Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave a boost on Wednesday to a suite of progressive priorities in the state budget, joining a rally in her district she termed “the People’s Republic of Astoria,” due to the neighborhood’s propensity for electing socialists. She plugged “good cause” eviction and the Build Public Renewables Act, a priority of climate activists. She also slammed efforts from Gov. Kathy Hochul and others to push what she called “unjust rollbacks” to the state's bail laws. “Progressive representation actually means something, it means commitments to our issues, commitments to the working class, commitments to a livable New York,” Ocasio-Cortez said at the event. She was joined by other lawmakers aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America, including state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. The “good cause” legislation would effectively restrict rent increases on market-rate apartments to 3 percent or 1.5 times the rate of inflation. “That’s not too wild of a demand, is it?” Ocasio-Cortez said. “We have to push Gov. Hochul to make sure that she includes this in the budget.” Both the Senate and Assembly included nods to the measure in their one-house budgets, but it’s fiercely opposed by the city’s real estate industry and Hochul declined to include it in her wide-ranging housing plan. Ocasio-Cortez also voiced concerns the proposed tweaks to bail laws would complicate the city’s plan to close the troubled Rikers Island jail complex. “The way that we shut down Rikers is not by exploding the population of people that are kept there,” she said. The fate of Ocasio-Cortez’s priorities and others pushed by left-leaning lawmakers remain uncertain as budget negotiations drag on. While Democratic lawmakers want to raise income taxes on millionaires, Hochul has so far opposed new taxes. Legislators have also balked at Hochul's efforts to expand charter schools in the city, but the sides do appear close on a deal to give judges more discretion to set bail, and are also working toward a deal to require new housing in the suburbs, perhaps paired with added tenant protections. IT’S THURSDAY: Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: agronewold@politico.com or on Twitter: @annagronewold WHERE’S KATHY? In Albany and Rensselaer County. In the morning she will make an announcement with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. WHERE’S ERIC? In New York City, appearing live on NY1’s “Mornings on 1," on FOX5’s “Good Day New York," on PIX11’s “PIX11 Morning News,” and calling in live to 1010 WINS’ “Morning Drive.” Then, the mayor will deliver remarks at a New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services’ government hiring hall, and he will after participate in the 2023 National Action Network Convention’s “The New Black Agenda in Urban America – Building Generational Wealth.” Later, mayor Adams will participate in the 2023 NAN Convention’s “Public Safety in Urban America” panel discussion and host a reception in honor of Garifuna Heritage. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Rats are tough but New Yorkers are tougher.” — Kathleen Corradi, New York City’s newly “anointed” rat czar.
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