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The Week Ahead in New York Politics, May 1


New York City Hall

New York City Hall

What to watch for this week in New York politics:

President Donald Trump is due back in New York City for the first time since taking office this week -- see below for details and expect protests, traffic gridlock, and political statements from all corners.

The State Legislature continues its post-budget legislative session in Albany, with only six weeks to go. There will be legislation announced and bills voted through as early as Monday. Tuesday will see a group of New Yorkers lobbying for better voting laws hit the Capitol. See below for details.

City Council executive budget hearings start this week, just after Mayor Bill de Blasio presented his revised spending plan, an $84.86 billion executive budget -- hearing details below.

There will be candidate forums for mayor and in the Republican primary in the "open" City Council 43rd District in Southern Brooklyn this week. Speaking fo the mayoral race, we're watching early this week for a decision from John Catsimatidis about whether he'll join the Republican mayoral promary -- Politico New York's Azi Paybarah reported at the end of last week that Catsimatidis was going to spend the weekend with close advisors deciding whether to run. [UPDATE: Catsimatidis announced Monday that he will not run for mayor this year.]

And, several interesting panel events, awards ceremonies, and much more. See below for all the details of the Week Ahead!

***Do you have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics?
e-mail Gotham Gazette editor Ben Max: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.***

The run of the week in detail:

Monday
The New York State Legislature will be in session on Monday in Albany. During session, "The Senate will be acting...on a bill that strengthens and makes permanent "Kendra's Law."" Sponsored by Sen. Cathy Young, the legislation is "an end of session Senate GOP priority," according to a Senate spokesperson.

At the State Assembly on Monday: The Standing Committees on Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions; Consumer Affairs and Protections; Energy; and Environmental Conservation will hold a joint hearing regarding the Clean Energy Standard.

On Monday morning, "Mayor de Blasio will greet NYC Ferry commuters on the first day of service as boats dock at Manhattan’s Pier 11" at 8:25 a.m., then the mayor "will appear live on Pix 11 Morning News" at about 8:45 a.m. The mayor has two other public events Monday -- see below.

City schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña will be in Albany Monday. At about 2:30 p.m., she'll address members of the State Assembly Education Committee in the Speaker’s Conference Room at the Capitol.

At 7:30 a.m. Monday: "On May Day...immigrant and worker rights groups led by the Center for Popular Democracy and Make the Road New York will escalate their newly-launched “Corporate Backers of Hate campaign” with an early morning action at a major corporation targeted for supporting and benefiting from Trump’s hateful agenda. The march, which will start at Bryant Park, will kick off events commemorating May Day (International Worker’s Day), which is expected to feature scores of demonstrations in New York and around the country."

At 11 a.m. Monday, Comptroller Scott Stringer will host a press conference on an unannounced topic, at 72nd Street and Broadway.

At noon Monday, a “strike to defend refugees, migrants, and all workers” will be held at Union Square in honor of “May Day” (May 1). Meanwhile, uptown, Senator Marisol Alcantara, Congressman Adriano Espaillat, Assemblymember Carmen de la Rosa, and City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez will lead a strike by immigrant business owners in protest of the Trump administration’s immigration policies from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.

"New York State Senate Labor Chairwoman Marisol Alcantara (D-Manhattan), joined by members of the Independent Democratic Conference and leaders of major labor unions, will announce legislation to combat union-busting tactics used in right-to-work states spreading nationally on Monday, May 1 in the New York State Capitol Building, 3rd Floor, Outside Senate Chambers at 12:30 p.m."

At 4 p.m. Monday, Assemblymember Mark Gjonaj, Senator Jeff Klein, Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr, Bronx Democratic Chairman Marcos Crespo, the BOEDC, and the Bronx Tourism Council will host “Bronx Day in Albany” at the Hart Theater Lounge at the Egg.

At 5 p.m. Monday, Mayor de Blasio, Comptroller Stringer and other officials will deliver remarks at the "Rise Up New York! 2017 May Day Rally and Celebration" in Foley Square.

