New York City Hall
What to watch for this week in New York politics:
This week all eyes are on Albany as the last three scheduled days of the legislative session are Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The session could extend to the end of the week, but no one expects it to go beyond that. The most pressing issue for New York City and the de Blasio administration, among several top priorities, is an extension of mayoral control of city schools. The legislation allowing mayoral control is set to expire at the end of the month. State Senate Republicans are willing to make a deal with Assembly Democrats that extends mayoral control but also expands the number of charter schools allowed in New York. So far, Democrats have not relented. Mayor de Blasio is holding a rally at City Hall Monday to push for an extension - see details below.
There are a variety of other issues that could see resolution in Albany this week, including controversial legislation related to victims of childhood sexual abuse that would allow victims more time to report such abuse and create a one-time window for victims to report past abuse. Governor Andrew Cuomo has repeatedly thrown cold water on the notion of anything significant getting done, saying that most everything of importance was achieved in the budget or has no resolution in sight. The latter includes government ethics reform and voting reform.
As always, there's a great deal happening all over the city, with many events to be aware of - see our day-by-day rundown below.
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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 “Mayor de Blasio will deliver remarks at a rally urging Albany to extend mayoral control of the New York City school system immediately. The Mayor will be joined by labor leaders, clergy, business and civic leaders, advocates and elected officials. This event is open press.” Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña will be among those to give remarks.
“In the evening, the Mayor will appear live on NY1’s Road to City Hall.,” during the 7 and 10 p.m. hours.
At 8:30 a.m. Monday, mayoral candidate Paul Massey will meet and greet voters on Centre Street between Chambers and Worth Streets. At 11:15 a.m., he will hold a media availability on infrastructure at the 4/5/6 Brooklyn Bridge subway stop and then ride the subway back to his office.
At 8:30 a.m. Monday, the New York City Bar Association will host its 2017 “Diversity and Inclusion Conference.” The conference will “focus on three discrete areas: the current state of LGBT, immigrant, and disability rights; the role of lawyers as individual and institutional activists; and strategies for initiating courageous conversations on the intersections of race, religion, gender identity/sexual orientation, and other affinity groups.”
Gov. Cuomo will make an announcement at Penn Station Monday morning at 10 a.m. He'll then head to Albany.
At 10 a.m. Monday, Council Member Rafael Espinal and nightlife advocates will hold a rally and press conference at the City Hall steps, prior to the Consumer Affairs Committee’s hearing on creating an “office of nightlife” and discussing “outdated” cabaret legislation.
At the City Council on Monday
--The Committee on Housing and Buildings will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss several proposed laws addressing issues such as mandatory inclusionary housing, financial assistance to developers, and lead.
--The Committee on Oversight and Investigations will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss proposed laws relating to “having an inspector general within the department of investigation who would monitor only the department of homeless services and the human resources administration,” “requiring that the department of investigation conduct public outreach campaigns and issue annual reports on complaints received,” and “requiring the department of investigation to complete vendor name checks for city vendors thirty days prior to the commencement of a contract.”
--The Committee on Immigration will meet at 10 a.m. for an oversight hearing regarding “Supporting New York City’s DREAMers and “DACA-mented” Youth” as well as to discuss a resolution calling for the state to pass the New York State DREAM Act and for the federal government to pass the BRIDGE Act.
--The Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services will meet at 11 a.m. to discuss several proposed laws relating to streamlining the bail process
--The Committee on Governmental Operations will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss a proposed law relating to “timing of a disclosure report for candidates for public office.”
--The Committee on Consumer Affairs will meet at 1 p.m. for an oversight hearing regarding “enforcement of New York City’s Cabaret Law,” as well as to discuss a proposed law “establishing an office of nightlife and a nightlife task force.”
--The Committee on Civil Rights will meet at 1 p.m. for an oversight hearing regarding “discriminatory harassment claims received by the Commission on Human Rights in the last year” and efforts to address this, as well as to discuss resolutions calling on the state and federal government to expand anti-discrimination and hate crime statutes to include gender identity as a protected class.
