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Cuomo Punts Voting Reform to ‘After the Budget’


Cuomo press conference NYC

Gov. Cuomo (photo: Kevin P. Coughlin/Governor's Office)


Governor Andrew Cuomo all but confirmed Tuesday that major voting reforms he’s proposed would not be part of the new state budget, which is due by April 1.

In January, Cuomo outlined the “Democracy Project” as part of his 2017 State of the State agenda, and included its widely prized measures like early voting, same-day voter registration, and an enhanced form of automatic voter registration in one of his budget bills. But, on Tuesday Cuomo indicated that the push to modernize New York’s antiquated voting laws would be left for the April through June legislative session that follows budget adoption.

Cuomo, a second-term Democrat, has proposed sweeping voting reforms before, and New York has watched as they have been implemented with successful results in dozens of other states, while paltry voter turnout continues here.

On Tuesday, Cuomo appeared at a press conference in New York City, which the governor had called to criticize two Republican congressional representatives from New York for authoring amendments to the federal health plan that would shift certain Medicaid burdens in New York from the counties to the state. During the question-and-answer session, a WNYC reporter asked Cuomo how he would be able to persuade Senate Republicans to adopt his voting reform agenda during budget negotiations.

“We are going to try like heck,” he said, but added, “It’s not necessarily a budget discussion,” conceding a point Cuomo is typically hesitant to make.

“The budget is primarily about finances,” Cuomo continued. “If there’s a policy matter that is related to the finances then I try to include it, because the budget is a good vehicle to reconcile as much as you can. Many of the democracy issues that you talk about we are going to take up after the budget.”

Between now and April 1, Cuomo and legislative leaders will negotiate the details of the new state budget. The Governor sets the stage for budget season with his Executive Budget in January, which is then followed by legislative hearings, one-house budget resolutions that respond to the Governor’s proposals, and closed-door negotiations. The spending and policy pieces that make it into the budget often depend upon how much priority agenda items are given by the Governor, the Senate Majority, and the Assembly Majority.

Cuomo, as the most powerful of the “three men in the room,” can often push through his top priorities, as he did last year with $15 minimum wage and paid family leave programs.

In January, Cuomo announced the Democracy Project in a press release amid his six-stop State of the State tour. The goal, Cuomo's announcement stated, was “modernizing voting in New York to increase participation in the democratic system.” The Democracy Project “will remove barriers to voter registration" and "make voting easier for New Yorkers.”

“Early voting will shorten lines at the polls,” the announcement stated, “allow New Yorkers to cast ballots up to 12 days before Election Day.” It also promised that automatic and same-day voter registration “will increase voter participation.”

While Democrats who control the Assembly appear open to the three voting reforms, among others, they do not appear to be placing it especially high on their list of priorities. Republicans who control the state Senate are opposed to voting reform, worrying that greater turnout could spell the end of their paper-thin majority margin.

Two of the three reforms, early voting and automatic registration, are widely implemented throughout the country, and would be easy to implement legislatively, but have stalled in the Senate. Along with the Assembly majority, the Independent Democratic Conference, a breakaway group of Senate Democrats who have a ruling coalition with Republicans, also support the measures. However, the IDC’s power to move the GOP conference in this case may be especially limited.

Same-day voter registration, which would allow unregistered voters to register and vote on Election Day, would likely have to be implemented through a state constitutional amendment, which requires the approval of both legislative houses for two consecutive legislative cycles and then approval by the public through a ballot vote.

Last week, representatives from advocacy groups like the New York Civil Liberties Union, the Working Families Party, and Common Cause NY joined with female state lawmakers at the state Capitol to push for early voting and automatic registration to be included in the budget. The press conference, which coincided with Women’s History Month and framed voter inclusion as a women’s issue, was followed by a rally on Sunday in New York City’s Battery Park.

Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause NY, who helped organized the press conference and the rally, criticized the governor’s Tuesday revelation.

“It's not enough to ‘try like heck,’” Lerner said in a statement. “New Yorkers deserve the same rights as voters in Alaska and Vermont. We need voting reform now, and that means including funding in the 2017 budget to ensure that the next election cycle is an example for the nation, not a national embarrassment."

Lerner noted that New York ranked 41st in the nation for voter turnout (based on the 2016 presidential election), with less than a third of eligible voters participating. “Far from the progressive symbol the Governor likes to tout, we are out of step with 34 other states that have some form of early voting, and nowhere near California which also has Automatic Voter Registration,” Lerner said.