On Monday evening on NY1, there will be a special Road to City Hall Town Hall on President Trump’s impact on New York, featuring CUNY students and special guests including Mayor Bill de Blasio, Public Advocate Letitia James and City Council Member Joseph Borelli.

Tuesday
A"On Tuesday, Mayor de Blasio will travel to Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he will deliver remarks at 1199 SEIU’s Unity and Power Membership Convention. This event is closed press. In the afternoon, the Mayor will return to New York City."

City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito has three public events Tuesday: at 10:30 a.m. she will speak at National Puerto Rican Day Parade Press Conference at One World Observatory; at 2 p.m. she will deliver opening remarks at the Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services hearing on bail reforms, at 250 Broadway; and at 7:15 p.m. she will speak at the Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger 8th Annual Planter Awards.

At the City Council on Tuesday
-The Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises will meet at 9:30 a.m.
-The Committee on Housing and Buildings will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss proposed laws relating to bedbugs
-The Committees on Public Housing and Environmental Protection will meet jointly at 10 a.m. for an oversight hearing at the Miccio Community Center in Brooklyn regarding “NYCHA’s Record in Removing Mold From Public Housing,” as well as to discuss a proposed law in relation to “requiring licensure for mold abatement, assessment and remediation work and setting minimum standards for such work.”
-The Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting, and Maritime Uses will meet at 11 a.m.
-The Committees on Public Safety and Transportation will meet jointly at 1 p.m. for an oversight hearing regarding “Engaging New Yorkers to Help Hold Hit-and-Run Perpetrators Accountable,” as well as to discuss two proposed laws relating to hit-and-runs.
-The Committee on Mental Health will meet at 1 p.m. for an oversight hearing regarding ThriveNYC.
-The Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions, and Concessions will meet at 1 p.m.
-The Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services will meet at 2 p.m. to discuss several proposed laws regarding bail and access to information.

The New York State Legislature will be in session on Tuesday in Albany.

On Tuesday, the “VoteBetterNY” coalition will hold “Voter Day 2017” in Albany, “an annual day of advocacy for statewide voting reform.” Participants will urge Albany legislators “to take down barriers to voting in New York and to guarantee the right to vote for every eligible New Yorker with the passage of common sense reforms.” There will be a rally at 9:30 a.m. at the Capitol.

At 10 a.m. Tuesday, schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña will address the State Senate Education Committee at Legislative Office Building.

At 8 a.m. Tuesday, the New York League of Conservation Voters and the Citizens Budget Commission will co-host a discussion on the “pros and cons of a constitutional convention in New York State.” A debate will occur between Gerald Benjamin, the director of the Benjamin Center at SUNY New Paltz, and Jerry Kremer, chairman of Empire Government Strategies, moderated Marcia Bystryn, President of the NYLCV.

At 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Think Outside the Box will host a panel “discussing solitary confinement in New York and efforts to stop the torture,” featuring Akeem Browder, brother of Kalief Browder, as well as “New York Lawmakers, Survivors of Solitary Confinement, Mental Health Experts & Others.” Following this, there will be a rally on the State Capitol’s “Million Dollar Staircase.”

At 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale will host the “Bronx Israel Independence Day Festival” at the Bayit in Riverdale.

Wednesday
At the City Council on Wednesday
-The Committee on Health will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss several proposed laws related to food safety and inspection in schools, restaurants, and street vendors.
-The Committee on Rules, Privileges, and Elections will meet at 10:30 a.m.

The New York State Legislature will be in session on Wednesday in Albany.

At 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Center for an Urban Future will host a symposium, “From Credential to Career: How to Get More Adults in New York on the Path to a High School Equivalency and Postsecondary Degree” at the Hilton Albany. Featured speakers include Amy Dalsimer, the executive director of the College and Career Pathways Institute at LaGuardia Community College; Kevin Smith, deputy commissioner of the New York State Education Department; and Stacie Evans, adult literacy advisor at the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development.

