| | | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin and Anna Gronewold with Jonathan Custodio | Presented by Equinor | Support for a proposal granting bargaining rights — but not full employee status — to delivery and ride-hail drivers is taking a nosedive in Albany, but New York civil rights leaders are coming out today with a rallying cry. State NAACP president Hazel Dukes, MPAC's Rev. Dr. Johnnie Green and Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson of Grace Baptist Church in Mount Vernon are announcing their support for a conceptual deal among labor groups and ride-booking firms like Uber, DoorDash and Lyft that would create a new way of classifying gig workers so they could collectively bargain, Anna reports. "Drivers put in exhausting hours to try to keep up with changes the app companies make. Right now, they are denied basic labor rights including a say in their wages, working conditions, or benefits," Dukes said in a statement to POLITICO. "Passing [the proposed legislation] will give New York rideshare drivers a voice. It's that simple — you're either with these workers, or you aren't." Those new endorsements — alongside the Independent Drivers Guild, an Uber-funded driver advocacy group — come in sharp contrast to recent criticism from service workers union 32BJ SEIU on Monday and a group of immigrant food delivery workers on Tuesday. Those critics say they are alarmed language being proposed would prevent a gig workers union from doing, well, the things unions do, such as strike or boycott. In creating a new class of workers , the proposal may also roll back some basic protections for rights and pay that gig workers are entitled to at the state and local levels, they say. State Sen. Jessica Ramos — the Queens Democrat who chairs the Senate Labor Committee — said there's no way a bill like that makes it through her panel. "That bill is garbage," she said from the Capitol on Tuesday. "This is an attack on my neighbors and I will not be supporting — or passing through committee — any bill that undermines them." What does that mean in Albany? The more cynical in the state Capitol say it's enough hullabaloo to keep anything from happening in the final eight days of session. Others wonder if, now that everything is out on the table, it's finally a good place for everyone to start bargaining down to a compromise. The New York State AFL-CIO — which has been involved in the discussion for years now — is expressing openness to other options. "We will continue to work with our affiliates and the app-based workers to try to get this done. If there are other ideas, we are open to them," president Mario Cilento said in a statement. "No one ever said this would be easy, but this is all part of the normal legislative process." IT'S WEDNESDAY. Editor's note: Tuesday's edition of New York Playbook included a genuine mistake on my part that mischaracterized "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." The show is returning with a full-capacity, fully-vaccinated "live body-ody-audience" next month — an exciting milestone for them and for people fond of the suit-wearing edition of Colbert. The how the error happened is a bit too long to explain here but here's what's simple: The editor regrets the error. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: EDurkin@politico.com and agronewold@politico.com, or on Twitter: @erinmdurkin and @annagronewold WHERE'S ANDREW? No public schedule yet. WHERE'S BILL? Holding a media availability. DAYS TO THE PRIMARY: 27 ABOVE THE FOLD — "Prosecutor in Trump criminal probe convenes grand jury to hear evidence, weigh potential charges ," by Washington Post's Shayna Jacobs and David A. Farenthold: "Manhattan's district attorney has convened the grand jury that is expected to decide whether to indict former president Donald Trump, other executives at his company or the business itself should prosecutors present the panel with criminal charges, according to two people familiar with the development. The panel was convened recently and will sit three days a week for six months. It is likely to hear several matters — not just the Trump case — during the duration of its term, which is longer than a traditional New York state grand-jury assignment, these people said." | | | | A message from Equinor: Can a wind turbine generate more than electricity? We believe it can. At Equinor, we're planning to power more than 1,000,000 homes in New York with homegrown, renewable energy. But we can do more. As a broad energy company with an ambitious net-zero target for 2050, we're pursuing the development of offshore wind projects in the US and quickly becoming a leader in the country's growing offshore wind industry. | | |
