With help from Shawn Ness
New from New York
Happening now:
- Governor Kathy Hochul criticizes Trump over abortion rights.
- Lawmakers leave, once again, without a budget agreement.
- Randall Island has been safe for immigrants, Adams said.
- Protesters arrested outside Hochul’s office.
DAYS LATE IN THE BUDGET: 9
HOCHUL TALKS ABOUT THE RIGHT TO ABORTION: Governor Kathy Hochul continued her efforts this morning to help keep President Joe Biden in the White House, taking aim at Donald Trump’s recent comments on abortion rights.
“How do you know when Donald Trump is lying? When his lips move”, Hochul he joked this morning on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.
The governor gave her first reaction to former President Donald Trump’s Monday announcement that he supports leaving the abortion issue in the hands of the states.
Hochul promised on the morning show that Trump’s announcement will be “a jolt to the election” and a victory for Biden.
“We could say ‘What day did they really miss the election?’ [for Trump]?’” Hochul said. “It could have simply been the day the solar eclipse occurred.”
Hochul has increasingly taken on the role of Biden surrogate in recent months as he continues to tout a pro-Biden message on CNN and MSNBC. His growing support for the president’s re-election bid also comes as Mayor Eric Adams, the self-proclaimed “Biden of Brooklyn,” has faded from the president’s embrace.
“We won’t know for sure exactly by what margins, but this is a big boost for Joe Biden,” the state’s first female governor said of Trump’s stance on abortion. “Trump fell for this. He should have kept his mouth shut because now he is pissing everyone off.”
Trump’s announcement Monday suggests he will not seek a national abortion ban if elected, but the former president also did not rule out signing one. He also did not say his position on other efforts to limit access to the abortion pill, mifepristone.
Hochul’s comments criticizing Trump (he added that he has “indicted himself in the eyes of women across America”) come as New York’s own version of the Equal Rights Amendment, which aims to enshrine reproductive rights in the state, is on the ballot in November. .
“In every state the registry is there,” Hochul said. “When people have the opportunity to express their position on abortion, they support women, unlike Donald Trump.” — Jason Beeferman
SO FAR, BUT NOT FOR LONG: They leave town, but they come back.
Lawmakers will not meet Wednesday for Eid al-Fitr, a fast-breaking holiday celebrated at the end of Ramadan, amid a delay in the state budget for the fiscal year that began April 1.
“We hope that an extension will be approved on Thursday,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins told reporters, adding that the extension will be extended until Tuesday of next week.
The Assembly, on the other hand, will meet Friday week to approve the extension as the parties remain undecided on the $233 billion spending plan that includes measures to address the state’s housing shortage and address retail theft.
After approving the extension on Thursday, Stewart-Cousins doesn’t expect senators to return until early next week: “We’re at the beginning of the end, but the end is hard.” she said.
The leader has used that phrase before. On April 19, 2023, Stewart-Cousins said lawmakers were at “the beginning of the end” of the budget process.
He it took 13 days from that point to the final passage. This year, the parties are about to enter a two-week recess starting April 18 due to Passover, so the goal is to reach an agreement before then, but the days are ticking to reach that goal. — Jason Beeferman
HOUSING LACK OF OFFERS: With the budget now nine days late, progressive groups continue to protest to have their wishes included in the budget, including a deal to guarantee affordable housing.
Eight protesters were arrested outside the governor’s office at the Capitol during a demonstration this afternoon.
“Economic and social mobility depends on a government, it depends on leadership such as [Assembly Speaker Carl] Heastie and [Senate Majority Leader] “Andrea Stewart-Cousins demands that a powerful executive like Governor Hochul, who is alienating herself from the vast majority of New Yorkers, be held accountable,” said Jawanza James Williams, director of VOCAL New York.
“We need those two conferences, the Assembly and the Senate, to really represent the people who put them there.”
What does that mean? For them, it’s about achieving the good cause eviction measure to protect tenants’ rights and the Housing Access Voucher program included in the state budget in an attempt to help combat homelessness.
They also want to tax the rich and large corporations.
Cea Weaver, coalition director for Housing Justice for All, said it appears Hochul seems more willing to meet with real estate executives and campaign donors than with renters.
