| | | | By Bill Mahoney, Danielle Muoio Dunn and Eleonora Francica | Presented by UPS | | Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, debates legislation in the Senate Chamber in July 2022. | AP Photo/Hans Pennink | The New York state Senate passed a sweeping package of judicial accountability measures on Tuesday, including bills that would post information on judges’ finances online, allow cameras in courtrooms and open judges up to probes over potential bias in bail decisions. The package might be a sign of whether any big-ticket deals might be reached in the final weeks of a legislative session that is due to end in 22 days. But nearly all of the bills in it have something in common: They’ve shown no signs of life in the Assembly. Many don’t even have sponsors in that house. There has also been dwindling hope for a housing deal after the subject fell out of the budget. Gov. Kathy Hochul kept expectations low on Monday when she suggested some “low-hanging fruit” could be plucked before 2024. Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said on Tuesday that her conference is still very interested in housing. But she didn’t exactly raise expectations on reaching a major deal before the session ends June 8. “If there is ‘low-hanging fruit’ we’ll certainly contemplate approaching it,” she said. And she completely wrote off possible action on the “good cause” legislation, which would make it tougher for landlords to evict tenants. “We know that the 'good cause' bill, as it exists, will not pass,” Stewart-Cousins said. “We have perpetually been trying to find some way to provide that type of tenant protection, even if it's not that specific bill.” The one high-profile subject that has shown the most signs of life has been the “Clean Slate Act,” which would let more criminal records be sealed. The Senate has passed that before, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie endorsed it earlier this month. “We’re closer,” Stewart-Cousins said. “There's a commitment every way to get that done.” Still, there’s some work left to get a deal, she warned: “Probably the biggest disagreement is the length of time between when someone is no longer ‘justice involved.’” NOW IT’S WEDNESDAY. We apologize for attempting to skip over Tuesday in yesterday’s edition. WHERE’S KATHY? In New York City and Washington, D.C., with no public events scheduled. WHERE’S ERIC? In New York City, making a public safety announcement and delivering remarks at a flag-raising ceremony for Haiti.
| | A message from UPS: As part of our ongoing commitment to safety, nearly 88,000 UPS drivers have graduated from Integrad®, UPS’s elite driver program. It’s one reason UPS drivers average less than one accident every one million miles driven. Learn more | | | | ABOVE THE FOLD | | Prominent New York hospital hit with historic fine for ‘persistent’ understaffing, POLITICO’s Maya Kaufman: In a first-of-its-kind ruling, Mount Sinai Hospital has been ordered to pay nurses a $127,000 penalty after an arbitrator faulted it for a “persistent pattern” of understaffing its neonatal intensive care unit. The arbitrator found the 46-bed unit was routinely short on nurses from mid-January to mid-April, according to a copy of the ruling obtained by POLITICO. The unit’s nurses care for extremely sick babies and are supposed to be assigned no more than two at a time, their union contract states. In the case of the sickest patients, the ratio is supposed to be one-to-one. | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S HEALTH CARE SUMMIT: The Covid-19 pandemic helped spur innovation in health care, from the wide adoption of telemedicine, health apps and online pharmacies to mRNA vaccines. But what will the next health care innovations look like? Join POLITICO on Wednesday June 7 for our Health Care Summit to explore how tech and innovation are transforming care and the challenges ahead for access and delivery in the United States. REGISTER NOW. | | | | | WHAT CITY HALL IS READING | | “NYPD Has Yet to Review ‘Racist, Misogynistic’ Deputy Inspector’s Cases, Two Years After He Was Fired,” THE CITY’s Yoav Goen: “More than two years after the City Council passed a law requiring the NYPD to conduct an independent review of the work of its Equal Employment Opportunity Division under a leader later fired for offensive comments, the police department has yet to hire a vendor to begin the work, THE CITY has learned. The review was mandated after the Council’s Oversight and Investigations Committee found in November 2020 that the then-director of the EEO division, Deputy Inspector James Kobel, appeared to be behind dozens of inflammatory postings to an online message board.” “‘She couldn’t handle it’ — why Kristin Richardson Jordan dropped out,” City & State’s Jeff Coltin: “New York City Council Member Kristin Richardson Jordan announced Tuesday morning that she would end her reelection campaign and leave office at the end of the year. And other than KRJ herself – who isn’t talking – there’s probably nobody who understands why she’s leaving better than Council Member Charles Barron. ‘She was under a tremendous amount of pressure. And it’s a damn shame that the machine and the media pressured this young lady – who was a rising star in Harlem, in the electoral arena – out of the race. Because it’s not easy,’ Barron told City & State in a phone interview Tuesday.” “Weary Migrants Stay in Elementary School Gyms as Angry Parents Protest Outside,” THE CITY’s Gwynne Hogan: “As angry parents protested outside of elementary schools across Brooklyn on Tuesday, worn-out asylum seekers the Adams administration had suddenly placed in those same school gyms remained inside — and out of sight. Albeidys Almera, a 21-year-old Venezuelan asylum seeker, told THE CITY that she hadn’t bathed in five days. She and her partner traveled by bus from El Paso to Denver and then from Denver to New York City, thousands of miles, before arriving at Port Authority over the weekend."
