Plugged In @ Hinman Straub – July 24, 2018

What’s Inside

  • Governor, Senate Democrats Call on Senate GOP to Codify Roe v. Wade
  • Governor Pushes Senate GOP on Speed Camera Renewal
  • Governor Announces Election Cyber Security Measures
  • New York Sues Federal Government Over Cuts in SALT Deduction
  • Former Senate Majority Leader Convicted in Retrial
  • Poll: Governor Holds Big Leads Over Nixon, Molinaro
  • Statewide Candidates File Fundraising Reports
  • Political Update
  • Coming Up

Governor, Senate Democrats Call on Senate GOP to Codify Roe v. Wade

Last Monday, Gov. Cuomo and all 31 members of the Senate Democratic Conference called on Senate Republicans to return to Albany to vote to codify Roe v. Wade into state law. They note that just one Republican vote is needed to update New York’s nearly 50-year old abortion laws “to ensure that women in New York maintain their rights under Roe v. Wade.”

Gov. Cuomo and Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins also published a joint editorial in which they wrote “Every New Yorker has a right to know where each member of the State Legislature stands when it comes to protecting a woman’s right to control her own reproductive health decisions.”

Gov. Cuomo said:

“Roe v. Wade is under attack in Washington and could be overturned. With 31 votes secured in the Senate, only 1 vote is needed to ensure that no matter what happens at the federal level, the protections offered by Roe v. Wade are secure in the State of New York. The Republicans in the State Senate owe it to their constituents to allow a vote and tell the people of this State where they stand when it comes to woman’s reproductive health rights. Senate Republicans, where do you stand?”

In a statement, Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan pushed back:

“Governor Cuomo’s singular fear is Cynthia Nixon tarnishing his newfound progressive narrative.  He knows, as the Daily News pointed out in a recent editorial, that Roe is the law of the land in New York. Roe is federal law, no case is currently before the Supreme Court or even anticipated to be decided in the near future. Further, New York’s Attorney General offered a legal opinion in 2016 that Roe stands in this state.”

Governor Pushes Senate GOP on Speed Camera Renewal

With the New York City speed camera set to expire next week, Gov. Cuomo continued to press the Senate Republicans on the issue. The state Department of Transportation released a study which finds that speed cameras have led to slower driving speeds, which has reduced the number of crashes and increased survivability rates. The report found fatalities in zones around New York City schools decreased from an average of 18 per year to 8 per year after speed cameras were installed. It also found that the total number of crashes were reduced 15 percent, and injuries from crashes were down by 17 percent.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“The Senate Republicans are putting politics over the lives of children. The Assembly has passed the bill and the Senate Democrats support it—now it’s up to Senate Republicans to decide whether young people live or die.”

The Senate Republicans introduced – but did not pass – their own version of a school pedestrian safety bill.  Their bill would increase fines for offenses in school zones, and would add stop signs, traffic lights and speed bumps in such zones.

Governor Announces Election Cyber Security Measures

Last Tuesday, Gov. Cuomo announced “a comprehensive initiative with the State Board of Elections to further secure New York State’s elections infrastructure and protect against foreign interference.”

The state’s 2018-19 budget appropriated $5 million for statewide election cyber security infrastructure. The state will solicit contracts for three independent services for County Boards of Elections: 1) cyber security risk assessments; 2) enhanced intrusion detection devices; and 3) managed security services. In addition, the state’s Secure Election Center, managed by the State Board of Elections, will provide cyber security training to all state and county election officials and staff prior to the November elections.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“The groundbreaking cyber security initiative we launch today will harden and protect our election infrastructure from the very real threat of foreign meddling. While the President has abdicated his responsibility to defend this country and left our electoral system open to sabotage by foreign adversaries, New York is fighting back and leading the way.”

New York Sues Federal Government Over Cuts in SALT Deduction

Last Tuesday, Tuesday, Gov. Cuomo and Attorney General Underwood announced the filing of a lawsuit “to protect New York and its taxpayers from Washington’s drastic curtailment of the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction.” New York is joined by Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey in the suit, which was filed in the Southern District of New York.

The lawsuit claims that the new SALT deduction cap of $10,000 per year is unconstitutional because it targets New York and similarly situated states; it interferes with states’ rights to make their own fiscal decisions; and it will disproportionately harm taxpayers in these states.