On Tuesday Cuomo did not cast blame on anyone for what he was foreshadowing as a failure to move voting reform through the budget. At the press conference, however, he did tout how well he has been able to work with Republicans over the past six years. He did not indicate that he planned to try to convince Senate Republicans to back his voting reform agenda.

A few days ago, Scott Reif, a spokesperson for Senate Republicans, told WNYC radio, "There are many bills out there which seek to boost voter participation. We'll take a look at all of them."

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by Ben Max and Rachel Silberstein

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by Ben Max, Gotham Gazette
     

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by Rachel Silberstein, State government reporter, Gotham Gazette
     

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The Week Ahead in New York Politics, March 20


New York City Hall

New York City Hall


What to watch for this week in New York politics:

The New York political world is still reeling from and reacting to the news that Mayor Bill de Blasio and his aides will not be charged in either of two investigations into their behavior. Comptroller Scott Stringer has said definitively he is running for reelection, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said it’s time to move on to focus on key problems facing the city, and de Blasio himself held a testy press conference and then flew to Florida for a weekend away.

As for this week, the mayor will be back Monday after getting some sun, rest, and taking in some spring training baseball. He has no public events Monday.

It’s budget season, with just 10 days until a new state budget is due. Governor Andrew Cuomo and state legislative leaders will begin pushing the pace in negotiations, especially given that last week the two houses of the Legislature passed their one-house budget resolutions. Notably, there’s been little indication that government ethics, voting or campaign finance reform is a high priority for legislators or for Gov. Cuomo. [Read: Since State of the State, Cuomo Silent on Ethics Reform]

Before he gets back to budget business in Albany, on Sunday Cuomo was in the Bronx, where he “announced a $1.8 billion project to transform the South Bronx by realizing the long-sought reconstruction of the Bruckner-Sheridan Interchange.”

With budget negotiations into their final weeks, it’s a rare four-day week of legislative session in Albany. That and much more to watch for this week -- 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
At the City Council on Monday, there will be a preliminary budget hearing of the Committee on Mental Health at 3 p.m.

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

City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito is heading to Albany Monday “to meet with State leaders.”

On Monday at 11:30 a.m. in Albany, “Citizens Union (CU) will release the latest edition of its report, Spending in the Shadows, on unspecified lump sum spending in New York’s FY 2018 Executive budget. The report examines numerous pots of money under state government control that have little detail, few restraints and little public accountability – all part of a recipe for public corruption. The report documents $4.3 billion in funds that are subject to spending decisions by individual elected officials, representing an increase of nearly $2 billion from last year’s executive budget. The report also documents other opaque spending that lacks criteria for spending, and does not specify any official as having authority.” The press conference will be on the third floor of the state Capitol.

At 12:30 p.m. Monday, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, City Council Member Margaret Chin, OATH Commissioner Fidel Del Valle, and Chinatown organizations and leaders will hold a “press conference to announce “What to do if you get a city summons” town hall,” at the Chinese-American Planning Council.

At 12:30 p.m. Monday, schools Chancellor Carmen Farina will deliver remarks at the Hispanic Federation Education Summit, at the CUNY Graduate Center.

At 6 p.m. Monday, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will host the second of two public hearings of their “Gifted and Talented Task Force,” focusing on “gifted and talented education in New York City public schools, as well as the admissions process for the city’s specialized schools,” at the Bronx High School of Science.

At 6 p.m. Monday, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will host a reception for her office gallery commemorating women’s causes and political life in New York, as part of Women’s History Month. The reception will honor the late Maggie Peyton.

At 8 p.m. Monday, Comptroller Scott Stringer will deliver remarks at the Fort Greene Association Quarterly Meeting.

Tuesday
Mayor de Blasio has a busy Tuesday:

