Plugged In @ Hinman Straub – December 4, 2020

What’s Inside

  • Governor Announces Initial Vaccine Distribution Plan
  • Governor Announces Expansion of Rent Relief Program
  • Minimum Wage to Increase in 2021
  • State Adopts Regulations to Reduce Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Cap by 30 Percent
  • Carl Heastie Re-Elected as Speaker of the Assembly
  • Will Barclay Re-Elected as Assembly Minority Leader
  • Mannion Elected to the Senate
  • Senator Martinez Loses Re-Election Bid
  • Political Updates
  • Reminders, and Links
  • Coming Up

Governor Announces Initial Vaccine Distribution Plan

The Governor announced this week that New York will receive its first distribution of COVID vaccine from Pfizer by December 15. The state will be provided with enough to vaccinate 170,000 people with the initial supply and expects to receive additional allocations from both Moderna and Pfizer later this month. The Governor said this will be enough to vaccinate all nursing home patients and staff with these initial allocations. A full plan for vaccine distribution and a plan for priority populations is still being fully developed.

The Governor said:

“The federal government has also informed us that New York will be getting its first 170,000 doses of the vaccine in the coming weeks, and while that is certainly welcomed news, the federal vaccination plan not only overlooks the black, brown, and poor communities, but its data sharing provisions will dissuade the undocumented community from getting a vaccination. Winning the war against COVID has to be an inclusive process and only by everyone working together will we be successful. While we continue to fight to make the federal plan more inclusive, effective and fair, New Yorkers need to do their part to help limit the spread.”

Governor Announces Expansion of Rent Relief Program

The Governor announced he will be signing an upcoming Executive Order to make changes to the COVID Rent Relief Program. The Program, which was created by the Emergency Rent Relief Act of 2020, appropriated up to $100 million from the federal CARES Act to provide subsidies for tenants who lost income due to the pandemic. Based on the parameters of the statute, as much as $40 million is expected to be paid to eligible applicants. The changes to the Program will expand eligibility and reopen its application window in order to utilize the remaining $60 million.  Additional details will be available once the Executive Order is issued.

Minimum Wage to Increase in 2021

The minimum wage is set to increase in all parts of the state, outside the city of New York, on December 31st. Long Island and Westchester County will increase to $14 per hour – up from the current $13 per hour – and the rest of the state will rise to $12.50 from $11.80. New York City has already fully phased in to the $15 per hour minimum wage. Long Island and Westchester are scheduled to be fully phased in to the $15 per hour wage by 2021. Going forward, annual increases for the rest of the state will be determined by the Director of the Division of Budget, based on economic indices, including the Consumer Price Index. Those future increases will be published by October 1 of each year until fully phased in to the $15 per hour rate.

State Adopts Regulations to Reduce Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Cap by 30 Percent

The state has adopted new regulations to strengthen the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, known as “RGGI,” the nation’s first regional program to cap and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector. With these changes, the regional cap in 2030 will be 65 percent below the 2009 starting level. In addition, New York will go beyond many of its RGGI partner states by adding smaller peaking units to the program. Peaking units are small electric generating plants that only produce energy when demand is high and additional energy is required. These units have been scrutinized because of their proximity to disadvantaged communities and have been blamed for contributing to poor air quality in those areas.

Another key change to the RGGI program is the creation of the Emissions Containment Reserve (ECR.) This is a new feature designed to ensure additional carbon dioxide emissions reductions by auctioning fewer allowances in the event the cost of such reductions is less than anticipated. The regulations also simplify the program and ensure that reductions from power plants continue by removing all offset categories except for emissions from livestock operations.

Carl Heastie Re-Elected as Speaker of the Assembly

Carl Heastie was re-elected as Speaker of the Assembly receiving a near unanimous support from his conference. The lone vote against coming from Assembly Member Charles Baron for reasons unknown. Video of the discussion surrounding the no vote was recorded and released by a different member of the conference. Heastie will begin his fourth term as Speaker in January.

The Speaker said:

“The Assembly Majority’s core values will guide us in the years ahead. We will work to get New York in a sound fiscal position while maintaining our commitment to delivering our children a quality education and ensuring access to affordable housing, higher education, and health care. We will continue to build on our ground-breaking criminal justice achievements to help build a more just and fair society. And we will continue our work to make New York a national model when it comes to preserving and protecting our environment.”

Will Barclay Re-Elected as Assembly Minority Leader

Will Barclay was also re-elected to continue serving as the Republican’s minority conference leader in the Assembly. Barclay was first elected to serve as leader earlier this year, after then Minority Leader Brian Kolb was forced to step down amid a scandal involving a DWI arrest.

Barclay said:

“I am honored to have the confidence of my colleagues and greatly appreciate their support as Minority Leader. This has been a year unlike any other. And I profoundly appreciate the efforts of our members, the dedication they show every day and their commitment to helping the people of this state. I will never be able to thank them enough.”

Mannion Elected to the Senate

Democratic candidate for the state’s 50th Senate District, John Mannion, has prevailed over his Republican challenger. The absentee ballot counting was delayed due to a coronavirus outbreak among the employees of the Onondaga County Board of Elections. Mannion, a high school teacher, will be the first Democrat to represent the district in 50 years, which was long held by Republicans John DeFrancisco and Tarky Lombardi.

Mannion said:

“I am humbled to have earned the support of my constituents and honored to serve as the next representative for the 50th Senate District. This isn’t just a victory for my campaign, it’s a win for the hardworking residents of this community and for our entire region.”

Senator Martinez Loses Re-Election Bid

State Senator Monica Martinez lost her re-election bid to Republican challenger Alexis Weik. Prior to Martinez’s election in 2018, the Suffolk County seat was held by Republican Tom Croci. Martinez was one of only two incumbent Democrats to lose this year. Jay Jacobs, Chair of the New York Democratic Party, praised her efforts as Senator and vowed that she will return – if he has any say in the matter.

Political Updates

Buffalo News Opinion: A Premature Celebration for Rob Ortt.

Erie County reached 75% turnout in 2020 election.

Tenney leads once again after county tabulation error.

What’s going on in the Brindisi vs. Tenney congressional race?

Brindisi vs. Tenney: strange and complicated.

Senator Lanza detained after trying to give legal help to defiant Staten Island pub.

Reminders and Links

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

City & State NY’s The Power Players here.

Override Cuomo’s Veto? Unlikely Democrats Say.

Taxes on health insurance policies drive up premiums.

Coming Up

The Assembly will hold a public hearing on NYCHA’s Blueprint for Change proposal on December 8.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing on the online administration of the New York Bar Exam on December 9.

The Board of Regents will hold their next meeting on December 14 and 15.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing on the repurposing of vacant and underutilized real estate for affordable housing development on December 15.

JCOPE will hold its next meeting on December 15.

The Public Service Commission will hold its next meeting on December 17.

The Assembly will hold a public hearing on mayoral control of the New York City school system on December 17.