| | | | |  | | By Jeff Coltin, Nick Reisman and Emily Ngo | Presented by Flavors Hook Kids NY | With help from Shawn Ness
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Miriam Adelson, the GOP mega-donor, dined with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. She is currently trying to get a state license to build a casino on Long Island. | Patrick Semansky/AP | GOP mega-donor Miriam Adelson recently dined with former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, POLITICO reported — at the same time she is trying to get a state license to build a casino at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. And the Trump-Adelson connection is likely to be fodder in the intense competition underway among gaming bidders to snag one of three downstate casino licenses. Adelson, the majority owner of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, is expected to spend a chunk of her roughly $32 billion fortune to help elect the man who bankrupted the Trump Taj Mahal. Adelson’s political giving is quite a gamble in proudly Democratic New York, where the 11 bidders fighting for three gambling licenses need support from elected officials — chief among them Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. “New York is all about being anti-Trump,” said a Democratic operative familiar with the casino bidding process. So will competitors use it against Las Vegas Sands’ bid? “Of course,” the person said. “They all have consultants where that’ll be their first play.” On one poker hand, things are moving on the casino front. A New York City Council subcommittee is expected to hold a hearing this morning on the zoning text amendment that would grease the skids for city bids. On the other poker hand, state regulators don’t expect to be issuing any licenses until late 2025, the state Gaming Commission said Monday. The slow process has endlessly frustrated stakeholders, POLITICO reported. Still, it just gives more time for the bidders — and the consultants benefiting financially from the drawn-out process — to win over the political appointees and appointers making the choice. Adelson is a leading Republican donor, and the Sands casino project is backed by Republican County Executive and certified Hochul-Hater Bruce Blakeman. But the bid also has support from Democratic donor Scott Rechler’s RXR Realty, as well as former Gov. David Paterson and George Santos’ opponent Robert Zimmerman. Stu Loeser, a spokesperson for the casino bid, declined to comment. Sands is hardly the only project working the political angles. Billionaire hedge funder Steve Cohen used to give to Republicans, including $1 million for Trump’s 2016 inauguration. Lately, the Mets owner has been taking Democratic electeds to games and showering Hochul and the state Democratic Party with donations. He also hired half the lobbyists in the city to boost his casino bid for Citi Field. Another casino contender has distanced itself from a politically problematic founder. A Democratic city pol said that when Wynn Resorts and Related Cos. pitched their plan for gambling at Hudson Yards, they made sure to mention that Steve Wynn — the Republican megadonor who resigned after sexual misconduct accusations — had left the company. “It was the first thing out of their mouths,” the pol said. — Jeff Coltin IT’S TUESDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
| | | | A message from Flavors Hook Kids NY: Kid-friendly flavored e-cigarettes can be found in retailers across New York State. 89.4% of kids who use e-cigarettes are hooked on these flavored products. Let’s close the enforcement loopholes to keep these kid-friendly flavored tobacco products off our store shelves. Let’s pass Assembly Bill A9110 and Senate Bill S8531 sponsored by Assemblymember Rosenthal and Senator Hoylman-Sigal. | | | DO WE HAVE A BUDGET YET? No. WHERE’S KATHY? Appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and delivering remarks at Chief Warrant Officer John Grassia’s funeral in Schenectady. WHERE’S ERIC? Meeting with detainees at Rikers Island, holding a media availability, delivering remarks at Bangladesh’s flag-raising ceremony, hosting a roundtable discussion with Mexican community leaders, and hosting a reception to celebrate Nowruz. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “You will be in traffic for several hours. It's still an absolutely worthwhile thing to do, but we want to make sure you stay patient.” — State Homeland Security Commissioner Jackie Bray on the April 8 total solar eclipse.
