| | | | |  | | By Nick Reisman, Jeff Coltin and Emily Ngo | Presented by New Yorkers for Local Businesses | With help from Shawn Ness
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Democrats and Republicans are split on New York's new Congressional maps, which could be coming out today. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | NEW YORK MINUTE: The Democratic-led Legislature is considering a House map that could make a handful of changes to battleground districts, a person familiar with the discussions said Monday evening. Republican Rep. Andrew Garbarino’s district is expected to pick up Massapequa on Long Island. The seat held by Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who is facing a competitive primary challenge from George Latimer, is expected to include Co-Op City in the Bronx. Lawmakers want to finalize this new map as early as today. But that will require a message of necessity from Gov. Kathy Hochul to do so. (Meanwhile) It’s the first day of petitioning, so be nice to the folks holding clipboards outside the subway station or supermarket. Campaigns across the state have until April 4 to gather signatures to make it on the ballot for the June primary. … But things are still up in the air for congressional candidates, who don’t have final district lines yet. And in some cases, campaigns could get a signature from a voter who ends up in a neighboring district. — Jeff Coltin HERE BE REDISTRICTING DRAGONS: House candidates are sweating out the redistricting endgame as it plays out in Albany. For campaigns, the uncertainty swirling around the final shape of the map has multiple vectors, adding a dose of anxiety to races whose success or failure could have national implications. There’s the practical consideration: Candidates will have to begin gathering signatures from voters in the House district to petition their way onto the ballot beginning today. There are also the potential political outcomes: New district lines can lead to an unexpected primary challenge, forcing a shift in strategy as a result. A half dozen House seats are in swing districts in New York, from the Hudson Valley to Long Island, to the central part of the state. The Democratic-led Legislature on Monday rejected lines drawn by the bipartisan Independent Redistricting Commission. State lawmakers are now racing to approve their own version of a House map potentially by the end of this week. For now, candidates in battleground seats insist they are taking the unknowns in stride. “I can’t worry about things I can’t control,” Hudson Valley GOP Rep. Mike Lawler told Playbook. “But to me, this is really unfair to the voters and the attempts to disregard the state constitution or stack the process is wrong.” Lawler, who is among the five freshman Republicans elected in 2022 now facing stiff challenges, knocked Democrats in the Legislature for rejecting the map proposed by the commission. “It seems like they’re intent on once again trying to thwart the will of the voters of the state of New York who established this commission to stop this kind of undue influence and gerrymandering,” he said. But Democrat John Mannion, a central New York member of the state Senate who wants to challenge Republican Rep. Brandon Williams this year, was far more sanguine with the map being shot down. “I’m really comfortable anywhere,” Mannion told Playbook. He added, “I’ve lived in upstate New York my entire life. I’ve said whatever direction the map might go, I know those communities, we have lots of shared interests and I’d be proud to represent it.” But here’s a reality check: The mid-decade redistricting, triggered by a court challenge, has been an inconvenience to candidates from both parties in the closely watched House seats. If a court case over the new lines drags on, it could move the primaries from June to August — as happened in 2022. “Both parties are in the same boat in needing to get signatures and wondering if the primary date is going to change,” Vince Casale, a GOP consultant who is advising Rep. Marc Molinaro, said. “I don’t think there’s a political advantage to one side or the other.” The Legislature is expected to soften the petition signature blow by reducing the number of voters needed to qualify for the ballot. At the moment, moving the June primary to later in the summer is less likely. Still, the bigger question remains whether the House lines will dramatically shift from what the redistricting commission approved two weeks ago, potentially tipping the balance of power in the nation as a result. “Let’s be frank. The decisions are being made by New York City-centric legislators,” Casale said. “Moving a congressional line is a few city blocks. But upstate, it’s hundreds of square miles.” — Nick Reisman IT’S TUESDAY. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | | | A message from New Yorkers for Local Businesses: Costs have risen and I’m trying to do right by my employees. I’ve been a small business owner for 30 years, and I don’t think Albany realizes how much harder it’s gotten to keep a small business afloat in New York. I just hope they’ll consider how much local businesses mean to their communities, particularly in small towns like mine, before passing legislation that could wipe us out. - Renee Reardon, Restaurant Owner in the Capital Region. Learn more about how New Yorkers for Local Businesses is fighting back at NYforLocalBusinesses.com. | | | WHERE’S KATHY? Making a youth mental health announcement in Schenectady and delivering remarks at the State of the Judiciary in Albany. WHERE’S ERIC? Holding a media availability in City Hall, presenting a proclamation to Cardinal Hayes High School’s varsity football team, meeting with James Cleverly, the British Secretary of State for the Home Department, and delivering remarks at the 21st annual Viva La Patria Dominican Independence Celebration. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “When you think back to a time when President Trump was the president … we had an America that you could be proud of.” — Long Island Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, the latest Republican in a district won by Joe Biden to endorse Donald Trump.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | 
Mayor Eric Adams potentially canceled his appearance at Serbia's flag-raising ceremony yesterday on Monday because of pressure from the Albanian American community. | Jeff Coltin/POLITICO | MAYOR WORLDWIDE: Mayor Eric Adams canceled on short notice his scheduled appearance at a flag-raising for Serbia on Monday — and it might have been due to pressure from his allies in the Albanian American community, who have tense relations with their Balkan neighbors. Former City Council Member Mark Gjonaj bragged that he called Adams and got him not to attend, a person in City Hall who talked to the Albanian American pol told Playbook. Asked directly Monday night, Gjonaj dodged, saying, “You’ll have to talk to (Adams) about that.” Adams declared Feb. 26 the first-ever Serbian Heritage Day in New York City, according to Balkan news site Pavlovic Today, and was scheduled to attend one of his standard Bowling Green flag raisings. But Serbia is a geopolitical foe of Albania and the majority ethnically Albanian nation of Kosovo — which Serbia doesn’t recognize as an independent. Adams is particularly close to the Albanian community in New York, and even called into Albanian TV while his son performed in a singing competition. So Adams going to a flag raising the same day that the City Council honored the community at a Kosovo Independence Day celebration in City Hall was “extremely bad optics,” an Albanian American political player told Playbook. “It was noticed” by the community — “both the scheduling and the cancellation,” the person added. The flag was still raised without Adams, and the Serbian Consulate didn’t respond to a request for comment. City Hall blamed a scheduling conflict, and provided a statement noting that the flag raisings aren’t political, but are “about celebrating the incredible New Yorkers who come from these nations.” Meanwhile, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made a rare City Hall appearance for the Kosovo event and earned a standing ovation announcing her cosponsorship of a resolution “calling for an end to impunity of unpunished Serbian sexual war crimes during the 1998 Kosovo War.” — Jeff Coltin
| | CITY HALL: THE LATEST | | | | 
A new report found that emergency migrant-related contracts have significant pay differences for many employees, with on-site managers' pay ranging from $68 to $139. | John Minchillo/AP | MIGRANT CONTRACTS: “Wildly different” rates. “Shockingly high” costs. A report out today on emergency migrant-related contracts found wide ranges of pay for staff and costs far steeper than competitively bid contracts. Contracted rates for on-site managers range from $68 to $139 per hour, according to the analysis by City Comptroller Brad Lander. For case managers, it’s $51 to $122; for security services, $50 to $117. And as one example of how emergency contracts can be more expensive than conventional ones, on-site leadership positions in Department of Homeless Services contracts get less than $51 while the SLSCO charged the city more than $139 for the same role in an emergency contract, the report found. “The asylum-seeker contracts show the dangers of this process run amok — wildly high staffing prices with little consistency across agencies, costing much more than traditional procurements or hiring City employees, procured from largely non-M/WBE subcontractors with varying levels of approval or oversight,” Lander’s report concluded. At a September City Council hearing that produced similar findings, Adams administration officials said most of the contracts have been competitive and largely with vendors who already have business with the city. The comptroller in December revoked the mayor’s ability to ink contracts for migrant services without review from Lander’s team — undoing a provision granted in times of emergency. — Emily Ngo WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE: A former mentee of Adams charged with attempted fraud is arguing that he didn’t make any specific promises about getting the mayor’s help, and he was just trying to close a business deal. Monday was opening arguments in the federal criminal case against Lamor Whitehead. The founder of a Brooklyn church, he became known as “the bling