On Monday in Albany, “Albany legislators will spend a day in the life of a car wash worker. They will wash cars in front of the Capitol building and receive (representative) pay stubs of what they might earn for their day’s work. Carwasheros, members of RWDSU, Make the Road NY, and New York Communities for Change will rally in support of passing S.2664-A/A.2967-A, which will end sub-minimum wages for car wash workers.” Participants will include “Senators Jesse Hamilton, Diane Savino, Marisol Alcantara and James Sanders Jr., Assemblymembers Michaelle Solages and Pamela Harris, Stuart Appelbaum (RWDSU President), Carwasheros and members of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, Make the Road New York, and New York Communities for Change.”
At noon Monday, the NYC Coalition for Educational Justice will hold a “Juneteenth Action” protest at the steps of City Hall to demand Mayor de Blasio “put racial justice at the forefront of his second term education agenda.”
At 1 p.m. Monday at Stonewall National Monument, Christopher Park, “New York City Public Advocate Letitia James and New York State Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell will hold a press conference in support of O’Donnell’s “Bathroom Bill,” A6500. The bill would require all single stall restrooms in New York State to be gender-neutral.”
At 6:30 p.m. Monday, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito will speak at “The Center’s Garden Party ‘A Taste of Pride’” at Hudson River Park’s Pier 84.
At 7:30 p.m. Monday at Divine Bar in Bushwick, the Brooklyn Young Democrats will host a candidates’ forum for Democratic candidates in Northern Brooklyn City Council races and the District Attorney race.
Tuesday
The New York State Legislature will be in session on Tuesday in Albany.
At the City Council on Tuesday
--The Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises will meet at 9:30 a.m.
--The Committee on Public Housing will meet at 10 a.m. for an oversight hearing “examining NYCHA’s restructuring of Tenant Participation Activities (TPA) funds.”
--The Committee on Mental Health will meet at 10 a.m. to discuss a proposed law relating to “requiring the department of health and mental hygiene to submit a plan for serving the behavioral health needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning persons.”
--The Committee on General Welfare will meet at 11 a.m. to discuss proposed laws relating to “requiring information on medical health services in shelters.”
--The Committee on Environmental Protection will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss a proposed law relating to “exemptions from air conditioning prohibitions.”
--The Committees on Small Business and Veterans will meet jointly at 1 p.m. for an oversight hearing regarding “supporting veteran entrepreneurship and employment” as well as to discuss proposed laws relating to “access to online business tools,” a “small business workforce development plan,” and a “state of small business survey.”
--The Subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions, and Concessions will meet at 1 p.m.
--The Committee on Education will meet at 2 p.m. to discuss a proposed law requiring DOE to “distribute information regarding the gifted and talented programs and exam,” as well as to discuss a resolution to “convene a task force to assess the cultural relevance of state learning standards across subject areas.”
At 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus Co-chairs Robert Cornegy and Ritchie Torres, and Council Member Jumaane Williams will host a celebration of Caribbean heritage at the City Council chambers.
At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Comptroller Scott Stringer will host a celebration of Pride Month and a “changemakers award ceremony” at Macy’s Herald Square in Manhattan.
At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, City & State will host an event at the Hilton Albany recognizing its 2017 “Albany 40 Under 40” honorees. Gotham Gazette’s Rachel Silberstein is among the honorees.
Wednesday
The New York State Legislature will be in session on Wednesday in Albany. This is the final scheduled day of the legislative session.
The full City Council will have a stated meeting at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall on Wednesday. The meeting is expected to be prefaced, as usual, by Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito’s pre-stated press conference.
Also at the City Council on Wednesday, the Committee on Land Use will meet at 10 a.m, and the Committee on Finance will meet at 10 a.m.
At 8 a.m. Wednesday, Lt. Gov Kathy Hochul will open the NY Solar (+Storage) Summit at John Jay College.
