Hochul rips Trump on abortion rights

Assisted by Shawn Ness

New from New York

Happening now:

• Gov. Kathy Hochul knocks Trump on abortion rights.
• Lawmakers leave, again, without a budget deal.
• Randall’s Island has been safe for migrants, Adams said.
• Protesters arrested outside of Hochul’s office. 

DAYS THE BUDGET IS LATE: 9

HOCHUL TALKS ABORTION RIGHTS: Gov. Kathy Hochul continued her efforts this morning to help to keep President Joe Biden in the White House, targeting Donald Trump’s recent comments about abortion rights.

“How do you know when Donald Trump is lying? When his lips are moving,” Hochul quipped this morning on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

The governor gave her first reaction to former President Donald Trump’s announcement Monday that he supports leaving the issue of abortion up to the states.

Hochul vowed on the morning show that Trump’s announcement will be “a jolt for the election” and a win for Biden.

“We could say ‘What day was the election really lost [for Trump]?’” Hochul said. “It may just have been the day that the solar eclipse occurred.”

Hochul has increasingly taken on the role of a Biden surrogate in recent months as she continues to trumpet a pro-Biden message on CNN and MSNBC. Her ascendant support of the president’s reelection 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 woman governor said of Trump’s abortion stance. “Trump fell into this. He should have kept his mouth shut because now he’s antagonizing everybody.”

Trump’s Monday announcement suggests he won’t pursue a national abortion ban if elected, but the former president didn’t rule out signing one, either. He also did not say where he stands on other efforts to limit access to the abortion pill, mifepristone.

Hochul’s comments slamming Trump — she added that he’s “indicted himself in the eyes of women all over America” — comes 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.

“Every state, the record is there,” Hochul said. “When people have a chance to voice their position on abortion, they stand with the women — unlike Donald Trump.” — Jason Beeferman

SO LONG, BUT NOT FOR LONG: They’re leaving town, but they’re coming back.

Lawmakers won’t be meeting Wednesday for Eid al-Fitr, a fast-breaking holiday celebrated at the end of Ramadan, amid a late state budget for the fiscal year that started April 1.

“We expect an extender to be passed on Thursday,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins told reporters, adding that the extender will run until Tuesday of next week.

The Assembly, on the other hand, will meet on Friday week to pass the extender as the sides remain undecided over the $233 billion spending plan that includes measures to address the state’s housing shortage and address retail theft.

After passing the extender on Thursday, Stewart-Cousins doesn’t expect senators to return until the start of next week: “We are 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.

It took 13 days from that point to final passage. This year, the sides are poised to recess starting April 18 for two weeks because of Passover — so a goal is to get a deal before then, but the days are ticking away toward meeting that goal. — Jason Beeferman

HOUSING LACK OF DEALS: As the budget is now nine days late, progressive groups are still protesting to get their wants included in the budget, including a deal to ensure affordable housing.

Eight protesters were arrested outside of the governor’s office in the Capitol during a rally this afternoon.

“Economic and social mobility depends on a government, depends on leadership like [Assembly Speaker Carl] Heastie and [Senate Majority Leader] Andrea Stewart-Cousins to hold a powerful executive like Gov. Hochul, who’s moving out of step with the vast majority of New Yorkers, to hold her accountable,” said Jawanza James Williams, a director at VOCAL New York.

“We need those two conferences, the Assembly and the Senate, to actually represent the people that put them there.”

What does that mean? For them, it’s getting the good cause eviction measure to protect tenant rights and the Housing Access Voucher program included in the state’s budget in a bid to help fight homelessness.

They also want to tax the rich and large corporations.

Cea Weaver, the coalition director at Housing Justice for All, said that it seems that Hochul seems to be more willing to meet with real estate executives and campaign donors than renters.

“I think we have been quite clear for months that we are not married to every crossed T or dotted I in our bill,” said Weaver, who was among those arrested. — Shawn Ness

Source link