| | A message from UPS: | | | | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | “Measure allowing cameras in New York courtrooms advances,” Spectrum News’ Nick Reisman: “Cameras would be allowed in most courtroom settings under a measure advancing Tuesday in the Democratic-led New York state Senate. The bill, yet to be in the state Assembly, comes as former President Donald Trump's trial later this year in New York City over hush money allegations will surely draw national interest. Cameras and other audio visual equipment are generally disallowed in New York state courtrooms without special permission. The measure, back by state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, would provide exceptions for special witnesses and other procedures.” “‘Lobbying loophole’ bill after LaSalle fight advances through Senate,” Times Union’s Joshua Solomon: “State Senate Democrats on Tuesday advanced legislation to close a ‘lobbying loophole’ on judicial nominations and other state offices that followed undisclosed efforts earlier this year to influence votes on the selection of New York's chief judge. The legislation was announced by Senate Democrats in February after a Times Union story highlighted the lack of public reporting requirements for outside groups seeking to buttress or oppose a judicial nomination. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s initial nomination of Appellate Division Justice Hector D. LaSalle to be chief judge of the Court of Appeals had sparked organized efforts from outside interests seeking to influence lawmakers.” — “Orange County judge halts new asylum seekers but lets 186 remain in two Newburgh hotels,” The Journal News’ Chris McKenna #UpstateAmerica: “Corgi race in Upstate NY could be the cutest competition of the summer,” Upstate New York reports.
| | GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE. | | | | | FROM THE DELEGATION | | “House Democrats Move to Force a Vote on Expelling Santos From Congress,” The New York Times’ Annie Karni: “Democrats moved on Tuesday to force a vote within days on removing Representative George Santos of New York from Congress, an attempt to press Republicans to either endorse or abandon a serial liar in their ranks who has been indicted on charges of wire fraud, money laundering, stealing public funds and lying to the government. "The measure has little chance of passage in the Republican-led House, where it would require a two-thirds supermajority to pass. But by bringing it up, Democrats were increasing the pressure on Republicans to register a position on Mr. Santos’s conduct.” — House GOP leaders reassure their Santos critics after Dems launch expulsion push, POLITICO’s Olivia Beavers: After Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) took the rare step of filing a privileged motion to take up a resolution ejecting Santos from the House, Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other party leaders met with a group of New York Republican lawmakers — including a handful who have publicly pushed for their GOP colleague to resign — according to four Republicans familiar with the discussion. McCarthy’s message to Santos skeptics in his conference: We have to do this properly. | | AROUND NEW YORK | | — Undocumented immigrants face difficult hurdles to receive organ transplants, something advocates are pushing the state to change. — New York City is struggling to recruit staff for its 24/7 crisis response program. — MTA subway and bus operators are working without a contract as negotiations continue. — The head of the city’s campaign finance board has resigned six months after taking the job. — Fare evasion cost the MTA $690 million last year, according to a new report. — Human composting is now legal in New York, but is still a long way from being available.
| | A message from UPS: As part of our ongoing commitment to safety, nearly 88,000 UPS drivers have graduated from Integrad®, UPS’s elite driver program. This training has been developed alongside leading experts across the country. It uses virtual and augmented reality along with traditional classroom and behind-the-wheel instruction. This much attention to detail saves lives and results in statistics we are proud to share: UPS drivers average less than one accident every one million miles driven.
Learn how UPS delivers safety | | | | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo … NYT’s Mike Shear and Reid Epstein … NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell … WSJ’s Robin Turner … Bloomberg’s Jeremy Lin … Maria Abi-Habib … Dolly Moorhead … Rachel Palermo … Derrick Robinson … Rebecca Nelson Kay … Rebecca Petito … (was Tuesday): Richard N. Gottfried ... Andy Lack ... Charles Kushner ... Drew Shenkman … (was Monday): Joshua Muss SKDK GROWS ITS RANKS — SKDK, the public affairs and political consulting firm, has acquired Jasper Advisors, a strategic advisory firm for businesses and executives. SKDK is a well-known firm in Washington with ties to the Biden administration. Anita Dunn, a founding partner, returned to the White House last year as a senior adviser. Doug Thornell, CEO of SKDK, said in a statement the move will “offer clients an unmatched and even deeper level of senior strategic counsel, breadth of experience, and diversity of executive talent.” Under the deal, Jasper will remain an independent subsidiary.
| | Real Estate | | “Mayor Adams suspends NYC land review process for new homeless shelters amid rising migrant influx,” New York Daily News’ Chris Sommerfeldt, Michael Gartland: “Emergency shelters for immigrants have been exempted from the city’s lengthy land-use process under an executive order issued by Mayor Adams — an apparent effort to preempt bureaucratic delays his administration could face as it tries to find temporary housing for the new arrivals."
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