Assistance provided by Shawn Ness
New from New York
Currently happening:
- The Legislature is back. And no, there isn’t a budget deal.
- Lawmakers’ reactions to Rebecca Lobo’s comments about Albany.
- Republicans held an antisemitism awareness rally.
- A discussion on banning ‘dry’ towns.
NUMBER OF DAYS THE BUDGET IS LATE: 2
WILL BUDGET BEAT OUT ECLIPSE?: The stars are aligning — and that’s good or bad news for the budget, depending on who you ask.
Well, actually, it’s just one star (the sun) that’s set to line up with the moon on Monday. And the celestial event could be too much for some lawmakers to bear while balancing budget negotiations. Some are asking whether they should even have session on Monday.
“I’ve heard a lot of people wanting to not meet” during the eclipse, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, a Brooklyn Democrat, said.
“It’s not just lawmakers saying that. There’s lots of people asking the same thing — everybody wants to be out,” state Sen. Roxanne Persaud, a Brooklyn Democrat, quipped.
On Monday, Playbook wrote how Gov. Kathy Hochul blamed the now-two-days late budget on the Easter Bunny: “If you did not have Easter Sunday being the deadline, I think we could have met it. I really do,” she said.
Now, there’s grumblings that Monday’s eclipse warrants another day off.
Why? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon and large gatherings are a good way for the members to score points with constituents if they are back home with them rather than plugging away on an already late state budget.
But Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins spoke with Playbook and shot that idea down, for now: “The plan so far is to be here on Monday.” And Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie: “We may have to go look at it on the roof.”
Another lawmaker, state Sen. Andrew Gounardes, was firm in his prediction: The eclipse will come and go before a budget deal is reached.
“Maybe seeing the eclipse will inspire us to get this job done,” he said. And state Sen. Liz Krueger opined: “Maybe there’s some magic to [the eclipse and budget] being born together.”
But forget outer space.
The delaying power of religious holidays could also factor in the budget timeline. Lawmakers plan to take off for Eid on April 10 and 11. And Passover means there won’t be any session at all during the third week of April.
So even if the lawmakers hold a session during eclipse day, there are six days of session left of April after tomorrow to make a deal.
“I fully believe we will get this done in the month of April,” Stewart-Cousins told Playbook. — Jason Beeferman
OH, ALBANY: Former WNBA star and ESPN TV analyst Rebecca Lobo’s aggression against New York’s capital city won’t stand.
Lobo trashed the town, which was hosting parts of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, for not having a lot to do. Lobo would later back track in a post on Instagram.
For Albanians, historically a sensitive group whenever out-of-towners mock Smallbany, the damage was already done. War Room Tavern owner and PR man Todd Shapiro was so incensed he called for the city’s bars and restaurants to cancel their ESPN subscriptions.
But what about the people who have to travel to Albany six months out of the year? Playbook did a (very) informal poll of state lawmakers who agreed Lobo committed a foul.
“There are so many great things to do in Albany,” Rochester Democratic state Sen. Jeremy Cooney said. “In fact, Albany is the center of the universe. You can get anywhere you want from Albany in like three hours. You can go to the Adirondacks.”
State Sen. John Mannion, a Democrat from the basketball-crazy Syracuse area who was elected four years ago, said he’s never been bored, noting Albany has a proliferation of Irish bars.
“I’ve found there’s a lot to do when my family comes down,” he said. “We make sure we partake in different arts activities or enjoy the restaurants.”
Bronx Sen. Gustavo Rivera, an established connoisseur of Albany’s karaoke offerings, acknowledged Lobo’s comment made on a Monday night may have been a bit understandable.
“She might be right about Mondays,” Rivera, a Democrat, said. “There are a lot of places closed on Monday.”
But he defended the food options, many of which are within walking distance of the Capitol.
“There’s actually really good food choices here in Albany,” he said. “Savoy Taproom. The Delaware. Copper Crow. Rain is a good one on a Friday night, too. Most of the places I walk to are the ones that I love.” — Nick Reisman
ISRAELI HOSTAGES: The Republican conference held a bipartisan rally to show support for all hostages in Hamas captivity to be released and to raise awareness of a rise in antisemitism.
