farley (R – Schenectady) announced that he will not seek re-election this fall.  Farley, who was first elected in 1976, is the longest serving member of the State Senate.

In January, Democrat Chad Putnam, who currently serves as Schenectady Deputy City Clerk, announced that he planned to challenge Farley. Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R- Glenville) is reportedly considering a run for the seat.

The 49th Senate District includes parts of Schenectady, Saratoga and Herkimer counties, and all of Fulton and Hamilton counties.

Assemblyman Will Not Challenge Long Time Senator

Last week, Assemblyman James Skoufis (D – Woodbury) announced that he will not challenge incumbent State Senator Bill Larkin (R – New Windsor) in November.  Skoufis had been considering a run for the 39th Senate District, but he said last week that he has “decided it is simply not my time to run.”

Larkin, 88, was first elected to the Senate in 1990.  Skoufis, 28, represents the 99th Assembly district, and he will run for re-election to that seat.

Congressman Will Not Run for Governor in 2018

On Monday, Congressman Chris Gibson (R – Kinderhook) announced that will not run for Governor in 2018.  He will instead leave politics, and take a teaching position as a visiting lecturer on leadership at Williams College

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 Senate and Assembly are in Albany next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Board of Regents holds its next meeting on May 16 and 17.

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

The Senate Education Committee is holding public hearings on mayoral control of the New York City schools on Thursday, May 19 in New York City.

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

The 2016 state legislative session is scheduled to end on June 16.

The state Board of Elections holds its next meeting on June 30.