Wednesday, July 27, 2022

POLITICO New York Playbook: The bail reform special session that wasn’t

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Jul 27, 2022 View in browser
 
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By Erin Durkin , Anna Gronewold and Julian Shen-Berro

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A few weeks out from the last marathon special session in Albany on guns and abortion , Eric Adams wants another one.

The New York City mayor called for lawmakers to reconvene this summer to tighten the state's bail laws when it comes to repeat offenders. "They're hurting our public safety," the mayor said yesterday.

It doesn't look like this one is going to happen, probably to the relief of legislators who are enjoying a couple weeks of summer ahead of another primary next month. Nor does it look like Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul are actually on the same page, despite Adams' efforts to stress that they are.

Hochul, who would have to call a special session, knocked down the idea later Tuesday, noting that lawmakers already made some rollbacks to the 2019 laws that banned cash bail in most cases, including provisions making it easier to hold alleged repeat offenders in some cases. (The changes stop short of what Adams wants: discretion for judges to detain defendants they deem dangerous.)

That was a huge political battle and, for now, it's enough for the governor. "Significant changes to the bail laws were made. Reforms to the reforms. Because I believe that we have to do everything we can in our power to protect public safety," she said.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie also put out a statement in response to Adams. "We don't think it is necessary," he said. "The three types of crimes referenced by the mayor are bail eligible and detention can be sought in family court under current law."

The mayor's call for a special session does, on the other hand, put him on the same page as GOP leaders. Republicans have been fulminating about bail reform for years but have particularly ramped up their case since their gubernatorial nominee Lee Zeldin was attacked at a campaign event.

"New York City Mayor Adams today joined our calls for a special legislative session to address bail reform and other public safety concerns. But — without an ounce of hesitation — the political ruling class in Albany has dismissed these calls," said Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, who says his members are eager to head back to Albany to repeal the bail reform law, if not for the roadblock posed by state-level Democrats who "couldn't care less." Zeldin called Hochul's stance "absolutely pathetic."

IT'S WEDNESDAY. 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 KATHY? Rallying with the LG, AG and comptroller at the 1199SEIU Headquarters in New York City.

WHERE'S ERIC? Speaking at an affordable housing groundbreaking, making a law enforcement announcement, and speaking at a Latino Founders Fund event.

 

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What City Hall's reading

" NYC City Hall adviser Ingrid Lewis-Martin has yet to be repaid for loan given to staffer in potential ethical dilemma ," by New York Daily News' Chris Sommerfeldt: "A City Hall staffer borrowed money from Ingrid Lewis-Martin, Mayor Adams' chief adviser, prior to her appointment and has yet to pay it back, according to a financial disclosure form that could raise ethical concerns for the top mayoral aide. The annual disclosure, submitted by Lewis-Martin with the Conflicts of Interest Board, shows that City Hall special assistant Dawn Baskerville owes her between $1,000 and $5,000 for a 'personal loan' issued in 2014."

" Rikers Island staff failed to treat inmate who died of diabetes complications, her family says ," by New York Daily News' Graham Rayman: "A detainee found unresponsive in a Rikers Island jail died of complications from diabetes that could have been easily treated had jail officials done required the medical screening, her family alleged Tuesday in new legal papers. Department of Correction officials failed to do a basic urine test in February when Mary Yehudah, 31, was locked up on a robbery charge, her family alleged in a $50 million notice of claim announcing plans to sue to the city. Yehudah repeatedly complained of ailments, including shortness of breath and high blood pressure, that also would have pointed to diabetes had anyone bothered to check, according to the claim."

" NYC private sector teams with Mayor Adams to get homeless off streets ," by New York Post's Bernadette Hogan and Sam Raskin: "Dozens of Big Apple businesses will collectively dedicate more than $8 million for services aimed at tackling the city's dire homelessness problem, Mayor Eric Adams announced Tuesday. The tranche of funding will be delivered via a 'Homeless Assistance Fund' that will allow the nonprofit Breaking Ground to expand its outreach to New Yorkers living on the street and who suffer from mental illnesses with the goal of getting them into housing and treatment programs, officials said."

" Homeless Shelters are Overflowing — And Most Likely in Poor Areas, Despite Fair Share Promises ," by The City's Greg B. Smith and Suhail Bhat: "Five years after Adams' predecessor, Bill de Blasio, promised dozens of new shelters in every community district, the initiative remains far behind what was promised — and the shelters remain inequitably distributed, disproportionately concentrated in the city's lowest-income communities. As of this week, only 48 of the 99 new shelters de Blasio vowed to create by 2023 have actually opened, while eight community districts out of the city's 59 still have zero shelters, a review by THE CITY has found. In Adams' first months in office, his administration has put the brakes on three shelters that were on the verge of opening — all in community districts that still do not have a homeless shelter, and where local opposition has been fierce."

