Plugged In @ Hinman Straub – November 8, 2016

Coverage of Albany and New York State government

Governor Announces Adoption of Air Quality and Emission Regulations
Comptroller Issues Mid-Year Revenue Report; Finds Tax Collections Down
School Superintendents Concerned About Possible Fiscal Shortfalls
Governor Opposes Canadian Regulations That Could Harm New York’s Milk Exports
Comptroller Reports on Immigrants in New York State
Gaming Commission Approves Final Regulations for Commercial Casinos
REDCs Make Pitches for State Funding
State Court System Releases Annual Report
Preview of New York State’s 2016 Legislative Elections
Political Update
Coming Up

Governor Announces Adoption of Air Quality and Emission Regulations

Last Tuesday, Gov. Cuomo announced that the state has adopted regulations that are intended to improve air quality and protect public health by limiting emissions from existing diesel generators and natural gas-fired engines. The regulations specifically target nitrogen oxides and particulate matter emissions from existing equipment and, according to the Governor, “go beyond the new standards recently established by the federal government which only apply to new equipment.”

Gov. Cuomo said:

“The harmful pollution that emanates from diesel generators is a proven health risk for New Yorkers and it’s critical we do all we can to limit exposure to it. These new standards not only place New York at the forefront of reducing air pollution, but also further our efforts to encourage the development of renewable energy resources to both combat climate change and grow our economy.”

Comptroller Issues Mid-Year Revenue Report; Finds Tax Collections Down

On Thursday, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office released a mid-year report on revenue and monetary settlements which finds that state tax collections are down by $1.3 billion in first half of the state fiscal year compared to last year, leaving the state’s revenue picture “uncertain.” The report also notes that the state’s use of some $9 billion in largely non-recurring monetary fines, settlements, and forfeiture proceeds for ongoing state spending since 2014-15 “may be obscuring New York’s true fiscal position.”

Comptroller DiNapoli said:

“Personal income tax collections continue to fall short of expectations, making the state’s revenue picture uncertain. The state has not seen the level of growth needed to meet year-end projections. At the same time, the use of some settlement resources for ongoing spending and to boost the state’s bottom line may be obscuring New York’s true fiscal position, and leaving uncertainty for the commitments already made. Going forward careful attention will be needed to monitor the state’s revenue and fiscal position.”

The state Division of Budget disagreed with the Comptroller’s report and the concerns it raised, stating that “General Fund operations were positive for the first half of the fiscal year. Receipts exceeded spending.”

School Superintendents Concerned About Possible Fiscal Shortfalls

The New York State Council of School Superintendents issued its 6^th annual survey of school district leaders across the state last week, which shows that most school superintendents are concerned about their ability to adequately fund services.

The report, titled Something Has to Give, notes that “three years of state aid increases averaging more than 6 percent per year have helped many school districts in New York State turn a corner in their financial operations.” However, school district leaders are concerned that while student needs are rising, the state’s property tax cap has constrained districts’ ability to raise revenue through property taxes to 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is less.

Governor Opposes Canadian Regulations That Could Harm New York’s Milk Exports

Last Monday, Gov. Cuomo wrote to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about possible regulations on milk that could adversely impact New York State’s dairy export industry.

According to the Governor, the proposed Canadian regulations would restrict imports of ultra-filtered milk, which is used in the production of cheese and yogurt, from New York State.

Canada is New York State’s largest international export market, and dairy products are the state’s largest agricultural industry.

Comptroller Reports on Immigrants in New York State

Last Wednesday, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office released a report which looks at the state of New York’s 4.4 million foreign-born residents.

The report finds that New York has the second largest number of immigrants in the nation, second only to California, and that 92 percent of the state’s foreign-born residents live in New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley. Some 73,000 live in upstate cities, primarily Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse.

Comptroller DiNapoli said:

“Immigrants are nearly a quarter of our population. While the vast majority live in New York City, many are reshaping our suburban and upstate communities and helping revive our main streets. Our report found that most immigrants in New York are well-educated and actively participate in the workforce. Their rich diversity of cultures and experiences help make our state strong.”