At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Citizens Union will host a discussion, “A Day in the Life of NY Legislators,” featuring a panel of legislators detailing “how they represent their constituents, make critical decisions about New York public policy and balance competing needs.” Panelists include Senator Michael Gianaris, Assemblymember and Republican Mayoral Candidate Nicole Malliotakis, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte, and others. (This discussion will take place after the annual Citizens Union members’ meeting, which is from 6-6:30 p.m.)

Between Wednesday and Saturday, the “Smart Cities” conference will take place at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, focusing on how to ready cities for the 21st century with regards to technology and urban planning.

Thursday
At the City Council on Thursday
-The Committee on Finance will hold the first executive budget hearing with the Office of Management & Budget at 10 a.m., following by Design & Construction at noon
-The Committee on Land Use will meet at 11 a.m.

President Donald Trump will be in New York City on Thursday; he’ll be meeting with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on the USS Intrepid to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea.

At 9 a.m. Thursday, the New York City Bar Association will host a Continuing Legal Education program on affordable housing, focusing on “current strategies to finance and preserve affordable housing projects in New York City.” Panels will convene to provide insight on three topics: “New Housing Tax Incentives; Alternative Model for Permanent Affordability - Community Land Trusts; and a New Strategy for Public Housing.”

At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the Lexington Democratic Club will honor Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer at its 2017 Gala Dinner.

At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the Manhattan Institute will host its 17th annual Alexander Hamilton Award Dinner. This year’s honorees are former Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and Eagle Capital Management Co-founder Ravenel B. Curry III.

At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, City & State will host its second borough series event of 2017, focusing on Brooklyn. The event will recognize prominent individuals who live or work in Brooklyn. Borough President Eric Adams will deliver the keynote.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, the Brooklyn Republican Party will host a debate at Bay Ridge Manor featuring three Republicans vying for the “open” seat in the City Council’s 43rd District. The candidates are Liam McCabe, John Quaglione, and Bob Capano. The debate will be moderated by the Brooklyn Eagle.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, the Alliance for a Human Scale City and the East Harlem Civic Alliance will hold a bipartisan mayoral forum at PS 108 in Manhattan. Confirmed attendees are Democrats Sal Albanese, Tony Avella, Kevin Coenen, and Robert Gangi; Republican Darren Dione Aquino; and independent Bo Dietl.

Friday and the weekend
At the City Council on Friday: executive budget hearings regarding CUNY at 10 a.m. with the Committee on Higher Education, and regarding Youth and Community Development at 11:30 a.m. with the Committee on Youth Services

At 8:15 a.m. Friday, the Center for New York City Law will host its third annual “Civic Fame Awards.” NY1 anchor Errol Louis will host. Honorees include former mayor David Dinkins; Wayne Hawley, former executive director and general counsel of the Conflicts of Interest Board; Susan Hinkson, a retiring member of the Board of Standards & Appeals; Con Ed; and NY1’s Inside City Hall.

At 9 a.m. Friday, the Manhattan Institute will host “Reforming The Fed And Government-Sponsored Enterprises,” featuring two panels focusing on monetary policy and on federal reserve reform. John Williams, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, will deliver the keynote.

***
Have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? E-mail Gotham Gazette executive editor Ben Max any time: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (please use "For Week Ahead" as email subject).

***
by Ben Brachfeld and Ben Max
@GothamGazette

Legislative Session Starts with Flurry of Activity, and Cuomo Out of Town


Cuomo Rochester

Gov. Cuomo in Rochester (photo: The Governor's Office)


The New York State Legislature returned to session Monday after its annual two-week Passover/Easter post-budget hiatus, and lawmakers want the governor to know they are ready to work.

While Governor Andrew Cuomo continued his state-wide infrastructure and economic development tour this week, during the bustling first two days of session the Legislature advanced some provocative legislation, sending a clear message to the governor that the final two months of session will not be as uneventful as he has predicted.

At an Easter Eve celebration at the Executive Mansion, Cuomo had told reporters that the state budget, passed a few days prior and nine days into the new fiscal year, had already tackled virtually all the important issues, and that the Legislature simply lacks the willpower to push through items that were dropped, such as government ethics reform or the Dream Act.