|  | WHAT CITY HALL'S READING | | Yang denounces attacks on his New York credentials as racist, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin: Mayoral hopeful Andrew Yang on Tuesday denounced attacks on him by rival candidates for playing into anti-Asian racism — tying broadsides against him to a spike in hate crimes in the city. Yang stood with his wife, Evelyn, Tuesday outside a Queens subway station where an Asian man was shoved onto the train tracks, denouncing a New York Daily News cartoon portraying him as a tourist as well as broader attacks questioning whether he is a true New Yorker. ..."Hate is tearing our city apart, and we need it to stop, we need it to end. Some of my opponents in this race have actually characterized some of us as being more New York than others — as if some of us belong here more than other people," Yang said. "And I am here to say that that is wrong. None of us is more New York than anyone else. We all belong here." — Yang's optimistic persona has continued to fuel his candidacy but will it be enough? State Board of Elections approves ranked-choice software, but concerns remain about process, by POLITICO's Jonathan Custodio: The New York State Board of Elections officially approved the ranked-choice voting software the city plans to use for the June primary elections during a Tuesday meeting, but members raised concerns about the untested nature — and even the legality — of a system that will be used for the first time in less than four weeks...City special elections in March and April had to be counted by hand as the city awaited approval from the state — a painstaking process the city had to avoid for the mayoral primaries on June 22. In its own meeting on Tuesday, The New York City Board of Elections said ranked-choice voting tabulation would not be processed until about a week after June 22 because scanners will need to be transported back to borough offices to properly upload the information, for an accurate and secure count. Kathryn Garcia leads field in new poll, 4 weeks ahead of Election Day, by POLITICO's Sally Goldenberg: Former city sanitation commissioner Kathryn Garcia is leading the Democratic field of mayoral contenders, with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams hot on her trail, according to a new poll four weeks ahead of Election Day. The survey, conducted by Emerson College and PIX11 News … signals a reshaping of the top tier in the eight-person field. Until now, Adams and former presidential contender Andrew Yang have traded first and second place in every poll. Emerson found Garcia with support from 21 percent of the 570 likely voters surveyed Sunday and Monday. Adams trailed closely with 20 percent, followed by Yang at 16 percent and City Comptroller Scott Stringer at 10 percent. — BUT WAIT: New Fontas poll puts Adams on top, Garcia and Yang tied for second, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin: Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams leads a new poll of the mayor's race, with Andrew Yang and Kathryn Garcia vying closely for second place. The results come after a different poll found Garcia in the number one spot, in a highly fluid race with less than a month to go until primary day. The poll by Fontas Advisors and Core Decision Analytics finds 18 percent of voters favor Adams, when including voters who say they are undecided but leaning toward a certain candidate. Yang, a former presidential candidate, is at 13 percent and Garcia, the former sanitation commissioner, at 11 percent, a difference within the poll's margin of error. Stringer hangs on, but left remains divided in NYC mayor's race, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin: Scott Stringer's mayoral campaign seemed all but over less than a month ago. In a matter of days, after a former campaign volunteer leveled sexual assault allegations against him , most of his high-profile supporters had abandoned Stringer's campaign. Progressives who had hoped to rally around a strong candidate were left scrambling as his rivals demanded he drop out of the race. Instead, Stringer, who came into the race with a long-cultivated base and a sizable campaign war chest, tried to turn the adversity into an advantage. | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | |
"NYC mayoral candidate Shaun Donovan arrested in racial justice protest near Holland Tunnel," by New York Daily News' Tim Balk: "Mayoral candidate Shaun Donovan was detained at a lower Manhattan police station for about an hour on Tuesday morning after he joined about a half-dozen protesters to block traffic in remembrance of the killing of George Floyd. Donovan, who wore a black-and-white 'BLACK LIVES MATTER' t-shirt, kneeled with the demonstrators, stalling traffic at a ramp onto the Holland Tunnel in Tribeca."