  • 10:30 a.m. press conference on Vision Zero near New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn, NY 11201
  • 2 p.m. at Tweed Courthouse, "as part of the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Cities’ Day of Immigration Action, the Mayor and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Vivierito will host a press conference on new policy guidance."
  • 4 p.m. public hearing and bill signing at City Hall: "the Mayor will hold public hearings and sign 14 pieces of legislation– Intro. 1161-A in relation to requiring DOHMH report annually on immunization rates of NYers for Human Papillomavirus; Intro. 1162-A in relation to requiring DOHMH to report annually on the use of contraceptives; Intro 1172-A in relation to requiring DOHMH to report annually on maternal mortality; Intro. 748-B in relation to amending the New York City charter in relation to drug strategy; Intro. 882-A in relation to requiring that a hearing loop – which helps people with hearing loss hear better – be installed in certain capital projects; Intro. 1280-B in relation to requiring NYPD to make collision reports available online to individuals involved; Intro. 1071-A in relation to requiring DOT to conduct a study of private streets; Intro. 1474-A in relation to lowering the tax on the transfer of a taxi medallion; Intro. 1475-A in relation to removing restrictions on the transfer of taxi medallions; Intro 873-A in relation to establishing a car-sharing pilot program that reserves some street parking spaces for car-share vehicles; Intro. 267-A in relation to requiring DOT to designate parking spaces in municipal parking lots for car-share organizations; Intro. 247-A in relation to increasing the fines for performing electrical work without a license; Intro. 820-A in relation to requiring DSNY to consider programs that would incentivize recycling in public housing; and Intro. 1198-A in relation to requiring DEP to publish a plan for reducing flooding in Queens Community Districts 12 and 13, and to report annually on progress."
  • 7 p.m. "the Mayor and First Lady Chirlane McCray will host a Greek Independence Day Reception" at Gracie Mansion.
  • During the 7 and 10 p.m. hours, the mayor will make a taped appearace on NY1's Road to City Hall.

At the City Council on Tuesday, there will be preliminary budget hearings on:

  • The Department of Parks & Recreation at 10 a.m.
  • The Department of Education at 10 a.m.

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

At 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Crain’s New York Business will host its 2017 Arts & Culture Breakfast, discussing how artists and cultural workers can secure funding for their projects. Speakers will include City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer, who will talk with Jeremy Smerd, editor of Crain’s, as well as Diane Coffey, the Director Emerita of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and current Managing Director at the Peter J. Solomon Company, who will speak with Crain’s publisher Jill Kaplan.

At 9 a.m. Tuesday, Council Speaker Mark-Viverito will deliver remarks at the New York Immigration Coalition Annual NYC Legislative and Policy Breakfast, at Tribeca Grill. At 11 a.m., Mark-Viverito will announce a capital funding investment in a NYCHA senior center, with NYCHA Chair Shola Olatoye, at Betances Senior Center in the Bronx.

At 9 a.m. Tuesday, Public Advocate Letitia James will deliver remarks at the JCRC "Confronting Fear & Hate in New York City" forum at Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies. At noon, James will deliver remarks at the Queens Chamber of Commerce St. Patrick's Day lunch.

On Tuesday at 11 a.m., Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan will appear on the Capitol Pressroom radio program, hosted by Susan Arbetter.

At 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Comptroller Scott Stringer "Hosts Press Conference and Unveils Major New Report" at Greenwich House.

On Tuesday at 6 p.m., John Jay College of Criminal Justice will host a community information forum regarding the upcoming referendum on whether to call a state constitutional convention, in an event postponed one week due to last Tuesday's snowstorm. Panelists and moderators scheduled for the original event included Michael Benjamin of the New York Post; Brigid Bergin of WNYC; Josh Robin of NY1; Dick Dadey of Citizen Union; and Evan Davis, the former president of the New York City Bar Association and current senior counsel at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce will host “LGBT Financial Planning in the Trump Era.” Paul Schindler of Gay City News will moderate a panel featuring financial advisor Alexander J. Fruchtman and attorneys Dylan T. McKeon, Yolanda Kanes, and Pablo G. Velez.

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, City Comptroller Scott Stringer will hold a Women's History Month Celebration at the New York Supreme Court.

At 6 p.m. Tuesday, the Manhattan Institute will host the 2017 William E. Simon Forum on Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship, discussing the impact of “sunset provisions” on philanthropy. MI’s Howard Husock will moderate a panel consisting of Edwin Feulner of the Heritage Foundation, Heather Higgins of the Randolph Foundation, and James Piereson of the William E. Simon Foundation.

Wednesday
At the City Council on Wednesday, there will be preliminary budget hearings that include testimony from:

  • The Mayor’s Office on Immigrant Affairs, the Human Resources Administration, the Department of Youth and Community Development, and CUNY at 10 a.m.
  • The Human Rights Commission at 1 p.m.

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

At 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, the New York City Food Policy Center will hold “The Inner Workings of New York City's Water,” with James Tierney, DEC NYS Deputy Commissioner; David Warne, DEP NYC Assistant Commissioner; Eric Goldstein, Senior Attorney and New York City Environment Director at the National Resources Defense Council; Professor Allan Frei, Department of Geography at Hunter College, CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities; and moderator Charles Platkin.

At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, City Council Member Margaret Chin, and OATH Commissioner Fidel F. Del Valle will cosponsor a forum with ACCES discussing what to do when you get a summons and how to navigate the city’s Administrative Law Court.

