New York City Hall
What to watch for this week in New York politics:
It looks like there will be a lot of political action this shortened Thanksgiving holiday week. The state campaign finance commission is expected to make key decisions at its final public meeting on Monday, followed by the release of its binding report on changes to New York’s campaign finance laws, including individual donation limits and a public matching system for certain contributions to candidate campaigns. The commission may also take on political party qualifications, particularly what it takes for a party to qualify for an automatic ballot line and whether parties can cross-endorse candidates in a practice called fusion voting.
Per state law passed earlier this year, the commission’s recommendations will become law at the end of this year unless the state Legislature holds a special session before Christmas to overturn its plans.
Meanwhile, there will be a number of state legislative hearings on Monday and Tuesday, and its a very busy week at the City Council, including a Stated Meeting where bills are introduced or passed. The Council is expected to pass another slate of legislation, including a package related to government parking placards and other parking enforcement in the city. First, the Council will hold oversight hearings on the MTA’s new capital plan and on the inaugural early voting period during a busy Monday of hearings.
The parking placard bills include one from Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, chair of the transportation committee, to “require the Police Department to issue periodic reports on the improper use of city-issued parking permits. The reports would include information on the number of summonses the Police Department issued in connection with the improper use of city-issued parking permits, disaggregated by the section of the traffic rules that was violate.” Also included, one of Speaker Corey Johnson’s several parking-related bills on the docket this week, a bill to “require the Police Department to create a centralized electronic tracking system for all city-issued parking permits. The system would record all summonses issued in relation to the improper use of the parking permits, and would allow the Police Department to verify in real time the validity of the permits.” Johnson also has a bill to “prohibit official City vehicles from blocking a bike lane, bus lane, crosswalk, sidewalk, or fire hydrant.” Council Member Keith Powers’ bill would “”create a standardized application process for City-issued parking permits. Permits could only be issued by the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Police Department, and the Department of Education, if delegated such authority by DOT.” There are also bills requiring revocation of certain parking placards and to require city departments to issue plans related to issuance of placards and assessment of need.
And there’s more — see our day-by-day rundown below.
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The run of the week in detail:
Monday, November 25
At 9 a.m. Monday, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson will deliver remarks at the Food Bank for NYC Legislative Breakfast.
At 12:30 p.m. Monday, “Mayor de Blasio will sign Intros. 870-A, 1202-A, 1378-A, 1425-A, 1478-A, 1498-A, and 1570-A, which promote animal welfare.” At 2:20 p.m., “the Mayor will appear on Keepin’ It Real with Al Sharpton.” And in the 7 p.m. hour, “the Mayor will appear live on NY1’s Inside City Hall with Errol Louis.”
At 9 a.m. Monday at City Hall, City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, chair of the Council’s transportation committee, public transit riders, and advocates “will demand that the MTA prioritize riders’ needs for reliable, accessible subway in capital program, and preserve transit service levels during construction. Before Monday’s city council hearing on the MTA FY20-24 Capital Plan, riders and advocates will rally with elected officials for priority signal, train car, elevator upgrades, and recent ride-ability concerns.” Participants will include Rodriguez and other Council members, and representatives of Riders Alliance, TransitCenter, Reinvent Albany, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Transportation Alternatives, and Transport Workers Union Local 100.
At the City Council on Monday:
–At 10 a.m., the Committee on Transportation will hold an oversight hearing on the MTA’s 2020-2024 capital and transformation plans. Council Speaker Corey Johnson will participate.
–At 10 a.m., the Committee on Housing and Buildings will hold a hearing on legislation that would provide construction workers with information pertaining to site safety training.
–At 11 a.m., the Committee on Health will hold a hearing on legislation that would prohibit the sale of flavored electronic cigarettes and flavored e-liquids and on conducting outreach regarding the availability of smoking cessation services.
–At 1 p.m., the Committee on Environmental Protection will hold an oversight hearing on effectively utilizing water resources for energy generation, safety and conservation and related legislation.
–At 1 p.m., the Committee on Governmental Operations will hold an oversight hearing on New York City’s early voting rollout.
The New York State campaign finance commission will hold a public working meeting on Monday at which it is expected to move toward major decisions for its binding recommendations of a new campaign finance system in New York. The meeting will take place at 10 a.m. in Westchester.
At the State Assembly on Monday:
–At 10 a.m., the State Senate Standing Committee on Health and the Assembly Standing Committee on Health will jointly hold a public hearing on the New York Health Act in Kingston, New York.