— Lesser-known candidates Art Chang and Jocelyn Taylor formed a campaign alliance, cross-endorsing each other as No. 2 picks for ranked-choice voting. ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams received a warm welcome from the crowd at the National Action Network's mayoral forum Tuesday night, touting his resumé and drilling down on his stop-and-frisk position, over which his rivals have assailed him. He said the ability for police officers to stop and question people is an essential tool, without which "you endanger yourself and you endanger the public." It was the frisking part that went too far, he said. "You stop, you question. That's a wrap. You don't frisk everyone you stop; you don't search everyone you stop," he added, saying that's when the tool became abused. Adams, a retired NYPD captain, said he was targeted in his own department because he protested against aggressive police stops. He also aired a veiled critique of mayoral rival Kathryn Garcia, who's seen her clout in the polls rise as the primary approaches. "This city does not need a manager, Rev, this city needs a visionary," he told the Rev. Al Sharpton. — Jesse Naranjo FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Corey Johnson will release his first ad in the city comptroller's race today. The 30-second spot starts off with footage of Johnson coming out as gay while captain of his high school football team, during an interview with Anderson Cooper two decades ago, and touches on his youth with a single mother in public housing. The commercial will air as part of a seven-figure ad buy on broadcast, cable and online. — The group #VOTEPROCHOICE is backing three women running for mayor in a new ranked-choice endorsement. The organization, a national voter mobilization project dedicated to electing candidates who support abortion rights, is endorsing Dianne Morales as their first-choice candidate, followed by Maya Wiley and Kathryn Garcia. "They stand head and shoulders above the candidates currently leading in the polls who bring a mixed bag of bad judgement, misogyny, corruption, and inexperience," said Heidi L. Sieck, #VOTEPROCHOICE's co-founder and CEO. "The 2021 New York City Mayoral race is crucial for ensuring that New York continues its legacy of protecting reproductive freedom and access to abortion." In the city comptroller's race, they're endorsing Brad Lander first, then Corey Johnson and Brian Benjamin. They're also publishing a full voter guide with picks in a slew of local races. — Shaun Donovan will release an ad today featuring Bishop Johnny Ray Youngblood, discussing his 30-year relationship with the former Bloomberg and Obama official and their work together creating affordable housing. "Shaun Donovan has shown what's possible and when he's our mayor, Shaun will deliver," Youngblood says. The campaign said the ad and a new cut of an existing ad, with Donovan addressing viewers in Spanish, are part of a seven-figure TV and online ad-buy. | | | |   | | |
| | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | "Senate Democrats shape debate on ethics commission," by Times Union's Chris Bragg: "Since assuming a majority in 2019, state Senate Democratic conference had been relatively quiet concerning New York's much-criticized ethics oversight agency: For more than two years, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins had declined until recently to fill the conference's lone appointment to the Joint Commission on Public Ethics. But on multiple fronts, Senate Democrats have begun to play a prominent role with the panel, though not always in ways easily predictable. On Tuesday afternoon, a bill sponsored by their conference was approved that they contend will substantially reform JCOPE's operations and widen its authority to conduct investigations. The legislation, sponsored by Bronx state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi, contains three major provisions, including one that would change the appointment process for commissioners." "Bill to Automatically Remove Criminal Records Finds Some Support in New York," by The Wall Street Journal's Ben Chapman: "Some New York lawmakers, businesses and labor unions have put their support behind a bill to automatically expunge the records of people convicted of crimes. The Clean Slate Act, which is sponsored by state senator Zellnor Myrie, a Democrat who represents parts of Brooklyn, would remove publicly available criminal records for most felonies and misdemeanor crimes after people have completed the terms of their punishments. According to Mr. Myrie, the law would ease the challenge of finding a job, enrolling in college or leasing an apartment for those who have finished their sentences. There are more than 2.3 million people in New York state with criminal records, according to state officials." — "New York lawmakers say criminal justice reform work is not done as end of session nears," by Spectrum's Nick Reisman: "For advocates, it's been a year of successes after a wall of opposition to any change. Police departments, meanwhile, tell a different story: a year of retirements and a lack of recruits. But Democratic lawmakers say more work is needed, and are likely to continue to press forward with criminal justice and police reform measures as the legislative session winds to close in the coming days. 