“If we didn’t get it done in the budget, it means you didn’t have the political will to get it done,” Cuomo said. “So, I’ll respond to the initiatives that the Legislature comes up with, but frankly everything big that we wanted to get done we got done in the budget.”

Rather than focus on pushing the Assembly and Senate on any measures he supports, the governor said, he would spend the next two months focused on his revved up upstate economic development programs and infrastructure projects across the state. The governor, during budget negotiations, ensured that all of his signature projects made it into the emergency extender bills passed April 3, after there was no full budget agreement between Cuomo and the Legislature by the April 1 deadline. (The full state budget for the new fiscal year would be passed about a week later.)

As if to reinforce his point, Cuomo spent Tuesday -- a chaotic session day at the Capitol -- in Rochester, announcing a $53.7 million transformation of the city’s airport and $500 million for his Finger Lakes Forward initiative, which is intended to spur economic growth in the region. On Wednesday, he continued his Finger Lakes region tour in Auburn, where he did a ceremonial bill-signing for $2 million to clean up of Owasco Lake, which has been impaired by the presence of Blue-Green Algae, and upgrade drinking water systems in nearby towns.

But while there many compromises made in the budget -- including on key policy issues, like raising the age of adult criminal responsibility from 16 to 18 and an expansion of ride-hailing apps -- lawmakers made clear in their first days back at the Capitol that they have unfinished business to address.

Most significant for New York City is an extension of mayoral control of city schools, which is due to expire in June. Senate Republicans are now seeking to tie the extension, which would grant Mayor Bill de Blasio between one and three years more of control over the public school system, to an increase of the state’s charter school cap, according to NY1 and other reports.

"Well if we can link it to anything to get some legislation that's important to the Senate I think we should do that," Deputy Senate Majority Leader John DeFrancisco, a Republican from Syracuse, told NY1. "I think it's ultimately going to get done whether it's one year or two years or whatever it may be," he said of extending mayoral control. Senate Republicans have made de Blasio, a first-term Democrat, sweat year after year, with back to back one-year extensions and public hearings.

In another apparent jab at the governor, DeFrancisco sponsored legislation that would restore the state Comptroller’s jurisdiction to review procurement and contracts for certain economic development projects involving SUNY and its affiliated non-profits -- a power stripped from the Comptroller in 2011. Lax oversight of these entities and their contracting has been blamed, in part, for the massive bid-rigging scandal involving Cuomo’s former top aide Joe Percoco and eight other men associated with the administration.

Comptroller Tom DiNapoli has been calling for the restoration of these powers so that his office can vet processes and contracts. The bill passed the Senate finance committee Tuesday. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Democrat from the Bronx, said the legislation shows an “admirable goal,” but only that he would discuss the details with his conference.

Democrats in the Assembly majority and the Senate minority have also signaled this week that they plan to continue pushing for women’s health protections, voting reform, and the Dream Act.

At a Tuesday press conference for electoral reform hosted by the League of Women Voters and Democrats from both chambers, Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins responded to the governor’s suggestion that the Legislature had slim chance of passing such reforms post-budget.

“I’ve heard the governor say before that there is no appetite for things in the past and as it turns out, there was an appetite and we’ve gotten things done,” said Stewart-Cousins. “People need to step up and say it’s OK for eligible voters to vote.”

While Cuomo included in his executive budget early voting and other reform proposals to update the state’s antiquated voting laws, he put little public effort into championing the issue and none of the reforms made it into the budget that was passed.

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are interested in reforming the “scaffold law,” which holds contractors strictly liable for height-related accidents in the interest of protecting construction workers, with legislation that would attempt to apportion liability based on fault. Advocates for reform are encouraged by a new bill from Democratic Assembly Member John McDonald, introduced earlier this session.

A bill aimed at controlling the sale and use of tobacco e-cigarettes advanced in the Senate, which syncs well with de Blasio’s goal to reduce tobacco usage, including the vaporizers. The legislation, called Tobacco 21, raises the smoking age from 18 to 21 and is already the law in eight New York counties. It passed the Senate health committee on Tuesday.