At 6 p.m. Wednesday, the city's Panel for Educational Policy will hold its monthly meeting at the High School for Fashion Industries.

At 6 p.m. Wednesday, the New York City Bar Association will host “How to Get on the Ballot in New York City.” The program will feature election lawyers discussing how to run for office in the city with prospective office holders who may feel overwhelmed by the complexity. Speakers include Martin E. Connor, former State Senate Minority Leader and Chair of the City Bar Election Law Committee; a Representative of the Office of General Counsel at the Board of Elections; Sarah K. Steiner, former Chair of the City Bar Election Law Committee; and Matt Sollars and Dan Cho, of the New York City Campaign Finance Board.

At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Brooklyn Historical Society will host “Whose Park? Equity in NYC's Green Spaces,” to discuss whether New York City’s green spaces are distributed and used equitably. New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman “moderates a candid discussion with Ford Foundation President Darren Walker and former Brooklyn Bridge Park President Regina Myer about parks, equity, and the complicated mediation between users.”

At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Gotham Center for New York City History, in association with the Brennan Center, will host “The History and Future of Criminal Justice Reform in New York City” at the Graduate Center at CUNY’s Elebash Recital Hall. The event will feature Shannon King of the College of Wooster; Alex Vitale, author of City of Disorder; Martin F. Horn, former Commissioner of the Departments of Probation and Correction; and Alice Speri, multimedia reporter at The Intercept.

Thursday
At the City Council on Thursday: The Committee on Housing and Buildings will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss several proposed laws regarding illegal residential conversions, requiring landlords to distribute voter registration forms, and the denial of building permits where outstanding charges are owed to the city.

At the City Council on Thursday, there will be a preliminary budget hearing on The Department of Environmental Protection at 10 a.m.

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

At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, City Council Members Helen Rosenthal, Mark Levine, and Bill Perkins, along with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, will host a Hate Crime Forum to discuss the recent rise in hate crimes as well as how to identify, report, and stop them.

Friday and the weekend
At 8:30 a.m. Friday, the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Women's History Month Celebration at Brooklyn Law School’s Forchelli Conference Center. Joni Yoswein, of Yoswein New York, will moderate a discussion featuring Ingrid Lewis Martin, senior advisor to Borough President Eric Adams; Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon; and Senator Roxanne J. Persaud.

At noon Friday, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will speak “at 106th anniversary commemoration of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, Washington Place and Greene Street.”

On Saturday, Cycle 6 Voting Week for Participatory Budgeting will begin.

At about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Manhattan BP Brewer will speak at the “33rd annual GreenThumb GrowTogether Conference, Hostos Community College.”

***
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).

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by Ben Brachfeld and Ben Max
@GothamGazette

Adjusting to Albany: Senator Jamaal Bailey


jamaal bailey

Sen. Jamaal Bailey (photo via @jamaaltbailey)


State Senator Jamaal Bailey knows his way around Albany. A University of Albany graduate, Bailey launched his legislative career as an intern for Assemblymember Carl Heastie, who is now Speaker of the Assembly and one of most powerful people in the state. Working for Heastie, Bailey was instrumental in pushing legislation to enact more stringent safety measures on nicotine-laced water, a bill that eventually became law, and one that he’s proud of today.

A Democrat who grew up in Co-Op City in the Bronx, Bailey went on to serve as District Leader for the 83rd Assembly District and, most recently, as Heastie’s community relations director. In 2016, state Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson, representing parts of the Bronx and Mount Vernon, left the Senate for a position in Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration. Bailey -- with the backing of the Bronx Democratic County Party -- ran for the 36th District seat, and won by a wide margin after beating four other candidates in a crowded primary.

Now, the youngest member of the Senate (Bailey is 34) is looking to make an impact outside of Heastie’s shadow. But, he faces a challenging climate on several fronts. At the top of the list is the fact that Democrats are in the minority in the state Senate, which makes moving priorities difficult.

In February, Gotham Gazette spoke with Bailey about starting his tenure as a state senator, making his voice heard, his priorities for the coming legislative session, and more.

GG: How is your first month at the Senate going? What’s the orientation like?

JB: I’m really excited about being able to lead the community that I’ve grown up in and to just be able to represent them in Albany. Honestly, it’s an amazing feeling; it’s an amazing pleasure.

The training is kind of hit the ground running. You get familiar with what’s in the building, the support staff and how they do it. But a lot of the preparation, it just comes in real time. Just seeing the bill and you have to vote on it. You go to committees and see what kind of policy is being advanced.