At 10 a.m. Wednesday, the City Planning Commission will hold a public meeting at Spector Hall.
At noon Wednesday, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt will join the Manhattan Institute for a discussion on “The EPA After Paris.”
At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Citizens Union will host its 2017 “Spring for Reform,” recognizing New York changemakers. This year’s honorees are New York journalists. Citizens Union board member and Daily Beast editor-in-chief John Avlon will moderate a panel focusing on the media and its role in democracy, featuring Juan Gonzalez of Democracy Now!, Nomiki Konst of The Young Turks, Azi Paybarah of Politico New York, Gabe Pressman of WNBC, Grace Rauh of NY1, and Harry Siegel of the Daily Beast.
At 6 p.m. Wednesday, the Urban Land Institute will host a panel discussion on “Zoning the City.” New York City Planning Commission Chair Marisa Lago will deliver the keynote address. The panel will consist of industry experts discussing “affordable housing, the East New York Rezoning, the Midtown East Rezoning, and how zoning might help resolve some of the city’s greatest challenges.”
At 6 p.m. Wednesday, the Panel for Educational Policy will hold a public meeting at Prospect Heights High School in Brooklyn.
At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Mayor de Blasio will hold a town hall at the Chinatown YMCA and University Settlement. Town hall co-hosts will be area representatives: Congressional Rep. Nydia Velazquez, City Council Member Margaret Chin, and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.
Thursday
At the City Council on Thursday
--The Committees on Contracts and Economic Development will meet jointly at 10 a.m. for an oversight hearing regarding “assessing efforts to increase the participation of minority-and women-owned business enterprises in construction projects” as well as to discuss a proposed law related to the “participation of minority-and-women owned business enterprises” in tax-abated real estate development projects.
--The Committee on Transportation will meet at 11 a.m. to discuss proposed laws relating to “gratuity for black car and luxury limousine service” and regulations regarding restored streets.
--The Committee on Juvenile Justice will tour “South Bronx NeON” at 2 p.m.
At 5:30 p.m. Thursday, the CUNY Urban Food Policy Institute will host a forum on how technology will “influence food workers in the next 10 years.” The event will take place at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy.
At 6 p.m. Thursday, the Samuel J. Tilden Democratic Club and Town & Village will host a debate at Seafarer’s and International House for City Council candidates in District 4, an “open” seat being vacated by Dan Garodnick. Candidates will include Democrats Keith Powers, Marti Speranza, Jeffrey Mailman, Bessie Schachter, Vanessa Aronson, Rachel Honig, and Alec Hartman, along with “progressive conservative” Melissa Jane Kronfeld.
At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the New York City Bar Association will host a panel discussion on “Women of Color in Local and State Government,” discussing “barriers minority women face working in government,” as well as opportunities. Panelists will include Matilde Roman, Chief Diversity Officer of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation; Vilda Mayuga, Chairperson of the State Department of Labor’s Industrial Board of Appeals; and Nneka J. Martin, Agency Attorney for the FDNY.
At 7 p.m. Thursday, a set of sponsors for the upcoming mayoral debates will hold a town meeting for Brooklyn residents to voice their concerns, which could be addressed in the debates. The meeting will take place at the Brooklyn Public Library at Grand Army Plaza.
At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, BRIC TV will host a town hall “on the future of the Women’s Rights Movement.” Brian Vines of BRIC TV will moderate. Panelists include City Council Member Laurie Cumbo, Women’s March Co-Chair Tamika Mallory, Third Wave Fund Executive Director Rye Young, and poet Mahogany Browne.
Friday and the weekend
At 9:30 a.m. Saturday, the Metropolitan Black Bar Association will host the “I Am A Solution” town hall meeting and “legal solutions roundtable” focusing on immigration at the Maysles Documentary Center in Harlem. The event is co-sponsored by the New York State Attorney General’s office.
The Pride Parade will take place on Sunday, starting at noon.
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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 Brachfeld and Ben Max
@GothamGazette
