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Assembly
Lavine Wants Guns Out Of Public Meetings
Apr 5th - 3:46 pm
Count Assemblyman Charles Lavine among those concerned about safety of public officials and bystanders.
The Long Island Democrat is introducing a measure that would ban guns from meetings or events sponsored by public officials.
In a statement, Lavine said the inspiration for the measure came after a man came to one a public event on Long Island with a loaded pistol.
“Not only did the loaded pistol intimidate those who attended but it prompted a serious security concern,” he said.
“The man had to be removed by the police…this is not to compare that event to the Arizona tragedy, a strong deterrent is necessary to promote safety as well as to keep intimidation out of the political process.”
Lavine said he was also planning to introduce other gun control measures, including a bill that would add additional jail time for gun smugglers and a bill that would increase penalties for the use and possession of high-capacity magazines.
Earlier today, Assemblyman James Tedisco, a Schenectady Republican, said he planned to introduce a bill that would increase penalties for those who injure bystanders when committing an act of violence against a public official.
Tedisco noted in his statement that the threatening email sent to reporters and lawmakers last week created a need for the legislation.
The Lavine bill is even more like the proposal on the federal level by U.S. Rep. Peter King, who wants to ban firearms within 1,000 feet of federal officials.
Committee To Save NY Lauds Cuomo – And Legislature! – In New Ad
Apr 4th - 3:56 pm
The business-backed Committee to Save New York has launched yet another TV ad (its fourth of this session, I believe) that praises both Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature for last week’s passage of a budget that makes good on the governor’s pledge to close the $10 billion deficit without raising taxes.
In lauding the Legislature – a first for the committee – the pro-Cuomo entity is following the governor’s lead. (Recall that he heaped praise on the Assembly and Senate in his post-budget video victory lap).
The ad started running yesterday morning, according to CSNY spokesman Bill Cunningham. It’s available on the committee’s Website. It also makes reference to the property tax cap that Cuomo has been pushing since the 2010 campaign, which wasn’t included in the final budget and so far is just a one-house bill (the Senate).
According to Fred Dicker’s column this morning, the Cuomo administration is sensitive to the fact that the governor will likely be blamed for property tax increases that arise from the roughly $1.3 billion worth of education aid cuts in the budget unless the 2 percent cap he’s proposing is passed.
But that’s going to be a tricky dance, because a cap without mandate relief isn’t going to help matters much, either.
As Tom Precious noted this morning, the governor no longer has the extender bill option he wielded like an iron fist during the budget talks. He does, however, have the power of “linkage”, which could prove helpful if he follows Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s lead and connects the cap with rent control.
It could be a long and fractious rest of the 2011 session. Thankfully for Cuomo, the CSNY didn’t have to spend nearly as much of the $10 million or so it raised during the budget battle and has plenty left over to fight another day (although how a major CSNY player, REBNY, will feel about the rent control fight is another matter altogether).
In the meantime, here’s the new CSNY ad script:
“In New York State, change has finally come. Governor Cuomo kept his promise to close a $10 billion dollar deficit, targeting waste without raising taxes. Bringing real reform to the broken politics of Albany. Thanks to the governor – and Legislature – New York businesses can invest and grow for new jobs and a stronger economy. Today and tomorrow. Together, we’re putting the governor’s plan to create jobs and cap taxes to work for the benefit of all New Yorkers.”
Holding Cuomo’s Feet To The Fire On Diversity
Apr 4th - 1:22 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo received a fairly warm welcome at Somos over the weekend – Assemblyman Felix Ortiz’s joke about no one wanting to “embrace” him aside, my understanding is that the crowd gave him a standing O when he spoke.
That should not, however, be misinterpreted to mean that the Hispanic community is universally pleased with Cuomo’s leadership to date.
Questions about the governor’s dedication to progressive ideals have arisen, particularly among the more left leaning members of his own party – something about which the administration appears keenly aware, which explains his post-budget policy agenda.
Members of the Latino community also don’t feel the governor has lived up yet to his campaign pledge – born out of criticism over the all-white Democratic ticket – to put together the most diverse administration in New York history. His pre-Somos tapping of Cesar Perales to serve as secretary of state helped, but there’s still more to do, according to Ortiz, who told me last Friday:
“I’m satisfied about one thing and one thing only. I’m satisfied that the governor has managed to keep his promise about having a line of communication between the task force and his administration…We will begin to have that kind of dialogue about the diversity…I will keep this administration accountable and responsible for their promises and we’re going to measure them accordingly.”
Ortiz alluded to the diversity issue during his remarks at the Somos gala Saturday, which Cuomo attended, saying:
“This is what empowerment of the Hispanic community is going to be about. It’s going to be about representation. It’s going to be about accountability…Diversity about our government. And we are going to ask about diversity in corporate America as well. Because it’s about time that our Hispanic folks move from the kitchen table to the boardrooms. It’s about our Hispanic community being selected to be at the table, not on the menu. We’re going to make sure that we are going to be able to get that done.”