“We are the indigenous people,” GOP Assemblymember Ari Brown, a Jewish lawmaker from Long Island, said. “And these are our children that are held hostage today. They must be set free.”
The legislators and activists who attended were led in a prayer for peace by a local Jewish community leader.
“They should be returned to their families. During the event, Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt emphasized the importance of returning the bodies of deceased individuals to their families for proper respects and farewells. State Sen. Jack Martins, along with several other Democrats, expressed a desire to hold those who do not support Israel accountable. Martins urged New Yorkers to unite and take action against those who hinder efforts to bring hostages home.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie mentioned potential tweaks to the 2019 rent-regulation reforms during budget talks, clarifying that any changes would not involve rolling back the laws entirely. Lawmakers are considering adjustments to how much landlords can raise rents after making apartment improvements. Real estate groups have been advocating for more significant changes, but tenant groups and left-leaning legislators have opposed these efforts. The Senate’s Democratic majority is open to discussing raising the current cap on individual apartment improvements as part of a comprehensive housing package.
Mayor Eric Adams expressed interest in eliminating all proposed budget cuts during a press briefing, following a report from the City Council suggesting that there is enough funding in the budget to reverse the cuts. Schools Chancellor David Banks visited Albany to persuade state lawmakers to allow Mayor Eric Adams to continue overseeing the school system. Lawmakers are also considering how Adams approaches a state law mandating lower class sizes as they deliberate on mayoral control.
State Senator James Skoufis advanced a bill through committee that would permit the sale of alcohol in New York’s dry towns, emphasizing the need to remove outdated Prohibition-era restrictions. Only six completely dry places remain in the state, and Skoufis believes it is time to eliminate these restrictions. — Bill Mahoney
NEW CENTRAL HUDSON CEO: The utility serving more than 300,000 electric customers and 84,000 natural gas customers in the Hudson Valley announced a new CEO today.
Stephanie Raymond will take over as president and transition into the full president and CEO role in October once Chris Capone retires.
Capone took over, postponing his retirement, after the board ousted Charles Freni as CEO last year. Freni’s tenure ended abruptly amid fallout from billing issues at the utility that sparked public outcry and an investigation and action by state regulators.
Raymond was most recently the CEO of PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, a Pennsylvania utility serving 1.4 million electric customers. Raymond was there for more than a decade in various roles after working in telecommunications. She left PPL in September 2023 after the utility dealt with its own major billing issues.
Central Hudson highlighted Raymond’s efforts to improve grid reliability and customer satisfaction scores. The search committee was aware of the billing issues that were “effectively resolved” during Raymond’s tenure, said spokesperson Joe Jenkins.
“Her experience leading and managing through those challenges was viewed as a strength,” Jenkins said. “Central Hudson’s billing system is currently performing at levels similar or better than its previous system and we believe Stephanie’s experience in this area will help us continue to rebuild trust with our customers as we move forward.” — Marie J. French
CLIMATE SUPERFUND: A collection of environmental justice groups held a rally in the Capitol today to urge Hochul to support a $3 billion climate superfund paid by big oil corporations.
The bill would also include $1 billion for disadvantaged communities that have been hit by flooding and extreme heat.
“It’s the trust that is given to us that we have to take care of it [the Earth]. We have to deliver it to our students,” Sohaib Chekima, a professor at Union College, said during the event.
“We believe that God created us on this Earth as its custodians, not the owners. We act as if this is ours. We are privileged. The governor has to understand the leadership position is not one of privilege, it’s a responsibility that she’s assumed.” — Shawn Ness
— Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on the Department of Justice to go after retail thieves under the RICO act. (State of Politics)
— The man accused of murdering an NYPD officer has been indicted with murder in a Queens court. (Newsday)
— Turkey’s consul general sent a letter to the state Senate Finance Committee urging them not to commemorate the end of a major conflict in Cyprus. (Times Union)