" City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams endorses Elizabeth Crowley for state Senate ," by City & State's Annie McDonough: "New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams is weighing in on one of the more competitive state Senate primaries this year, endorsing former City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley to represent state Senate District 59, which covers parts of Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan. The Democratic primary has drawn attention from high-profile progressive politicians and groups, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nydia Velázquez, the Working Families Party and the New York City Democratic Socialists of America — all of whom endorsed Kristen Gonzalez, who works in tech and is a DSA organizer. … In her first major endorsement as speaker, Adams joined City Council Member Lynn Schulman in supporting Crowley, even as several of their colleagues — including Council Members Tiffany Cabán, Lincoln Restler, Chi Ossé and Jennifer Gutiérrez — have lined up to back Gonzalez."

 

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WHAT ALBANY'S READING

" Secrecy at issue for new ethics panel ," by Times Union's Chris Bragg: "The 11 nominees to the state's new ethics panel are being asked about their relations with the Fourth Estate as part of a lengthy confirmation process. A questionnaire recently distributed to the candidates asked: 'When, if ever, is it appropriate for commission members to speak to the press about commission related matters?' The responses from the nominees to the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying and Government will be weighed by an 'independent review committee' — made up of the deans of New York's 15 accredited law schools — who have the power to confirm or reject the candidates nominated by top New York lawmakers."

— " Newly created state ethics panel is off to a slow start ," by New York State Public Radio's Karen DeWitt

" Polio in Rockland wastewater as early as June, samples show ," by Journal News' Nancy Cutler and Chris McKenna: "New testing has found that the polio virus had infected at least one Rockland County resident and was present in wastewater sampled at a sewage treatment plant as early as June, the county's health commissioner said Monday. The detective work on past wastewater samples began after the state and county reported a case of polio had occurred in Rockland County, the first in the U.S. since 2013. … The June samples that showed the presence of polio came from Rockland County Sewer District #1, which serves the towns of Ramapo and Clarkstown, along with some parcels in Orangetown."

" Unvaxxed NY Top Court Judge To Get Jab As Chief Job Opens ," by Law 360's Frank G. Runyeon: "A judge on New York's highest court, Jenny Rivera, announced on Tuesday that she would get a recently-approved Covid-19 vaccine, removing a potential obstacle to her being named acting chief judge when Chief Judge Janet DiFiore steps down in August. Judge Rivera, who has seniority on the Court of Appeals and would typically be next in line, issued the statement after the high court judges recently failed to decide who would step into the caretaker role. Judge Rivera has been banned from the courthouse for failing to comply with the state court's vaccination mandate, a policy championed by Judge DiFiore and put in place by the court's administrative agency, which she controls."

— Happy the Elephant might get another shot at release to an elephant sanctuary. After DiFiore's announced departure, the Nonhuman Rights Project filed a motion to reargue Happy's case.

#UpstateAmerica: The Schenectady city Republican Committee wants the "Black Lives Matter" mural painted in front of City Hall to be scrubbed or else a comparable message be painted elsewhere — preferably '"God Bless America" on Erie Boulevard.

 

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FROM THE DELEGATION

" House GOP demands records on New York COVID nursing home deaths ," by New York Post's Carl Campanile: "'You promised that your administration will be 'fully transparent' regarding the data surrounding COVID-19 deaths and nursing home readmissions. This investigation is even more important considering troubling reports from the New York Assembly Minority Leader [Will Barclay (R-Pulaski)] that you are in 'no rush' to provide answers to the families that lost loved ones in New York nursing homes,' says the joint letter sent to Hochul Tuesday. It was co-signed by House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Reps. James Comer (R-Ky.) and Steve Scalise (R-La.), the ranking members of the Oversight and Reform Committee and the subcommittee on the coronavirus, respectively."

" Nadler releases first ad in competitive House race ," by NY1's Kelly Mena: "Rep. Jerry Nadler is bringing out progressive heavy-hitter Mass. Sen. Elizabeth Warren in his first campaign ad for the newly created 12th Congressional district. The ad tries to check off all the progressive boxes, including touting Nadler's stances on gun control, women's reproductive rights and climate change … The ad comes a day after Rep. Carolyn Maloney released her first campaign ad, focusing on women's rights. Maloney made a subtle jab at Nadler, saying 'you cannot send a man to do a woman's job.'"

— " Carolyn Maloney's old comments linking vaccines to autism are 'disqualifying,' opponent claims ," by New York Post's Bernadette Hogan

" Republicans could sway NYC's most competitive Democratic primaries on August 23rd. Here's why ," by WNYC's Brigid Bergin: "New York's redistricting court decision did more than split the state's primary election. It also set the stage for a one-off test of a type of open primary election, where registered voters can change their party affiliation up until, and including on Primary Day itself, August 23rd."

