Plugged In @ Hinman Straub – September 11, 2018

What’s Inside

  • Governor Announces State Funding for Electric Vehicles, Charging Equipment
  • Governor Announces Groundbreaking of Long Island Rail Road’s Third Track
  • Governor Announces New Entrance for Penn Station, Expanded LIRR Concourse
  • State Attorney General Launches Clergy Sex Abuse Investigation
  • State Begins Marijuana Legalization ‘Listening Sessions’
  • Anti-NY Health Act Coalition Adds Members
  • Preview of Key Legislative Primaries
  • Political Update
    • Cuomo Campaign Spending Up as Primary Approaches
    • Nixon Video Highlights Family’s Struggle with Breast Cancer
    • Attorney General Candidates Debate
    • New York Times Editorial Board Endorses Jumaane Williams for LG
    • Winners & Losers
  • Coming Up

Governor Announces State Funding for Electric Vehicles, Charging Equipment

Last Wednesday, Gov. Cuomo announced that the state will use the $127.7 million received from the 2016 Volkswagen settlement to dramatically increase the number of electric vehicles and other clean vehicles in the state.

The state plans to use a majority of the funding to accelerate the adoption of electrified transportation by reducing the cost of electric buses and trucks, particularly transit buses, and providing funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The state will also replace or re-power older, high-polluting diesel-powered trucks, school buses, and equipment with cleaner vehicles and equipment. The state will prioritize replacement of older, dirty vehicles and equipment with emission-free electric versions and will fund replacement with other new, lower-emitting technologies that will provide greater emission reductions for the funding available. (Read the full NYS Beneficiary Mitigation Plan.)

Gov. Cuomo said:

“Combatting climate change and air pollution and protecting our environment is critical to the very future of this great state.  As Washington continues to roll back protections, New York is more committed than ever to supporting cleaner, greener transportation technologies. By strategically investing these settlement funds, we can take real action to improve community health and sustainability, while providing incentives to address one of the largest causes of harmful pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.”

Governor Announces Groundbreaking of Long Island Rail Road’s Third Track

Last Wednesday, Gov. Cuomo announced that the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is breaking ground on its Third Track – a $2.6 billion expansion that 50 projects to modernize 9.8 miles along the congested Main Line of the LIRR between Floral Park and Hicksville. Those projects also include eliminating all seven street-level grade crossings within the project corridor, adding new power substations and parking, and modernizing track and signal infrastructure.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“Since the 1940s, people talked about adding a third track and modernizing the Main Line corridor – and now we’re actually doing it.  These projects taken together will create smoother and more reliable service for LIRR passengers while at the same time improving public safety by eliminating dangerous grade crossings. The LIRR is the backbone of the region’s economy and this expansion effort will boost growth for generations.”

Governor Announces New Entrance for Penn Station, Expanded LIRR Concourse

Last Thursday, Gov. Cuomo announced that Manhattan’s Penn Station will gain a new entrance at 33rd Street and 7th Avenue that will provide direct access to the LIRR Main Concourse and the subway. He also said that the LIRR Main Concourse between 7th and 8th Avenues will be roughly doubled in size and the ceiling will be raised by up to 11 feet.

The improvements are part of “the Governor’s overarching vision to completely remake this transportation hub located at the heart of the New York’s regional rail network.”

Gov. Cuomo said:

“For years there has been talk about transforming Penn Station, but no action, forcing New York’s commuters and visitors to endure congested and potentially unsafe conditions for far too long.  The projects currently underway, including a new, state-of-the-art entrance, will not only turn Penn Station into a world-class transit hub, but they will ease the flow for riders and improve the overall passenger experience for all who pass through.”

State Attorney General Launches Clergy Sex Abuse Investigation

Last Thursday, New York State Attorney General Barbara Underwood announced that her office has launched a civil investigation into how the Catholic Church reviewed and potentially covered up allegations of sexual abuse in the state. Her office has also created a clergy abuse hotline and online complaint form through which victims and others can provide information.

All eight of the state’s Roman Catholic dioceses have been subpoenaed. The announcement in the wake of a Pennsylvania grand jury report that detailed the abuse of more than 1,000 children by hundreds of priests over decades.

The Attorney General’s Criminal Division is also seeking to partner with county district attorneys – who are the only entities that currently have the power to convene grand juries to investigate these matters – to investigate and, if warranted, prosecute any individuals who have committed criminal offenses that fall within the applicable statutes of limitations.

Attorney General Underwood said:

“The Pennsylvania grand jury report shined a light on incredibly disturbing and depraved acts by Catholic clergy, assisted by a culture of secrecy and cover ups in the dioceses. Victims in New York deserve to be heard as well – and we are going to do everything in our power to bring them the justice they deserve. “I urge all victims and anyone else with information to contact our hotline. And make no mistake: the only way that justice can fully and truly be served is for the legislature to finally pass the Child Victims Act.”

State Begins Marijuana Legalization ‘Listening Sessions’

Last week, state health officials held the first two ‘listening sessions’ throughout the state gather input, concerns and considerations from community members about the possible creation of a state-regulated marijuana program. Topics addressed include whether the drug could be grown at home; tax rates and how tax revenues will be used; and health impacts, especially the potential for dependence.

Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine have decriminalized the drug. Massachusetts is moving forward with authorizing the sale of recreational marijuana, and New Jersey lawmakers are considering doing so as well.

New York’s next ‘listening sessions’ will be held in the Bronx on September 17 and in Manhattan on September 20.

Medical marijuana is currently legal in 30 states, and recreational marijuana is legal in nine states. According to the Health Department’s July 2018 report, retail sales and taxation of marijuana could generate between $248 million and $677 million annually in New York State.

Anti-NY Health Act Coalition Adds Members

A coalition of groups that oppose the New York Health Act, but support universal healthcare coverage for all New Yorkers, is growing. The coalition, Realities of Single Payer, includes businesses, healthcare providers, health plans, brokers, and labor unions.  (Read the list of coalition members here.)

The coalition says that healthcare coverage should be expanded through a combination of private and government funded health insurance – employer-based, private and public health insurance programs — rather than forcing all New Yorkers to use a single, government-run health insurance plan that would require huge tax Increases and would lead to private sector job losses.

Preview of Key Legislative Primaries

Senate

The battle for control of the New York State Senate is again this year the highlight of the state’s election cycle.  But before the November general election that will determine whether Democrats can win the Senate majority over the current Republican leadership, and thus control both houses of the Legislature, there are a series of competitive primaries on the Democratic side that will be decided on September 13th.

Among them are eight races where incumbents — former members of the now-defunct Senate Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) — are being challenged, mostly by young progressives, despite a “unity deal” announced in April Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo in which the IDC members returned to the mainline Democratic fold.

Key Senate primary races include:

Assembly

The Democrats hold an overwhelming majority in the Assembly, and that is not expected to change in 2019. Competitive Assembly primary races include the following:

  • Assembly District 18 (Nassau County) – 30-year incumbent Democrat Earlene Hooper is being challenged by Taylor Raynor. The Nassau County Democratic Party has endorsed Raynor.
  • AD 30 (Queens) – first-term Democrat Brian Barnwell is being challenged by Melissa Sklarz. Sklarz is seeking to be the first transgender person elected to the state legislature.
  • AD 61 (Staten Island) – three Democrats – Charles Fall, Bobby Digi and Patricia Kane are running to replace fellow Democrat Matt Titone, who is running for a judgeship.
  • AD 122 (Southern Tier) – Republican Nick Libous, son of former State Senator Tom Libous, is challenging incumbent Cliff Crouch in the Republican primary.

Political Update

Cuomo Campaign Spending Up as Primary Approaches

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, facing a tough primary challenger as he seeks a third term as Governor, is spending at an unprecedented rate.  According to his campaign’s Sept. 4th filing, he spent $8.5 million in 18 days during August, leaving his campaign with just over $16 million.

In contrast, Nixon raised $475,168 and spent $450,275 during the same period, leaving her with $466,749 for the final days of the race.

Nixon Video Highlights Family’s Struggle with Breast Cancer

Cynthia Nixon’s campaign has released a video that highlights her family’s struggle with breast cancer and her push for a single-payer health care program in New York State. In the video, Nixon discusses her mother’s battle with breast cancer and her own diagnosis.

Cuomo 2018 and State Democratic Committee Release TV Ads Highlighting Upstate Regions

Cuomo 2018 and the New York State Democratic Committee have released series of television ads “featuring proven leaders Governor Andrew Cuomo and Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul and their accomplishments” in Western New York, the Finger Lakes, Central New York, and the Capital Region.

Attorney General Candidates Debate

The New York City Bar Association hosted a candidate forum for the Democratic Attorney General candidates last Tuesday evening.  All four Democratic candidates participated — New York City Public Advocate Letitia James; Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney; Fordham Law Professor Zephyr Teachout; Leecia Eve, a Vice President of Government Affairs at Verizon.

(Watch the full event here.)

New York Times Editorial Board Endorses Jumaane Williams for LG

The New York Times editorial board has endorsed Jumaane Williams in Democratic primary for lieutenant governor over incumbent Kathy Hochul, who is Gov. Cuomo’s running mate.  The editorial board said that Mr. Williams is “an independent-minded New York City Council member” who “has shown that he can be a real leader.”

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

The state Board of Elections holds its next meeting on September 11.

The Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) holds its next meeting on September 12.

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

The Public Service Commission (PSC) holds its next meeting on September 13.

The state Board of Regents holds its next meeting on September 17 and 18.

Gov. Cuomo’s Regulated Marijuana Workgroup, which is drafting legislation for an adult-use marijuana program for the Legislature to consider in 2019, is holding ‘listening sessions’ on September 17 in the Bronx and on September 20 in Manhattan. Register to participate in a session here.

On September 26, the Assembly Committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts, and Sports Development and Subcommittee on Museums & Cultural Institutions are holding a public hearing in Manhattan “to examine the impact New York’s artistic and cultural institutions have on the economy of the State.”