–At 11 a.m. in Manhattan, the Assembly Standing Committee on Housing and the Assembly Standing Committee on Cities will jointly hold a public hearing on Affordable Housing Development.
–At 11:30 a.m., the Assembly Standing Committee on Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry and the Assembly Standing Committee on Small Business will jointly hold a public hearing on “economic development programs that leverage state funds to foster viable long term business development and economic growth” at the University of Buffalo, SUNY.
At 10:30 a.m. Monday, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will tour The Raymond Corporation’s Warehouse and Distribution Operations in Greene. At noon, Hochul will highlight New York’s workforce development and job training efforts during a tour of ONC BOCES Mechatronics/Robotics Program in Milford.
There will be events on Monday and Tuesday this Thanksgiving week where anti-hunger advocates, with elected officials, will highlight the importance of emergency food programs in New York City. Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, and others will “release the organization’s annual survey on demand at soup kitchens and food pantries and new findings on how the high cost of housing and other life necessities increases food insecurity and hunger in New York City, the NYC Metropolitan area, and New York State. The report is the only one of its kind identifying how many people in New York City and State are working and still living in hunger….Hunger Free America will also release a new analysis of federal data on hunger in NYC, the NYC Metro region, and NYS. Given the recent proposed regulations by the Trump Administration to cut SNAP benefits and eliminate free school meals eligibility for low-income kids, this data is particularly relevant. The report will also examine how the Trump Administration’s new Public Charge rule has effected food insecure households, particularly immigrant families, in New York.”
At noon Monday in Albany, New York Republican Party Chair Nick Langworthy will continue the GOP’s “Stop the Madness!” anti-impeachment tour, this time targeting Rep. Paul Tonko. “This event is part of a nationwide effort to hold Democrats like Rep. Tonko accountable for their extreme and politically-motivated actions. Chairman Langworthy and others will call on Rep. Tonko to stop stonewalling on passing the USMCA trade deal that Pelosi is now saying they won’t get done this year.”
At 12:15 p.m. Monday, U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat will host a brunch for veterans. Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will be among those who speak.
At 2:30 p.m. Monday, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli will address the NYS Council and Student Activities (CLSA) 32nd Annual State Conference in Lake Placid.
At 6 p.m. Monday, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer will host a public hearing on real estate challenges facing religious facilities at 1 Center Street.
The Brooklyn Bar Association will host a panel “Trump and the Rule of Law” at 6 p.m. Monday. Speakers will include Susan Herman, professor at Brooklyn Law School and President of the American Civil Liberties Union; Rep. Jerry Nadler, chair of the Judiciary Committee; James D. Schultz of Cozen O’Connor; Ken Fisher of the Brooklyn Bar Association and of Cozen O’Connor.
As construction of the East Shore Seawall nears, Rep. Max Rose will host a Seawall Town Hall with Staten Island Borough President James Oddo, as well as representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and state and city elected officials at Staten Island Technical High School at 7 p.m. Monday.
Tuesday, November 26
At the City Council on Tuesday:
–At 10 a.m., the Committee on Finance will hold a hearing on multiple bills related to land use applications.
–At 10:30 a.m., the Committee on Transportation will hold a hearing on multiple bills related to city-issued parking permits.
–At 1 p.m., a City Council Stated Meeting will concur. As usual, Speaker Corey Johnson is expected to hold a pre-Stated press conference at 12:30 p.m.
At 10 a.m. Tuesday, the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals will hold a public hearing in Manhattan.
The State Senate Standing Committee on Social Services will hold a public meeting to engage social service providers and advocates in a discussion of public assistance income and resource limits from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in Manhattan.
At 6 p.m. Tuesday, the Department of Education’s Panel for Educational Policy will hold a public meeting at Long Island City High School.
Wednesday, November 27
At 10 a.m. City Council on Wednesday, the Committee on Women and Gender Equity will hold an oversight hearing on the Gender equity in NYC: access, resources, and support for transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers.
The latest Max & Murphy show will air on WBAI radio, 99.5 FM or wbai.org, at 5 p.m. Wednesday and will feature a discussion of the criminal justice reforms — include related to bail and discovery — set to take effect in January that have become a source of major debate.
Thursday, November 28
Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday and the weekend
No events schedule.
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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 Max
@GothamGazette
Tags: City Council