bishop” for his taste in jewelry and designer clothing, and lost in the 2021 primary for Brooklyn borough president. Federal prosecutors say Whitehead tried to convince a Bronx man to sign over a real estate property to him, claiming that he’d use his connections with Adams to benefit them both. But the feds say Whitehead didn’t have any pull with Adams, and he knew it. Whitehead’s lawyer argued it wasn’t a crime, and that if the deal had gone through, Whitehead would have requested to lift a stop work order through normal channels. Adams was mentioned many times in court as Whitehead’s friend, though the government was clear that the mayor didn’t do anything for him. Phone calls or texts between Whitehead, Adams and a top aide will likely be presented later in the trial, however. Prosecutors introduced a document with the redacted phone numbers of Adams and Senior Adviser Gladys Miranda. — Jeff Coltin FOR THE KIDS: 5BORO Institute, a think tank created by the mayor’s allies, is out with a new policy roadmap for City Hall to stabilize the child care sector as well as boost access and affordability. Check out the new report here. SAVE THE DATE: City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ State of the City address is set for Wednesday, March 13 at BAM in Brooklyn. More from the city: — Under Adams, transparency in city government has gone backward in several areas, including with law enforcement. (City & State) — The number of low-cost, rent-stabilized apartments being held vacant, or “warehoused,” plummeted last year, according to the city’s housing agency. (Gothamist) — The micro-contracts awarded to vendors at the center of the NYCHA bribery scandal are rife with inflated and inconsistent costs. (The City) — City public library leaders are ramping up outreach to residents about their efforts to upend book banning around the country. (POLITICO Pro)
| | | | A message from New Yorkers for Local Businesses:   | | | | | NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY | | | 
The Citizens Budget Commission, among other groups, sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie urging them to release a "simple" budget. | Hans Pennink/AP | KEEP IT SIMPLE, SPEAKER: The Citizens Budget Commission and other good government groups are calling for the release of “simple, straightforward financial-plan tables” for the Senate and Assembly’s one-house budgets. “New Yorkers are initially provided little information about the one-house budgets,” the groups wrote in a letter, sent this morning, to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. “The public deserves basic fiscal information for budgets that allocate more than $230 billion annually in public resources.” The groups, which also include Reinvent Albany, Empire Center for Public Policy and others, want each chamber to produce a set of easily readable spreadsheets (looking something like this) for the general fund, state operating funds and all funds. They’re also calling for a law to be passed that would require such tables. “This would be an important, and we consider essential, increase in transparency,” the groups argued. — Jason Beeferman A BLAST FROM THE PAST: Former Republican Gov. George Pataki blasted the “disgrace” that is the Democrats’ handling of redistricting in New York. Speaking with Playbook, Pataki said Democrats’ recent bid to knock down the maps drawn by the Independent Redistricting Commission shows how the party has eroded the state’s court system — the only institution, he claimed, that was relatively insulated from partisan influence. “We know we don't have a fair political system; it’s completely lopsided, more than 2-to-1,” Pataki said. “But now it appears that they have so packed the court and corrupted the court system, that we don't even have a fair judiciary in New York.” But are you not hopeful for brighter days, Mr. Governor? “Unless there's a political change, the future is extremely gloomy,” the three-term governor warned. “The judicial gerrymandering and blatant violation of the state constitution — provisions that were just enacted a few years ago with overwhelming public support — says that the Democratic leadership apparently doesn't care about the rule of law,” Pataki said. — Jason Beeferman More from Albany: — An expansion of semiconductor manufacturing could strain New York’s electrical grid. (Times Union) — The Albany Common Council is once again backing a Good Cause Eviction provision. (WAMC)
| | KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION | | | 