Gaming Commission Approves Final Regulations for Commercial Casinos

Last Tuesday, the New York Gaming Commission adopted a number of regulations relating to table card games, electronic gaming devices, and slot tournaments, among other things. Once the state’s four licensed casinos demonstrate to the Gaming Commission that they are in compliance with its regulations, they will be able to begin operations.

Tioga Downs, in the Southern Tier, is expected to open by the end of the year. Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady and del Lago Resort in the Finger Lakes are expected to open early 2017, and Montreign Resort and Casino is expected to open in 2018.

REDCs Make Pitches for State Funding

Last Tuesday and Wednesday, the state’s 10 Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs) regional councils to make their cases for the sixth annual round of state aid for local projects, which will be about $750 million.

Each region’s REDC regional progress reports and proposed priority projects are below:

The state will announced the 2016 REDC awards next month at a ceremony in Albany.

State Court System Releases Annual Report

The New York State Unified Court System (UCS) has released its 2015 Annual Report, which “documents the vitally important business that the Third Branch of government performs and the achievements of the judicial and non-judicial employees who carry out that work. Indeed, the scope and breadth of the services we provide to the public are extraordinary.”

Preview of New York State’s 2016 Legislative Elections

As it has been in every state legislative election since 2008, control of the State Senate is New York’s big political prize in 2016. Although elected Democrats have a 32-31 advantage in the chamber, the Republican Party has maintained a working majority in the Senate – its last hold on power in New York State government – through agreements with six breakaway Democrats.

In a presidential election year where high voter turnout is expected, Republicans in New York State go into the elections at a disadvantage based on simple math: New York has twice as many enrolled Democrats as Republicans. There are 5.3 million Democrats and 2.6 million Republicans, though 2.5 million voters are not registered in a party.

There are a number of competitive State Senate races, most in the state’s suburban communities, that could determine whether Republicans can retain their Senate majority in Albany. Below are some of the most watched races among the November 8th State Senate races:

8^th S.D. (part of Nassau County): Incumbent Republican Michael Venditto, a freshman, is being challenged by John Brooks, an enrolled Republican who has been nominated by the Democrats. This race has heated up since Venditto’s father, Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto, was arrested and charged with receiving bribes and kickbacks from a local businessman.

40^th S.D. (parts of Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties): First-term incumbent Republican Terrence Murphy is being challenged by Democrat Alison Boak, a former Pound Ridge Town Board member. Democrats hold a small enrollment advantage in the district, 62,200 – 52,700, with 49,300 voters not enrolled in any party.

58^th S.D. (Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben and Yates counties, and part of Tompkins County): Incumbent Republican Tom O’Mara is being challenged by Leslie Danks Burke, a lawyer. The GOP holds an enrollment advantage of about 11,000 voters in the district.

Political Update

Hudson Valley Congressional Race One of the Most Watched in the Nation

In New York’s Hudson Valley, two candidates are competing to fill an open seat in the 19^th Congressional District, which covers all or parts of 11 counties. The seat is being vacated by Representative Chris Gibson, a moderate Republican.

John Faso, a former Assembly Minority Leader who lost statewide races for Comptroller in 2002 and Governor in 2006, is the Republican candidate. Zephyr Teachout, a Fordham University law professor who unsuccessfully challenged Gov. Cuomo in the 2014 Democratic primary, is the Democratic candidate.

Polls have shown the race to be a virtual dead heat. The district is almost equally divided between the two major parties, with 135,193 registered Republicans and 132,818 registered Democrats. The district also includes 114,577 voters who hold no party affiliation.

State Court Systems Annual Voter Guide

The state’s Unified Court System (UCS) has released its annual Judicial Candidate Voter Guide.

The voter guide provides information about candidates for all state judges involved in the 2016 General Election; town and village judicial races are not included.

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

Today is Election Day. Be sure to exercise your right to vote!

The New York State Commission on Legislative, Judicial, & Executive Compensation holds its next meeting on November 10.

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

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

The state Board of Elections holds its next meeting on November 17.

The Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) holds its next meeting on November 29.