A lot of it is on-the-job training, despite the fact that my conference has done a lot in terms of getting me oriented and teaching me the ropes. But I feel like when it’s game time, it’s just a different feeling when it’s real.

GG: You got your start working for Speaker Carl Heastie, so you are familiar with Albany, but what’s your commute and living arrangement like?

JB: The commute itself isn’t bad. As you said, I used to work for the Speaker, so I’m used to it. I also went to University of Albany. The more difficult portion about the commute, the hardest part, is being away from my two daughters.

I drive; I’m on my own schedule. I know other members prefer the train and it gives them time to think and read and digest things, and I think that’s awesome, you know, to each their own. If I want to come down and see my family after a session, and drive back up, it gives me flexibility. I have a 2-year-old and 2-month-old.

GG: How do you connect with your 2-year-old during session? Facetime?

JB: Absolutely, I don’t know how my predecessors in the state Legislature did it before without Facetime -- and I don’t want to know. It’s not face-to-face interaction, but I get to see my wife and my children and even if I’m 150 miles away, it’s something positive.

GG: Where do you stay when you are in Albany?

JB: I generally try to stay uptown at the University of Albany. It’s a little bit out of the way, and I guess I’m familiar with the territory. Restaurants: The Wings over Albany was my college favorite — and I still frequent there — on Western Avenue.

Also, the City Line Diner is also on Western Avenue. My chief of staff, Jason, and I travel up there. Those are my favorite locations so far. The New World Bistro, a colleague introduced us to that location and it’s a pretty good place as well. Having been up here before, it helps. It’s a little different than being a student, but knowing where things like the mall is, and Target — those little things help.

GG: Have you had much floor time?

JB: I think I spoke on the floor four or five times [so far]. The first time I spoke was concerning a resolution concerning Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It was a honor to have that be my first time speaking on the floor of the Senate, at such a hallowed institution, and about such a revered individual, so I was honored to do that.

Concerning matters that would be specifically related to my constituency — I think everything is related to my constituency — I just haven’t spoken a lot on bills, so to speak.

GG: What policies would you like to see passed this session?

JB: I’m solidly behind raising the age of criminal responsibility. As you know, New York State is one of only two states that prosecute 16- and 17-year-olds this way. It’s obviously much more nuanced than just a hashtag. I think it has to be well thought out and implemented properly, but I am hopeful that we can raise the age of criminal responsibility.

I would also like to see the Dream Act passed. There are so many folks that are undocumented individuals who are seeking an education and the Dream Act would be able to assist them. I’m also a huge proponent of local business cooperatives. I believe it could be a method of building community wealth that we really haven’t examined as a state, so I would like to direct my colleagues in that direction -- of taking a hard look at cooperatives as a form of economic development, which we haven’t as a state yet.

I’m also a proponent of making sure people are eating healthy. Trying to attack the issue of food deserts and eating healthy. These are all issues that I care about and I am honored of being one of a few individuals who has the honor of calling himself senator.

GG: Is it difficult being in the minority, particularly at a time when the Democratic conference is so fractured?

JB: You obviously would like to be in a position where you’re able to set policy and govern, but being in the minority, it doesn’t mean you don’t try. You still fight just as hard as I would if I was in the majority conference. I think it’s very important to me -- especially as a freshman -- to remember what I’m doing this for I need to make sure I’m advancing the wants and needs of my constituents.

It’s a different situation, but I am hopeful that we can one day come together and govern together as Democrats. That would be a goal to see that we can set some progressive policy, and ideal for the residents of the state of New York.

GG: Anything unexpected or surprising about working at the state Legislature?

JB: I would say that I am excited that I have a great staff, and I get to have great young folks that work for me. I am the youngest member of the state Senate now. On the first day of orientation I spoke to Senator [David] Carlucci [of the IDC] and he said told me, essentially -- and I’m paraphrasing -- “Congratulations, you are now the youngest senator.” It had formerly been Senator Carlucci.

There is a point a pride in being the the youngest member of a legislative body and I want to make sure I’m setting an example especially for the young people in my district, that you know, you can be anything you want to be. I spoke to two different groups today: I spoke to high school kids and for a Black History celebration, to third-to-fifth-graders. I want the children to know that I grew up in the Northeast Bronx just like them, and went to school there. I want the children in my district to know that being a state legislator was not something that I thought was within the realm of possibility. I want to be a shining example of what you could be if you work hard, and stay focused, and set goals for yourself.

[Read more from our series, Adjusting to Albany: Meet NYC's New Class of State Legislators]

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by Rachel Silberstein, State government reporter, Gotham Gazette
     

Read more by this writer.



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