North Carolina Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx sent a letter to Columbia University informing them of an investigation into alleged antisemitism on campus. | Scott Applewhite/AP | COLUMBIA ANTISEMITISM INVESTIGATION: Columbia University on Monday handed over documents related to a congressional investigation into allegations of antisemitism on campus. Rep. Virginia Foxx, the North Carolina Republican who chairs the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, hit the university’s top brass earlier this month with a letter announcing an investigation into “grave concerns regarding the inadequacy of Columbia’s response to antisemitism on its campus.” Foxx requested that the university submit a trove of documents related to those allegations, including “any informal communications such as texts or other electronic messages,” by a Feb. 26 deadline. “Columbia is committed to combating antisemitism and all forms of hatred. We are cooperating fully with the Committee’s investigation,” Samantha Slater, a university spokesperson, said in a statement to Playbook. The committee received documents related to the investigation and is now reviewing them, Nick Barley, a committee spokesperson, confirmed in a statement to Playbook. Columbia has drawn national scrutiny in recent months over student, faculty and administrative response to the Israel-Hamas war, and high-profile donors have pulled their support from the Ivy League school. In October, an Israeli undergraduate was allegedly attacked by a former student with a stick outside the campus’ main library in an incident being charged as a hate crime. Over 30 Jewish students later told the Columbia Daily Spectator they felt unsafe on campus. Later that month, a ‘doxxing truck’ funded by a far-right media group bearing the names and faces of students, faculty and staff it called “Columbia’s Leading Antisemites” circled the campus. In November, Columbia suspended its chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace, two pro-Palestinian student groups. On Friday, the New York Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue the university if it does not reinstate the groups. The House education committee, which hosted a hearing in December that sparked a media firestorm and the resignations of former Harvard President Claudine Gay and former University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, has opened similar investigations at those schools. The committee had asked Columbia President Minouche Shafik to testify at the hearing as well, but she declined because she was out of the country. Columbia and other universities — including New York’s Cornell and Cooper Union — are also under a separate investigation by the Education Department over reports of antisemitic and anti-Muslim harassment. — Irie Sentner More from Congress: — White liberal George Latimer is trying to oust the progressive Black Rep. Jamaal Bowman — and the challenger’s comments could make that job harder. (HuffPost) — More than 2,300 voters changed their registration to the Democratic Party ahead of the Latimer-Bowman primary. (LoHud)
| | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | LOTTA NODS: A slate of high-profile Nassau County Democrats will endorse community organizer and education advocate Kim Keiserman today in her bid for the state Senate on Long Island, Playbook has learned. In a show of local party support, Assemblymember Gina Sillitti, former State Senator Anna Kaplan, former North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman, Democratic National Committeeman Robert Zimmerman and six other leaders are set to announce they support Keiserman as their nominee for the seat now held by Republican Jack Martins. Keiserman has competition in the Democratic primary: former Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan, former film editor Brad Schwartz and philanthropist Adam Azam. Keiserman and Lafazan have both qualified for the maximum amount of matching funds, which they’ll receive in May. Former New York City Council Member Rory Lancman, who moved to Long Island, won’t be running for the seat, Playbook has reported. — Emily Ngo More from the Empire State: — Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg wants a gag order on Donald Trump, ahead of jury selection in the hush money case. (AP) — The MTA is installing barriers on platforms to prevent conductors from being attacked. (Gothamist) — A former school chief in Islip stole $8.4 million in school revenue. (Newsday)
| | | | A message from New Yorkers for Local Businesses: Rising costs, an unstable economy, and a hostile business environment have made it harder than ever to start, manage, or grow a small business in New York. New Yorkers for Local Businesses is fighting back against misguided bills that threaten New York’s economic recovery. Learn more here. | | | | | SOCIAL DATA | | Edited by Daniel Lippman MAKING MOVES: Ann Cheng has joined the CUNY Office of Budget & Finance as chief of staff. She was previously policy director of the NYC Asylum Application Help Center and deputy chief policy officer in the NYC Mayor’s Office. MEDIAWATCH — “I Was a Heretic at The New York Times: I did what I was hired to do, and I paid for it,” by Adam Rubenstein in The Atlantic. FOR YOUR RADAR — “$89 Million Can’t Fix Her Mistakes: After a dramatic rise in business and society, the art-world mogul Louise Blouin finds herself unloading a Hamptons dream home in bankruptcy court,” by NYT’s Jacob Bernstein. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Chelsea Clinton … Ralph Nader (9-0) … Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.) … Fox News’ Ashley DiMella … New York City Council Member Yusef Salaam … Rebecca Sinderbrand … Vincent Polito, CEO of the Society of Independent Show Organisers … Jill Chappell … (WAS MONDAY): Alana Newhouse ... Paul J. Fishman.
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