|  | ABOVE THE FOLD | | | | 
With the end of the fiscal year approaching at the end of March, some lawmakers are saying they will be able to vote on the first 10 budget bills sometime this week. | Hans Pennink/AP | BUDGET WAIT: There’s less than a week before the champagne corks pop to celebrate the start of the fiscal new year. Don’t expect a bouncing baby state budget to be included in the festivities. Here’s where things stand: — Pay the bills: Ask any state lawmaker or lobbyist in Albany and they’ll tell you the same thing: This budget is not getting done this week. The “table targets” — the amount of money that lawmakers agree can be spent on a variety of broad budgetary needs and a preliminary step for any budget — are yet to be announced. Still, lawmakers on Monday said they will vote this week on the first of 10 budget bills: debt service. The unsung debt service bill approval keeps the banks happy and is almost always done before the April 1 deadline. “We always do it first,” Senate Finance Committee Chair Liz Krueger told Playbook. “I’m confident we’ll get it done someday this week.” — Three-way talks: More substantive questions remain between Hochul and state lawmakers. Krueger said “three-way” conversations between the Senate, Assembly and the governor’s office have been held to address the proposal to overhaul how school districts are funded, potentially cutting aid to those that have seen their enrollment decline. That controversy is yet to be resolved. Hochul argues it’s a necessary change because enrollment hasn’t been static. Lawmakers oppose it; likely fearing how voters might react this November. Similarly, there’s been no resolution for measures to address illegal cannabis stores — an issue everyone publicly agrees must be addressed, but one in which the specifics are yet to be hammered out. — Medicaid matters: And lawmakers and Hochul are inching closer to a potential agreement to seek a Medicaid waiver that would tax managed care organizers. The move would result in $4 million annually for three years, while the plans would be reimbursed. “I think that’s making some good progress,” Senate Health Committee Chair Gustavo Rivera said. “I’ll just underline that it is only a short-term solution, among other things.” Hochul’s proposed $233 billion budget includes provisions meant to slow the growth of the state’s costly Medicaid program. But her efforts to do so have created tension with Democrats and Republicans alike. Within the Medicaid negotiations is a pushback against reducing spending under the Consumer-Directed Personal Assistance Program. The Medicaid-funded program offers personalized caregivers to people with disabilities. Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro, meanwhile, warned of the consequences of cutting the program. “If this federally supported program is gutted, those with disabilities will be pushed into the shadows of society or forced to enter costly nursing homes that lack specialized care,” Molinaro said. — Nick Reisman
| | CITY HALL: THE LATEST | | | | 
Charles Lutvak, City Hall's deputy press secretary, is joining the Biden campaign as a national spokesperson. | Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office | BRIDGING THE GAP: Charles Lutvak, City Hall’s first deputy press secretary, is leaving his post to join the Biden campaign as a national spokesperson. Lutvak, whose recent promotion to first deputy was announced earlier this month, will begin his new role in two weeks and relocate to Wilmington, Del., as President Joe Biden gears up for a protracted battle with Trump. Lutvak’s move is notable, as the White House and City Hall had had a major falling out last year. After the mayor continually criticized the president and federal government for inaction on the migrant crisis, he was dropped from a list of Biden campaign surrogates. Someone in Washington, however, appears to be keen on the administration’s media strategy. Lutvak has served as Adams’ de facto press secretary for more than six months since Fabien Levy was promoted from the role to deputy mayor for communications. The role couldn’t formally be filled, amid a money-saving hiring freeze. But now that it’s been lifted, Levy says he’s planning to hire a press secretary. Levy’s also hiring his own chief of staff, THE CITY’s Katie Honan noted. — Joe Anuta & Jeff Coltin PAY UP: Prepaid debit cards went out Monday for city migrants to pay for food and baby supplies — meaning the Adams admin is moving forward with the program that’s become a lightning rod for controversy. City Hall is starting small, with just 10 families, and ramping up to 115 over the week. The emergency contract was awarded to financial firm MoCaFi as part of the city’s efforts to reduce the costs of serving migrants. But it‘s taken a long time to get to this point. Adams administration staffers first asked Comptroller Brad Lander’s office to approve the contract seven months ago, on Aug. 30, according to emails obtained by POLITICO. Lander’s office signed off on Nov. 15. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — The NYPD will deploy 800 cops into dozens of subway stations for a five-day initiative to combat fare evasion. (Gothamist) — The NYPD started giving more tickets for low-level offenses that were supposed to be decriminalized years ago after Adams took office. (Hell Gate) — A political consultant for Azerbaijan and Turkey attended a City Hall meeting last year with Azerbaijan’s deputy foreign minister and Adams administration’s officials but did not report it in federal filings. (Daily News) — The city will impose migrant curfews at three more sprawling migrant shelters, including the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens. (New York Post)
| | | | A message from Flavors Hook Kids NY:   | | | | | NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY | | |  The Business Council of New York State is backing state Sen. Kevin Parker and Assemblymember Ken Zebrowski's bill to lower the gate tax for mixed-martial arts events. | Hans Pennink/AP | BIZ BOUT: A measure to lower the gate tax on mixed-martial arts events has the backing of the state’s primary business lobby. The Business Council of New York State recently started to press lawmakers to support the measure, which would lower the gate tax for MMA bouts from 8.5 percent to 3 percent, the same as boxing matches. The lobby organization pointed to the benefit the bill, backed by state Sen. Kevin Parker and Assemblymember Ken Zebrowski, would have on large and mid-size arenas across the state. Lowering the tax would “help create a competitive advantage — or at least remediate the current competitive disadvantage — for New York’s arenas,” the group wrote in a bill memo. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Progressive activists threaten to sue the state Board of Elections if the number of blank ballots cast in the Democratic presidential primary isn’t reported in the unofficial results. (Gothamist) — The state budget fights are playing on TV screens across New York. (Times Union) — Assembly Ethics Chair Jo Anne Simon’s fundraiser in Albany during budget season is raising eyebrows. (NY Post)
| | NEW YORK STATE OF MIND | | — The Suffolk County District Attorney is investigating the former county executive for allegedly improperly destroying county data before leaving office last year. (Newsday) — State legislators are proposing a new bill that would make it easier to build affordable housing on land owned by religious organizations. (State of Politics) — Attorney General Tish James filed court documents calling Nassau County’s trans ban illegal. (Daily News)
| | | | A message from Flavors Hook Kids NY: Bubble gum, mango, and strawberry-banana are just some of the kid-friendly flavored e-cigarette products that can be found in retailers across New York State. These products are still widely available due to enforcement loopholes that retailers use to keep hooking our kids. 81% of youth who have ever used a tobacco product started with a flavored product and our kids are getting hooked on a lifetime of nicotine addiction. We can’t wait any longer to close the enforcement loopholes to keep these kid-friendly flavored tobacco products off our store shelves. Let’s pass Assembly Bill A9110 and Senate Bill S8531 sponsored by Assemblymember Rosenthal and Senator Hoylman-Sigal. | | | | | SOCIAL DATA | | Edited by Daniel Lippman MAKING MOVES: Along with Charles Lutvak, Mia Ehrenberg — a former aide for Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney — Fabiola Rodriguez and Katarina Flicker are also joining Biden’s press shop. (The Hill) SPOTTED on Monday night at a launch party for Fareed Zakaria's "Age of Revolutions" book ($26.99) at the Harold Pratt House in New York hosted by Eric Schmidt and David Rubenstein: Jamie Dimon, Mike Bloomberg, Robert Rubin, Richard Plepler, David Zaslav, David Leavy, Mark Thompson, Barry Diller, Diane Von Furstenberg, Caryn Zucker, Gary Cohn, Tom Donilon, Tina Brown, Teresa Carlson, Holly Peterson, Jeff Koons, Virginia Moseley, Susan Mercandetti, Amy Entelis, Alex Levy, Jacob Weisberg, Tim Geithner, Pamela Paul, Blair Effron, Charlie Rose, Steve Rattner, Jerry Speyer, David Miliband, Gillian Tett, Joanna Coles, Kumar Garg, Tammy Haddad, Walter Isaacson, Mark Whitaker and Neil deGrasse Tyson. FOR YOUR RADAR — “The Global Elite Just Gathered at a Secretive Mini Davos: Even billionaires aren’t guaranteed admission to World.Minds, attendees told The Daily Beast,” by Noah Kirsch HAPPY BIRTHDAY: CBS’ Margaret Brennan … Jon Huntsman … Bob Woodward … Vivian Yee … Melissa Toufanian … FDIC’s Edward Garnett III … Kelli Ritter.
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