“I think we’ve been pretty clear for months that we’re not married to every crossed T or dotted I on our bill,” said Weaver, one of those arrested. —Shawn Ness
SKIRMISH SURPRISE: Mayor Eric Adams said he “never would have predicted” how infrequent skirmishes occur on Randall’s Island, where the city houses about 3,000 immigrants in conditions he called “inhumane.”
“Three thousand people are placed in an environment (many of them young) and told, ‘You can’t do anything all day except sit there all day,’” the mayor said today during an off-topic press conference . “I’m surprised how well they’re doing.”
Randall’s Island has drawn headlines in recent months over violence among immigrants sheltering there, and Adams promised in January a “full review” of the site’s security precautions.
Today, he told reporters, “We’re obviously doing the right thing” by implementing safety measures like metal detectors and curfews.
“We’re not seeing skirmishes popping up all the time,” Adams said. “We are seeing the opposite. “We’re seeing people saying, ‘We want to wait until we can finally achieve the American dream.'” -Irie Sentner
SILENT TREATMENT: Adams today declined to answer multiple questions related to revelations that federal authorities are investigating free flight upgrades he accepted from Turkish Airlines and the city’s hiring of a celebrity defense attorney to represent the mayor in a harassment case. sexual.
On Friday, a report The New York Times indicated that investigators from the FBI and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York are investigating whether a Turkish Airlines executive elevated Adams to the highest passenger status offered by the airline, which is partially owned by the sovereign of the Turkish government. wealth fund.
Furthermore, the City Council has retained services by Alex Spiro, who in the past represented Elon Musk, Jay-Z and Alec Baldwin, in a sexual harassment case.
Adams, who has not been accused of wrongdoing by prosecutors and faces the sexual harassment case in civil court, declined to go into detail on any of the issues, saying his legal team is handling the cases while he deals with the daily tasks of governing.
“I’ve said this over and over again: I follow the laws,” Adams said at a news conference when asked about details of the federal investigation being publicized.
“I have excellent lawyers. My job is to govern the city. They must carry out the review. I am satisfied with my lawyers, what they are doing. And the process will continue.” —Joe Anuta
CAUCUS PUSHES ON ENERGY ISSUES: Ensuring affordability while taking bold steps to address the climate crisis that disproportionately affects many communities they represent is a priority for the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus.
Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, a Nassau County Democrat and chairwoman of the influential group, laid out some of the ways lawmakers could support those goals in an interview last month with Playbook.
The central question facing policymakers is how to fund the state’s climate efforts while avoiding unpleasant costs for consumers.
“I see a lot of groups saying these laws are hurting New Yorkers. They are costing too much. And it’s unfortunate because the cost of the climate crisis is already high in many communities, including communities of color,” Solages said.
“We have high rates of asthma. When floods occur, we cannot afford to rebuild and so we move. And so, at the end of the day, the cost is very high. We need to make sure we are smart in the transition, but also not afraid to be bold.”
Solages said the group supports the Climate Change Superfund measure, which seeks to charge fossil fuel companies for historical emissions from the fuels they sold, and a low-carbon fuel standard for the transportation sector.
Some environmental justice groups oppose the clean fuel standard and question whether it would ensure rapid reductions in emissions for the communities they advocate for.
Solages sees it as a beneficial policy for heavy vehicles that will be on the road for years with less impact on individual consumers.
“At the end of the day, it won’t cost the taxpayers,” Solages said. California’s low-carbon fuel standard has increased gas prices, although Proponents argue that there is no significant correlation. between the costs of low-carbon fuel credits and the costs of gasoline.
NY HEAT, the legislative measure to cap energy bills as a percentage of income, would end subsidies for new gas connections and expand the Public Service Commission’s authority to decommission parts of the gas system, is also a caucus priority.
Solages said they are urging some kind of compromise or resolution to get it passed. The issue has not yet been resolved in budget negotiations.
“This is the time we must urge our leaders to be brave in the face of the climate crisis and look for ways to ensure we are transitioning to electric, but without creating a disadvantage for ratepayers,” Solages said.
The caucus also supports $200 million for low-income taxpayers to help with utility bills. They also support more funding for electric school buses to help districts with upfront costs. — Marie J. French
— An appeals court rejected Trump’s efforts to delay his trial over hush money. (POLITICAL)
—The Office of the Inspector General The Adirondack Park Agency is investigating. What they are looking for is still unclear. (Union of times)
— A Brooklyn school is experimenting with a 12-hour school day. (The New York Times)