One issue likely to once again fall to the wayside this year is government ethics reform, particularly campaign finance reform, which could involve the closure of the “LLC loophole,” which allows lawmakers to benefit from nearly unlimited campaign contributions from powerful interest groups, or a system of public campaign financing. The governor proposed those measures and others, like legislative term limits and restrictions on legislators’ outside income, but none went anywhere in budget negotiations.

The Senate, however, came back to session this week and passed a bill that would put into law eight-year term limits for leadership positions in both the Senate and Assembly. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Joseph Griffo, a Republican from Rome, would codify Senate rules put in place in 2009, limiting the number of years a legislator can serve as a house leader or even committee chair. The bill has been sent to the Assembly.

Cuomo, a second-term Democrat who has given several indications that he is considering a presidential run in 2020, has been criticized by some -- including DeFrancisco -- for focusing too much on his national profile instead of state issues. When asked about the suggestion that he is eyeing a national bid during his announcement of the budget deal earlier this month, Cuomo laughed it off.

Cuomo’s appointment this week of Maria Comella, a Republican strategist who worked on the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, and Chris Christie, and a scheduled June fundraiser in New York City featuring former Vice President Joe Biden, albeit for his 2018 reelection campaign, have continued to fuel the rumors.

Both houses are adjourned for the week and will return to session May 1.

***
by Rachel Silberstein, State government reporter, Gotham Gazette
     

Read more by this writer.

The Week Ahead in New York Politics, April 24


New York City Hall

New York City Hall


What to watch for this week in New York politics:

Mayor Bill de Blasio had a busy weekend that took a tragic turn. On Saturday, the mayor made an Earth Day announcement on green jobs and spoke at the Sikh Day Parade. On Sunday, the mayor spoke at two churches and appeared on Univision before heading to Queens Village after a fire there killed five people. The mayor addressed the tragedy after being briefed by his fire commissioner. De Blasio was scheduled to speak Sunday evening at the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats Annual Dinner.

On Monday, "de Blasio, First Lady Chirlane McCray and Chancellor Carmen Fariña will make an education announcement" at P.S. 1 The Courtlandt School in the Bronx. City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito will also participate in the announcement. In the 7 and 10 p.m. hours Monday, the Mayor will make his weekly appearance on NY1’s Road to City Hall. At 7 p.m. Monday, de Blasio "will deliver remarks at the Queens County Democratic Organization’s Friends of Queens County Event."

And, we know that on Thursday evening, de Blasio is scheduled to hold a town hall meeting in Queens, co-hosted by City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer.

Post-budget legislative session begins in Albany on Monday and is scheduled to stretch until mid-June. With a great deal included in the recently-passed budget, many -- including Governor Andrew Cuomo -- are expecting a fairly quiet two months of session. There are a number of issues that were not resolved in the budget, though, but it is unclear how much life voting and ethics reforms will have, for example. The Legislature must deal with mayoral control of New York City schools given that the latest one-year extension will expire in June and nothing on it was included in the budget. We’ll see what legislators are talking about when they return to Albany this week.

Also this week, on Thursday Cuomo will be presiding over an opening ceremony for the new Kosciuszko Bridge, according to The Daily News -- see below for details.

Among many others listed below, a couple of other highlights for the week include: a City Planning hearing on the East Midtown rezoning proposal and, from Wednesday through the weekend, the annual National Action Network convention, hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton, which will feature Bernie Sanders, Eric Holder, and many others, including city officials.

It’s also a very busy week at the New York City Council, especially Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, with a variety of committee hearings, and a meeting of the full Council on Tuesday. See below for all the details.

As always, there's a great deal happening all over the city, see our day-by-day rundown below.

***Do you have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics?
e-mail Gotham Gazette editor Ben Max: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.***

The run of the week in detail:

Monday
The New York State Legislature will be in session on Monday in Albany.

At 11 a.m. Monday, #CLOSErikers will rally on the steps of City Hall to react to the mayor’s recent decision to close Rikers Island jails in 10 years and "demand city move forward immediately with clear plans to Close Rikers Island." "Rosie O’Donnell, Megan Boone, and Matt McGorry will be among those there "to declare proposed ten-year timeline is too long" and demand that de Blasio: "appoint someone to lead a speedy process of closing the facility,put forward a serious plan for closure, and immediately act on criminal justice reforms to reduce the Rikers population."