Skelos, Silver Offer Video Welcomes To Somos el Futuro
Apr 1st - 2:03 pm
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos offered separate welcomes in a pair of YouTube videos for attendees at the Somos el Futuro conference, which kicks off today.
As Liz noted earlier, the conference comes as the fast-growing Latino community’s influence in state government and electoral politics is increasing.
In his video, Silver drops some Spanish and gives props to conference chairman, Assemblyman Felix Ortiz, who heads the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force that is hosting Somos.
“We need you to work with us to enjoy your stay in Albany and accept our best wishes for a successful conference,” Silver said.
Skelos, who spoke in English throughout his video, said the Republican majority would work with conference members to find “favorable solutions to the issues that face us all.” (UPDATE: I’m told Skelos also spoke Spanish in a longer version of this video that will be shown during the conference this weekend. – LB)
What Does NY Smell Like?
Apr 1st - 12:59 pm
Assemblyman Matt Titone, a Staten island Democrat, sent out a press release yesterday announcing he has introduced legislation that would designate pine as the “official scent” of New York.
I believe this is an April Fool’s joke, of which there are a number running around the Capitol today – including City Hall’s annual homage to the Onion (it’s very funny this year, so take a look if you have time).
When I asked Titone if this was his idea of a prank, he responded: “All I have to say to New Yorkers is Happy April 1st.”
I have to admit though, his press release got me thinking – the state already has an official flower, tree, bird, fish, animal, gem, fossil, beverage, fruit, insect, and muffin. Why not an official smell, too?
Each community in New York has its own particular sights, sounds and smells that make it unique – for better or worse,” Titone wrote in his release.
“In Richmond County, for example, we endure the smells of New Jersey. The scent of pine, however, unifies our state like no other. From the pine barrens of Long Island to the Adirondack forests to the taxi cab air fresheners of Manhattan, the aroma of pine can be found everywhere in New York.”
“Unlike our state tree the Sugar Maple (which has no scent), the pine is an evergreen, sharing it’s unique and unifying scent for all our residents, every day of the year. The pine tree itself shares the tenacity and
can-do attitude of New Yorkers – taking root where it can, surviving and thriving.”“The pine is the scent of Christmas, representing our best memories from our childhood and of our own families and friends. It is the scent of our open space, our city parks, and the votive candles in the shops of our merchants.”
Grisanti: UB2020 ‘Is Not Dead’
Mar 31st - 11:17 am
Here’s Buffalo Sen. Mark Grisanti explaining on the Senate floor last night why he was voting “yes” on the budget, even though it did not include the UB2020 plan – arguably the No. 1 policy issue for WNY legislators.
The Democrat-turned-Republican freshman lawmaker chided members of the minority for griping about the fact that UB2020 wasn’t included in the final budget bill, noting Gov. Andrew Cuomo has pledged to hold a summit prior to the session’s end to try to get the long-stalled plan unstuck.
Sen. Tim Kennedy cited the lack of a UB2020 piece of the budget as his motivation for voting “no” on the plan. Grisanti, who had pledged prior to his election during a CapTon interview (and elsewhere) to vote “no” on anything that didn’t include UB2020 – and even follow the lead of former Sen. Bill Stachowski and hold things up if he could – said Cuomo’s promise helped change him to a “yes”.
“If you want to sit there and denounce the commitment of your own governor who has stated five times in a press conference that there’ll be a summit in Buffalo, you don’t have to attend, that’s fine,” Grisanti said.
“If you want to doubt what happened here in this Senate, of a 55 to 1 vote, that’s fine. But what I didn’t see, is I didn’t see the Democrats on that side talking to their Democratic friends in the Assembly to push that bill forward as I was doing – not only with the Republicans – but meeting with Deborah Glick and other members. This bill is not not dead. This bill has moved faster in the last 90 days than it has in three years.”
To be fair, Kennedy did send a letter to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver following the Senate’s passage of the UB2020 bill, urging him to take up the measure.
Cuomo Praises Lawmakers In Video Victory Lap
Mar 31st - 9:37 am
Gov. Andrew Cuomo just released this Web video, essentially taking a victory lap and thanking legislative leaders for getting an on-time budget passed that contained almost everything he proposed in his executive spending plan.
During the 2 minute address, he calls the budget a “transformational moment of our state” and touts the defeat of “the special interests and their lobbyists.” He also goes out of his way to praise the Legisalture for heeding his call to pass a budget that includes deep spending cuts and no new taxes – and for doing so in time to meet the April 1 deadline.
…Not that they had much choice in the matter, considering his threat to employ the all-or-nothing budget extender method. Anway, everyone now lives to fight another day over mandate relief, ethics and redistricting reform, a property tax cap, the rent control laws and whatever else crops up prior to the session’s scheduled end on June 20.
Here is the complete transcript:
“This is a transformational moment for our state. The first step to the road to economic recovery. It wasn’t easy, but we overcame the special interest and their lobbyists. And we did the people’s business in Albany.”
“The new budget changes the way our state works in many many ways. It closes the current $10b deficit. It cuts waste and inefficiency and begins significant consolidation of our state government. It overhauls our economic development efforts to create good jobs for New Yorkers throughout the state.”
“What the budget does is impressive, but what the budget doesn’t do is also impressive. It doesn’t raise taxes. That is what I promised when I was elected, and that is what we did.”
“It is a new day in Albany. Government needs to recognize the new economic reality. Government needs to tighten it’s belt and cut the waste. Just like every family in this state has done. And we must refocus government on improving performance, not growing bureaucracy.”
“Our goal is to have the world class education system here in New York. The best health care system. And a thriving economy proclaiming New York is open for business. We have more to do to clean up Albany, and restore the promise of New york State government. But this was a great step.”
“I applaud the state Senate and Assembly. They performed admirably. And the government worked as it should. We put aside politics to get this done. We weren’t Democrats or Republicans. We were New Yorkers first, and we acted that way.”
“My friends, I took office about 90 days ago. I said my goal was to give you a government that functions, a government that is competent, and a government of integrity. In short, a government that works for you. This budget works for the people of New York. We have more to do, but we are one our way together.”
Watch live streaming video from newyorkstateofficeofthegovernor at livestream.com
Budget Update
Mar 30th - 12:01 pm
Lawmakers are still hoping that they can fulfill Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s wishes and get an early 2011-2012 budget by passing everything before the clock strikes midnight this evening.
Here’s what I know at the moment:
- The Senate is in session and is debating the public protection bill revenue bill (they already passed public protestction, which could take a while. The Democrats aren’t making things easy for the Republicans, asking lots of millionaire’s tax-related questions (but they’re not, they say, deliberating dragging their feet to deny the GOP an early budget headline).
You can watch the debate below.
- The Assembly Democrats broke from conference a short time ago, where they discussed the health care piece of the budget. According to one lawmaker, the health care bills are heading to print, although there’s nothing live for me to share with you.
- According to that same lawmaker, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver told his members he WON’T be keeping them in the chamber overnight – much to the camp-in participants’ chagrin, I’m sure. The Assembly will get as much done as possible prior to midnight, aiming to finish the entire budget. But if things are going long, he’ll let the members go home and then finish up tomorrow.
- School runs are out in a few hours, according to Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, who also told reporters: “Most of the bills are being printed we passed at least two and were working on the third, and I think we’ll finish the budget expeditiously.”
- The Capitol is starting to fill up. CapTon pinch-hitter Solomon Syed tells us he’s having a hard time maneuvering around with the camera in tow. The balconies are difficult to get into already, and it’s only noon. Skelos shut down the Senate lobby to everyone BUT lawmakers – and not lobbyists, in spite of a sign that indicated otherwise. He said the protestors have a right to do their thing, but not to disrupt the business of the Legislature.
Watch live streaming video from nysenate at livestream.com
‘What You’d Expect From An Albany Politician’
Mar 30th - 8:42 am
Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul is firing back at her GOP opponent in her first TV ad, casting Assemblywoman Jane Corwin as a mud-slinging “Albany politician” in the NY-26 special election.
The spot, entitled “Deserve to Hear”, highlights Hochul’s record of fighting against former Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s failed plan to give illegal immigrants driver’s licenses and former Gov. David Paterson’s proposal to require new license plates.
Hochul ends the spot by saying: “I approve this message because I made Albany listen to us and I’m going to do the same thing in Washington.
“An Albany politician has started airing attack ads, so we all know what to expect – baseless accusations in an effort to mislead the public,” said Hochul’s campaign spokesman Fabien Levy.”
“While one of our opponents thinks that a desperate attack can win votes, we know that talking about Kathy’s record of accomplishments and what she plans to do for the hard working families of Western New York will resonate with the voters.”
So far, Corwin has released three TV ads, one of which attacked Hochul, seeking to define her as a tax-and-spend liberal who’s joined at the hip with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
Silver: We’ll Pass Budget Bills ‘In Daylight’
Mar 29th - 4:43 pm
OK, so I’m more than willing to stand corrected on this one.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver insisted there will be budget votes “in daylight” in his house today, “probably before 7:15.” Assembly Democratic spokesman Michael Whyland said the Assembly, like the Senate, has now received messages of necessity from the governor.
The speaker told reporters in a brief gaggle that he’s still hopeful the budget will be fully passed (read: on time) by tomorrow night (read: before midnight).
School aid is “finished,” he said, and has been sent over to the state Education Department to be formatted into education runs, which takes somewhere between 24 and 36 hours.
The speaker said his members will know what their school districts are getting before the education bills go into print. He echoed the Senate Republicans’ claims that an on-time budget remains within reach and that nothing is holding up the process.
“There’s nothing holding things up now except a lot of print,” Silver insisted. “The health committee is closing. We hope to have a report from that committee today…There are some loose ends in health that are being fit into the picture.”
Asked what “loose ends” are still out there, Silver replied: “Some small programs around the state.”
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