According to the complaint, the state Department of Taxation and Finance shows that the cap will increase New Yorkers’ federal taxes by $14.3 billion in 2018 alone, and an additional $121 billion between 2019 and 2025. The suit argues that the new provision will depress home values and reduce state tax revenues – forcing states to choose between higher taxes or reducing state spending in education, public services, and other programs.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“The federal government is hellbent on using New York as a piggy bank to pay for corporate tax cuts and I will not stand for it. Today I’m proud to announce that New York is the first state in the nation to take legal action against Trump’s tax plan that benefits the 1% at the expense of middle-class families. We will fight back at every turn against President Trump and the federal government’s partisan assault on to protect the people of New York.”

Former Senate Majority Leader Convicted in Retrial

Also on Tuesday, Former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R – Nassau County) and his son were convicted of bribery, extortion and conspiracy after a trial in federal court in Manhattan.  The jury found that the elder Skelos, who led the State Senate’s Republican Conference from 2008 until 2015, used his political influence to secure jobs for his son with companies that had business before the Legislature.

The two Skeloses were previously convicted in 2015, but federal appeals court granted them a new trial after the U.S. Supreme Court narrowed the law regarding public corruption offenses.

Read the U.S. Attorney’s statement on the conviction here.

Poll: Governor Holds Big Leads Over Nixon, Molinaro

A Quinnipiac poll released on Wednesday shows Gov. Cuomo with double digit leads over his primary and general election challengers.

The poll shows Gov. Cuomo leading Cynthia Nixon 59 to 23 percent in the Democratic primary.

In the general election the poll shows Gov. Cuomo getting 43 percent of the vote, with Republican candidate Marc Molinaro second at 23 percent and Working Families Party candidate Cynthia Nixon at 13 percent. If Nixon does not remain on the ballot in November, the poll shows Gov. Cuomo defeating Molinaro 57 – 31 percent.

Statewide Candidates File Fundraising Reports

Last Monday was the deadline for candidates running for state offices to file campaign finance disclosure reports with the New York State Board of Elections showing their fundraising and expenditures for the six-month period between January 16 and July 16.

Gov. Cuomo, who is seeking a third term in office, raised over $6 million and spent about $5.3 million. His total of $31 million on hand put him far ahead in terms of fundraising.

Cynthia Nixon, who is challenging Gov. Cuomo in a Democratic primary, reported raising just under $500,000 while spending $274,000. Her campaign, which has $657,000 on hand, has received more than 30,000 individual contributions since she launched her campaign, and that 97 percent of those were small-dollar contributions.

Marc Molinaro, the Republican candidate for governor, raised about $1.1 million and spent $250,000.  He has $887,000 on hand.

In the Democratic primary race for state Attorney General, New York City Public Advocate Letitia James raised $1.1 million and spent $175,000, leaving her with $990,000 on hand.  Law professor Zephyr Teachout raised $551,000 and spent about $284,000. She has $314,000 in cash on hand.  Former Cuomo and Hillary Clinton aide Leecia Eve raised just under $300,000, and spent $50,000.

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney reported raising $1.1 million and spent $145,000.  Maloney said that he has an additional $3.1 million in funds raised for his congressional re-election that he believes he can use in the statewide race. Maloney is running for both offices simultaneously. If he wins the Attorney General primary, he will seek to be replaced as a candidate for Congress.  However, the Republicans filed challenges to Maloney’s petitions this week that argue that he should be removed from both ballots.

The next round of campaign finance filings are due on August 13.

Political Update

Independence Party Endorses Republican Candidate in Key State Senate Race

The state Independence Party has endorsed Republican Tom Basile for the 39th Senate District  seat being vacated by Republican Senator Bill Larkin over his Democratic opponent, Assemblyman James Skoufis.

The Independence Party is the state’s largest minor party. Votes cast on its line can be crucial in close state legislative races.

This race is expected to be a key one in determining which party controls the State Senate in 2019. The district includes 10 towns and the City of Newburgh in Orange County, and two towns each in Ulster and Rockland counties.

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

Consolidated Funding Applications for Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) funds are due by July 27th.

The Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) holds its next meeting on July 31.

The state Board of Elections holds its next meeting on August 8.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) holds its next meeting on August 9.

On August 13th, the Senate Labor Committee and Economic Development Committee are holding a public hearing in Binghamton “to examine the Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises program, and consider potential legislative solutions to create a more effective and efficient program to enhance New York’s business climate.”

New York’s primary elections will be held on Thursday, Sept. 13.