'We still are dealing with a very rotten system and I'm hopeful that we will continue to work towards reform and dismantling in some instances a system that has been oppressive,' said state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, a Democrat from Brooklyn who has been a chief architect of the reform measures. 'You're not going to extract what has been in the DNA in this country over night.'" "Warren's big-dollar backers steadfast or silent after last week, except for one major donor," Democrat and Chronicle's Brian Sharp: "A prominent donor to Mayor Lovely Warren's campaign now says she should end her re-election bid. But, so far, Mark Siwiec is standing alone, as other big-dollar contributors oscillate, stay silent or voice steadfast support after her estranged husband's arrest on gun and drug charges in an alleged cocaine distribution ring. The questions they, and the public, are grappling with are ones of personal judgment, of distractions and leadership, and what is best for the city of Rochester. Warren and mayoral challenger Malik Evans are scheduled to meet Tuesday night for their first, and so far only, debate." #UpstateAmerica: The vaccination status of Bills quarterback Josh Allen remains a hot topic because this is our world now. | | | | Did you know that POLITICO Pro has coverage and tools at the state level? All the state legislative and regulatory tracking, budget documents, state agency contact information, and everything else you need to stay ahead of state policy movement integrate into our smart and customizable platform. Learn more and become a Pro today. | | | | |
| | AROUND NEW YORK | | — The city will offer the Covid-19 vaccine at beaches and parks starting this weekend. And you can win Knicks tickets if you get vaccinated at Madison Square Garden. — Employees at the Brooklyn Museum are moving to form a union. — Council Member Helen Rosenthal attended a virtual hearing while driving her car, a practice that has popped up among several lawmakers in the Zoom era. — Lawmakers are seeking to cut power from the East Ramapo school board. | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Commerce's Mike Harney … MSNBC's Tom Ranzweiler … Jonny Dach … Bloomberg's Derek Wallbank … WilmerHale's Arjun Jaikumar … Sabrina Correa … Devon Spurgeon … Covington & Burling's Ben Cavataro … Miriam Cash of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's (D-N.Y.) office … Gwen Rocco MAKING MOVES — Michael Greenwald, a Treasury Department alum, has been named director of digital asset education for Tiedemann Advisors, while remaining director at Tiedemann Advisors. | | | | A message from Equinor: The energy transition is the defining challenge opportunity of our time. Without energy, the world would simply stop. Today, 80% of energy comes from fossil fuels—and the energy system has to change. The world needs energy — but it must be affordable, reliable, and accessible. How will we do it? By accelerating the energy transition . At Equinor, we're growing our portfolio in renewable energy and cutting greenhouse gas emissions. We're already planning to power more than 1,000,000 homes in New York with homegrown, renewable energy. But for us, that's only the beginning. By the time the global population reaches 9 billion in 2050, our goal is to have net-zero emissions. Discover more about Equinor at www.equinor.com/USA. | | |
| | REAL ESTATE | | "Council Will Hold Long-Awaited Vote to Raise Value of NYC Housing Vouchers," by City Limits' David Brand: "Lavera Martino and her son Takai stood at a crosswalk and watched as Council Speaker Corey Johnson headed down Second Avenue in East Harlem Tuesday afternoon. Johnson had just left a rally outside a family homeless shelter where he announced the council will vote Thursday on a long-awaited measure to raise the value of city-backed housing subsidies for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. The current voucher values trail actual market rents, making it hard for families to find a landlord willing to accept the subsidy, known as the CityFHEPS program... Her CityFHEPS voucher would cover a maximum rent of $1,323 a month, far less than the price of apartments she has seen." — Residents of youth homeless shelters are left out of the plan. "Cuomo's Back-Rent Relief Finally Arrives. Tenants and Landlords Ask: Will it be Enough?" by The City's Greg David: "Since the pandemic devastated New York's economy and spurred a moratorium on evictions, looking at the growing unpaid rent tab has proved depressing for Valentina Gojcaj, whose family owns 150 rent-stabilized apartments in The Bronx. Earlier this month, she ran the latest reports, which showed she is owed $563,000, with the amount of tenant debts ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. 'Tenants who weren't able to pay prior to the pandemic didn't pay and quite a few others had their own struggles and there was no city assistance,' she said. 'But we kept the services going and pulled down our reserve accounts.' Finally, substantial help may be on the way for Gojcaj and her renters. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that New York's $2.4 billion relief program to pay back rent will begin accepting applications on June 1."
| | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment