Plugged In @ Hinman Straub

September 24, 2021

What’s Inside

  • Governor Issues Proclamation Ordering Special Elections to fill Assembly and Senate Vacancies
  • Governor Hochul Announces Expanded NY-Sun Program
  • Department of Health Commissioner Resigns
  • Governor Announces Administration Appointments
  • Governor Fills Remaining Vacancies On Cannabis Control Board
  • Civil Service Employees Association Wins Temporary Halt to Vaccine Mandate for Court Employees
  • Speaker Expects Impeachment Report Soon
  • Langworthy Reelected Chair of Republican Party
  • Political Updates
  • Coming Up

Governor Issues Proclamation Ordering Special Elections to fill Assembly and Senate Vacancies

The Governor issued a proclamation declaring that a special election to fill vacancies in the 86th Assembly District and the 30th Senate District will be held on Election Day, November 2nd. The special election will fill vacancies created by the resignation of Assemblymember Pichardo and Senator Benjamin, who is now serving as Lieutenant Governor.

Governor Hochul said:

We know that special elections have historically had lower levels of voter participation and higher associated costs. To fill the vacancies in the Senate and Assembly, we are aligning the special elections for those seats with Election Day in November. This will not only encourage more voters to get out to the polls and increase voter turnout, it will save thousands of taxpayer dollars.  

Governor Hochul Announces Expanded NY-Sun Program

Amid Climate Week, the Governor called for an expansion of the NY-Sun program to achieve an expanded goal of at least 10 gigawatts of distributed solar installed by 2030. As part of the expansion of the NY-Sun program, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Department of Public Service (DPS) will develop a distributed solar roadmap to be issued this fall to chart a path to advance the expanded NY-Sun goal. The projects resulting from the expanded goal are expected to power nearly 1.7 million homes and will be advanced comprehensively- including serving those in disadvantaged communities.

Governor Hochul said:

New York State must be more aggressive in setting the bar higher in recognition of the reality of climate change and the closing window of time to stop the worst impacts nationally and globally. With this expansion, we are demonstrating New York State’s commitment to increasing the amount of renewable energy flowing to the electric grid as well as creating more jobs in the solar industry in support of our growing clean energy economy. Climate change is a public health issue – we need to fight with everything we’ve got in order to ensure generations to come will be able to thrive on a healthy, efficient planet.

Department of Health Commissioner Resigns

Governor Hochul announced during a COVID briefing that Dr. Howard Zucker, Commissioner of the Department of Health (DOH), has submitted his resignation. Dr. Zucker has led the DOH since 2013 and drew accolades and criticism over his handling of the pandemic. The Governor has accepted his resignation, however, Dr. Zucker will continue to serve in his role until a replacement is announced. The Governor also announced that other changes in her administration are forthcoming.

Governor Hochul said:

Dr. Zucker has submitted his resignation as Commissioner of Health. I agree with his decision. He has been a dedicated public servant for over seven-and-a-half-years. He worked hard through the pandemic and I want to thank him for his service on behalf of the people of the state.

Governor Announces Administration Appointments

Governor Hochul announced new appointments to her administration including:

Robin Chappelle Golston, Executive Deputy Secretary – Ms. Golston most recently served as President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts and previously served as vice president of corporate relations and government affairs for EmblemHealth.

Julie Wood, Communications Director – Ms. Wood served most recently as Senior Director of Communications at Lyft. Prior to Lyft, she was VP of Communications and External Affairs at Motivate, a bikeshare operator.

Marty Mack, Appointments Secretary – Mr. Mack most recently served as Mayor of the Town of Cortland. Prior to that he worked in the administrations of both Governor Elliot Spitzer and Governor David Patterson.

Sita Fey, Deputy Appointments Secretary – Ms. Fey currently serves as a Senior Advisor for the Executive Transition Team. Ms. Fey was most recently the Director of Policy at the Department of Agriculture and Markets.

Bryan Lesswing, Senior Advisor to the Governor – Most recently, Mr. Lesswing served as Communications Director for then-Lieutenant Governor Hochul. Prior to that, he was communications director for U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin’s re-election campaign.

Governor Hochul said:

As we work to tackle the most important issues facing our state, we need a top tier team to deliver real change to New Yorkers. These talented and dedicated individuals will bring the skills and experience we need to move New York forward and restore trust in government.

Governor Fills Remaining Vacancies On Cannabis Control Board

The Governor also made appointments to the Cannabis Control Board. These two appointments fill the remaining vacancies on the Board and do not require Senate confirmation. The appointees include:

Reuben McDaniel III – Reuben R. McDaniel, III is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY). Mr. McDaniel is responsible for the overall management of DASNY’s administration and operations.

Jessica García – Jessica Garcia serves as Assistant to the President for the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), a national labor union representing workers along the food supply chain, as well as workers in non-food retail and healthcare.

Governor Hochul said:

New York’s cannabis industry has stalled for far too long – I am making important appointments to set the Office of Cannabis Management up for success so they can hit the ground running. I am confident Mr. McDaniel and Ms. Garcia will serve the board with professionalism and experience as we lead our state forward in this new industry.

Civil Service Employees Association Wins Temporary Halt to Vaccine Mandate for Court Employees

The Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), one of the state’s largest unions, filed a petition on behalf of 5,800 members who work in the state’s court system seeking an injunction to halt the vaccine mandate that is scheduled to go into effect on Monday. CSEA contends that any mandate imposed by the Office of Court Administration must be negotiated as part of the collective bargaining process. The union asserts that the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) had determined the state Unified Court System’s vaccination mandate for judges and nonjudicial employees “constitutes an improper practice” and authorized the union to file for a temporary injunction in state Supreme Court. CSEA is seeking a stay of the mandate until an administrative law judge issues a decision in their PERB case.

On Friday, a State Supreme Court Judge issued a temporary restraining order, halting implementation of the vaccine mandate for Judges and court employees until a Judge can hear additional arguments.

Speaker Expects Impeachment Report Soon

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, when questioned by members of the press regarding the timing of the Assembly Judiciary Committee’s impeachment report, declined to provide a specific date, but, said he believes they are nearing completion and he expects the release of the report to be relatively soon. The Speaker said he believes these questions are better directed to the Judiciary Committee. The report is said to contain findings relevant to sexual harassment allegations, misuse of public funds surrounding the former governor’s book deal, and disclosure of nursing home data by the administration.

Speaker Heastie said:

If I give you a day and it’s not correct then it will be said that I was incorrect,” Heastie said. “It’s really hard to pinpoint a day. I just know that they’re getting towards the end…I’m just anxious to see what they found so I’m not looking forward to seeing anything. It’s what the facts show on the different topics that we investigated.

Langworthy Re-elected Chair of Republican Party

Western New York native Nick Langworthy was unanimously re-elected to serve as Chairman of the New York State Republican Party. Langworthy was first elected to the position in 2019, displacing former longtime Chairman Ed Cox.

Langworthy said:

When I took the helm of the NYGOP two years ago, I made a promise that we were going to revitalize this party and usher in a new fighting spirit. We set our sights squarely on taking out corrupt Andrew Cuomo and our ultimate mission of taking back the governor’s office. Two years later, we are celebrating one goal down and we are well on our way to our next when we will elect a Republican governor to save our state. We are gearing up for a national red wave, and I’m so honored to lead our party as we march toward victory.

Political Updates

City & State NY’s Weekly Winners and Losers here.

Statement from Rich Azzopardi, Spokesman for the 56th Governor of the State of New York Andrew M. Cuomo here.

Attorney General James defends her Cuomo sexual harassment report.

Molinaro launches campaign for Congress.

Out of office, Cuomo uses power of campaign account.

Cuomo lawyer goes on new attack against credibility of sexual harassment accusers, N.Y. Attorney General James.

Cuomo appointed Inspector General resigns.

Hochul cuts off money for Cuomo aides’ legal bills.

NY independent redistricting is an epic flop (Editorial Board Opinion).

U.S. Representative Tom Suozzi failed to file required reports on approximately 300 stock transactions.

New York wrestles with $9 billion in unemployment debt.

India Walton has a new campaign manager.

Byron Brown says he will not continue court fight to get on November ballot.

New York City mayoral nominee Eric Adams’ message to Wall Street.

Coming Up

The Senate will hold a public hearing to review the finances and projections of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in the aftermath of COVID-19 and receipt of federal aid, to review the implementation of the Transformation Plan, and to seek updates on major capital projects on September 29.

The Senate will hold a public hearing to review how school districts are spending Foundation Aid increases and ARP funds on September 30.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing on conditions at the Rikers Island Correctional Facility and other NYC Department of Corrections facilities on October 1.

The Senate will hold a second public hearing to review how school districts are spending Foundation Aid increases and ARP funds on October 5.

The Public Service Commission will hold its next meeting on October 7.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing to examine the role and amount of discretion local governments should have in determining the siting of accessory dwelling units (basement apartments) on October 13.

The Board of Regents will hold their next meeting on October 18 and 19.

JCOPE will hold its next meeting on October 19.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing on employment opportunities for people with disabilities on October 20.

The Senate Task Force on Opioids, Addiction and Overdose will hold a public meeting to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on the overdose crisis on October 20.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing on restructuring the New York State Division of Veterans Services (NYSDVS) on October 21.