At noon Monday, “New York City Council member Eric Ulrich will throw his support behind New York Mayoral Candidate Bo Dietl on the steps of City Hall and make a major announcement.”

At the City Council on Monday

  • The Committee on Transportation will meet at 10 a.m. to vote on proposed laws in relation to “a study regarding transportation deserts” and “requiring the Department of Transportation to notify emergency service providers about resurfacing, including paving and milling.”
  • The Committee on Oversight and Investigations and the Committee on Public Housing will meet jointly at 10 a.m. for an oversight hearing “examining DOI’s report on NYCHA’s permanent exclusion policy,” as well as to discuss a proposed law “in relation to reporting on persons who have been permanently excluded from public housing.”
  • The Committee on Women’s Issues will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss several proposed laws in relation to improving gender and racial equity in the city, as well as a resolution “calling upon the United States Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.”
  • The Committee on Education will meet at 10 a.m. to vote on a local law “in relation to expanding distribution of college savings plan materials in schools to include pre-kindergarten and to distributing college savings plan materials to parents or guardians within three months after a child’s date of birth.”
  • The Committee on Technology will meet at 1 p.m. for an oversight hearing regarding “privacy of city data.”
  • The Committee on Contracts will meet at 1 p.m. to vote on several proposed laws related to VENDEX and to online access to city contracts
  • The Committee on Small Business will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss several proposed laws.
  • The Committee on Environmental Protection will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss proposed laws related to “phasing out the use of fuel oil grade no. 4” and to “exemptions from air conditioning prohibitions.”

At 4 p.m. Monday, Manhattan BP Gale Brewer will host the “NYC Urban Manufacturing Symposium,” discussing the needs of manufacturers “in multiple sectors - what they’re making, what kinds of spaces they need, and how zoning can help or hurt them.” The event will be held at the High School of Fashion Industries.

Tuesday
The New York State Legislature will be in session on Tuesday in Albany.

Also Tuesday in Albany, the New York City Joint Commission on Public Ethics will hold its monthly meeting.

The full City Council will be in session on Tuesday starting at 1:30 p.m. This will be prefaced by the usual “pre-Stated” press conference led by City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. Also at the City Council on Tuesday, the Committee on Finance will meet at 10 a.m.

At 8 a.m. Tuesday, City & State will host the CSR Awards: Sustainability & Environmental Impact, honoring individuals and companies “that promote sustainability initiatives in the energy, transportation, food industries, and more.” The event will also feature a panel with Kathryn Garcia, Commissioner of the Department of Sanitation; Vincent Sapienza, acting Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection; and Mark Chambers, director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability.

At 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, City Council Members Rafael Espinal and Stephen Levin, along with the Sierra Club, will hold a press conference “to announce City Council resolution regarding Electric bus fleet during the L train shutdown” at the Bedford Avenue L Train stop entrance at North 7th St. and Driggs Ave in Williamsburg.

At 9 a.m. Tuesday, the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute will host its “Urban Food Policy Forum: What Would It Take to Grow a Regional Food Economy?” Discussion will center around how upstate and downstate New York can more sustainably produce and trade food.

At noon Tuesday, Senator Brad Hoylman and Assembly Member Amy Paulin will hold a press conference at the Capitol in Albany “to discuss the Child-Parent Security Act, legislation they co-authored that would legally establish a child’s relationship to his/her parents when the child was conceived through third-party reproduction, which would include children born through gestational surrogacy arrangements.”

At 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Vera Institute of Justice will host “The Making of Mass Incarceration in America,” featuring Harvard assistant professor of history and African & African-American studies Elizabeth Hinton.

On Tuesday at 1 p.m., schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña will attend Team Up! Tuesday event with Police Commissioner Jimmy O’Neill at Murry Bergtraum Campus.

At 1 p.m. at City Hall, there will be a "Fair Fares" rally led by Riders Alliance and others. Public Advocate Letitia James will be among those to speak.

On Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m., "Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer will host "The Future of Biking in NYC," a mini-expo and forum on new developments in urban bicycling."

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, City Council Member Helen Rosenthal will hold a town hall meeting at Center at West Park on the Upper West Side. Public Advocate Letitia James will make remarks.

At 7 p.m. Tuesday, First Lady Chirlane McCray “will host the first of five Community Conversations to connect directly with New Yorkers in the Bronx.” She will be joined by City Council Member Vanessa Gibson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Richard Buery, and Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio.

Wednesday
The New York State Legislature will be in session on Wednesday in Albany.

At the City Council on Wednesday

  • The Committee on Aging and the Subcommittee on Senior Centers will meet jointly at 10 a.m. to discuss several proposed laws and resolutions.
  • The Committees on Veterans and Civil Rights will meet jointly at 10 a.m. to discuss a proposed law “in relation to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of uniformed service,” as well as resolutions to designate the month of May as “Military Appreciation Month” and June 22 as “Veterans Tribute and Advocacy Day” in New York City.
  • The Committees on Education, Public Safety, and Immigration will meet jointly at 11 a.m. to discuss several proposed laws relating to immigrant safety, particularly for minors.
  • The Committee on Recovery and Resiliency will meet at 1 p.m. for an oversight hearing regarding the “resiliency of NYC’s electric power.”
  • The Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss proposed laws relating to “requiring agencies to notify food rescue organizations before disposing of food” and “facilitating food donations.”
  • The Committee on Consumer Affairs will meet at 2 p.m. to discuss proposed laws relating to used car sales.

From Wednesday until Sunday, the National Action Network will hold its 26th Annual National Convention at the Sheraton Times Square. Numerous panels will be held throughout the convention featuring notable people discussing issues such as “voting rights, criminal justice reform, immigration, health care, education, corporate responsibility, economic equity and more.” The event will conclude with a televised forum called “Measuring the Movement” hosted by the Rev. Al Sharpton. Others who will speak at the event include Senator Bernie Sanders, former Attorney General Eric Holder, Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance, First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray, Samuel L. Jackson, Mothers of the Movement, Harry Belafonte, and many more.

Beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday, the Manhattan Institute will host “Student Discipline and Disorder,” discussing the impact of the Obama administration’s orders to reduce suspensions in schools.

At 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, the New York City Bar Association will host a panel to discuss New York’s Clean Energy Standard and Reforming the Energy Vision.

Starting at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, the Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development will hold its 7th Annual Community Development Conference. The keynote speaker will be Maria T. Vullo, the Superintendent of Financial Services for New York State.

At 9 a.m. Wednesday, City Council Member Andy King will celebrate the Week of the Young Child “with book readings to pre-K youngsters” at the Williamsbridge NAACP Early Childhood Education Center in the Bronx.

At 9 a.m. Wednesday, the Urban Lab at NYU’s School of Professional Studies will host “The New Urban Crisis” at NYU’s Kimmel Center, exploring “how America’s urban revival has turned into a new urban crisis.” Speakers will include NY1 anchor Errol Louis; Jonathan Bowles of the Center for an Urban Future; Juliette Michaelson of the Regional Planning Association; and others.

At 10 a.m. Wednesday, the City Planning Commission will hold a public meeting. At this meeting, the proposed Greater East Midtown Rezoning will be considered.

At 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Center for New York City Affairs will host “Winning Ideas: Prized Solutions Showcase,” honoring the winners of the Winning Ideas: Reimagining NYC competition for New School students on how to improve the City.

At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and OATH Commissioner Fidel Del Valle will host a “What to do when you get a summons” town hall at the Harlem State Office Building.

At 7 p.m. Wednesday, the Manhattan Republican Party will host a mayoral candidates screening featuring Republicans Paul Massey and Michel Faulkner, and Independent Bo Dietl, at the Metropolitan Republican Club. Following the screening, there will be an info session “on how to run for elected office.”