— " Polling Sites Have Changed for 86,500 Voters Between June and August Primaries ," by The City's Rachel Holliday Smith

— " Mike Lawler set to upset Sean Patrick Maloney in NY House race, poll shows ," by New York Post's Carl Campanile

 

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AROUND NEW YORK

— NYC defense attorneys are asking judges to drop gun possession cases after the Supreme Court overturned the state's gun licensing regulations last month.

The MTA announced a plan to provide cell phone service between subway stations.

Hundreds of flights were canceled at New York airports Monday and Tuesday.

— More than 170 new jobs are expected in Western New York from low-cost hydropower expansion awarded to Electrovaya, Linde and Niacet.

— Mets owner Steve Cohen wants one of the three downstate commercial casino licenses.

— An NYPD officer was suspended and arrested after a Long Island road rage incident where he followed the driver home and threatened the man's family with a gun.

— A new Jackie Robinson museum is opening in Manhattan.

— Inflation is hitting two city favorites : ice cream trucks and bodega bacon, egg and cheeses .

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Priscilla Painton, who was recently promoted to VP and editor in chief of Simon & Schuster … BuzzFeed's Paul McLeodCecilia Muñoz of New America … Berin Szóka Neil King Jr., who recently wrote "A Secret Voyage Across the Seven Seas of Central Park" for The New Yorker … MSNBC's Denis Horgan … former Commerce Secretary Don Evans … CNN's Susan Durrwachter Natalie Raabe Paul Dranginis Sofia Gerard Carolyn Petschler 

ENGAGED — Daniel Lippman, a White House and Washington reporter for POLITICO and former co-author of Playbook, on Sunday night proposed to Sophia Narrett, an artist who shows with Kohn Gallery and Perrotin. The couple met last September at Shadi Hamid's birthday party, where they were introduced by their mutual friend Hanna Trudo. Their first date was dinner at Annabelle followed by seeing Lippman's cousin JJ Mitchell's band Overcoats perform at Black Cat. He proposed on the beach at sunset at the Rosewood Baha Mar in the Bahamas. Pic ... Another pic

MEDIAWATCH — Sheila Rayam has been named executive editor of The Buffalo News, the first Black journalist to hold the job. She has been the executive editor of Gannett's Mohawk Valley news operations.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Five former staffers to members of the New York congressional delegation are launching a new firm, Purple Apple, which will focus on providing New York clients with strategic political intelligence, lobbying, media outreach & coalition development. The bipartisan team includes Kevin Fogarty, the longtime chief of staff to former Rep. Pete King who went on to co-found Ambrose; Brian Simon, who worked for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Greg Meeks as well as the Port Authority and Hollis Public Affairs; Carissa Faña, a former staffer to Rep. Nydia Velazquez; Mike McKay, who worked for Meeks; and Chris Berardini, who was chief of staff to Rep. Michael Grimm.

 

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Real Estate

" New York Renters Are Now Paying the Price for the 'Covid Discount ,'" by The New York Times'  Ronda Kaysen: "For comfort at the beginning of the pandemic, Cathy Linh Che turned to cooking her mother's Vietnamese recipes. She could easily find all the ingredients she needed in Manhattan's Chinatown. But the subway ride from her Jackson Heights, Queens, apartment was almost an hour. So when a modern, two-bedroom apartment with exposed brick walls and stone floors became available to rent for about $1,700 a month in the nearby Two Bridges neighborhood, she jumped at the opportunity. Ms. Che, an arts administrator, knew it was a little too good to be true, but she said the real estate agent assured her she was likely looking at a future rent increase of about 8 percent. She left her rent-stabilized apartment behind."

" Penn Station overhaul could net big eminent domain payouts for homeowners ," by Crain's C.J. Hughes: "Does eminent domain pay? Some residents of the Penn Station neighborhood could soon find out. The area around the station that would be redeveloped as part of a multibillion-dollar overhaul of the train hub is largely commercial, dotted with office buildings and parking garages. But there are also some homes, such as at 408 Eighth Ave., a 12-story tower from the 1980s with 29 condo units. And its block, between West 30th and West 31st streets and Seventh and Eighth avenues, in Chelsea, is scheduled to be razed."

— The Public Authorities Control Board will vote today on the Penn Station plan.

" Mayor Eric Adams to approve NYCFC stadium for Queens: sources ," by New York Post's Josh Kosman and Bernadette Hogan: "Mayor Eric Adams is expected to announce that he is onboard with plans for a 25,000-seat soccer stadium to be built near Citi Field that will be home to the New York City Football Club, sources close to the situation said. 'A deal is close, but negotiations are ongoing,' a source said. Even with the mayor's blessing the stadium would still need to be approved through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) which is not a given, sources said."

 

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