Thursday
At the City Council on Thursday

  • The Committee on Health will meet at 10 a.m.
  • The Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss several proposed laws relating to bail and “permitting arrestees to access contact information.”
  • The Committee on Contracting will meet at 10 a.m. relating to “requiring city agencies to accept procurement invoices electronically” and “prohibiting discrimination in public contracting.”
  • The Committee on Civil Service and Labor will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss a proposed law “in relation to reporting of pay and employment equity data.”
  • The Committee on Housing and Buildings will meet at 1 p.m. for an oversight hearing regarding the “tenant interim lease program.”
  • The Committee on Governmental Operations will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss a proposed law relating to “increasing the cap on public funds available.”

At 8 a.m. Thursday, City & State will host “On Health Care,” with panels discussing the potential impact of “Trumpcare” and repealing Obamacare on New York, “addressing epidemics and risk factors,” and “working across sectors to address social determinants of health.” Speakers include Public Advocate Tish James, City Council Member Andrew Cohen, Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts President Robin Chappelle Golston, State Senate Health Committee Chair Kemp Hannon, Assembly Health Committee Chair Richard Gottfried, and more.

At noon Thursday, the New York City Bar Association will host “Public Affairs Luncheon: The Changing Face of Education,” discussing the problems public universities are facing, especially regarding “the fallen financial support from states and localities.” Dr. Matthew Goldstein, Chancellor Emeritus of CUNY, will speak.

At 1 p.m. Thursday, Mayor de Blasio, Public Advocate Tish James, and City Comptroller Scott Stringer, all recently endorsed by the Kings County Democrats, “are expected to join Brooklyn elected and party officials at a Borough Hall rally.”

At 6 p.m. Thursday, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, along with Council Members Rosie Mendez and Corey Johnson, will host a forum “to address the needs of trans and gender non-conforming community members in New York City.”

At 6 p.m. Thursday, the NAACP’s Task Force on Quality Education will hold a hearing at Harlem Hospital Center & Pavilion regarding “charter schools, public schools, and issues surrounding quality education.” The Task Force was formed following the passage of a resolution “calling for a moratorium on new charter schools until there was an examination of governance issues within charter schools, and a fuller determination of charter schools' relationship to, and effect on, traditional public schools.”

Thursday at 7 p.m., “Gov. Cuomo will officially open the new Kosciuszko Bridge this week with a party and a light show, the Daily News has learned.” There will be an accompanying light and music show.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, Mayor de Blasio, Council Majority Leader Jimmy van Bramer, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, and Senator Michael Gianaris will host a town hall at Queens Vocational and Technical High School in Long Island City.

Friday and the weekend
At 8 a.m. Friday, Sanitation Department Commissioner Kathryn Garcia will address the Queens Chamber of Commerce, discussing “commercial waste zone” policy and its effect on Queens businesses.

At 8:30 a.m. Friday, the Bronx Tech Summit will commence at the Metropolitan College of New York. Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will give remarks, and numerous panels will convene discussing the borough’s tech scene and how technology is used and can be used in the borough’s infrastructure.

At 9 a.m. Friday, the Murphy Institute at CUNY will host “Confronting the Tragedy: Law Enforcement, Unionism, & Communities of Color,” discussing the role that the labor movement plays in the criminal justice system.

At 11 a.m. Friday, IGNITE will host New York Young Women's Political Mobilization Lunch at the Weissman School of Arts and Science at Baruch College.

At 9 a.m. Saturday, Manhattan BP Gale Brewer will deliver opening remarks at “Harlem and the Future: Preserving Culture & Sustaining Historic Character in a Changing Environment,” discussing the question “what does the future of Harlem look like.” The keynote will be delivered by Chris Fair of Resonance Consultancy; closing remarks will be delivered by author Michael Henry Adams.

At 2 p.m. Saturday, City Council Member Ben Kallos and Manhattan CB 11 will host their “Spirit of Service” event at the Children’s Aid Society.

***
Have events or topics for us to include in an upcoming Week Ahead in New York Politics? E-mail Gotham Gazette executive editor Ben Max any time: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (please use "For Week Ahead" as email subject).

***
by Ben Brachfeld and Ben Max
@GothamGazette



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