New York City Hall
What to watch for this week in New York politics:
This Tuesday will mark six weeks until Election Day, November 6. With the primaries further in the rear mirror, the general election is in full swing, especially in the race for governor, but also races for attorney general and comptroller, as well as many state legislative and U.S. House seats around the state. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is also trying to hold onto her seat this year.
As the week begins, we're awaiting word on what will happen with Cynthia Nixon and Jumaane Williams and the Working Families Party nominations that they have for governor and lieutenant governor. After each lost their respective Democratic primary, it is to be determined whether they remain on the WFP line for the general election, or whether the party finds a way to remove them and give the line to Governor Andrew Cuomo and Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul or some other combination of candidates. Unlike in the primary, for the general election a party's nominees run on the same ticket. Indications are that Nixon and Williams will move off the WFP line, but there are a lot of moving parts and some members of the WFP who are firmly against giving the line to Cuomo and Hochul, who might be open to taking the line because it would enhance their chances of winning in November.
Along with the statewide races, now taking center stage are the swing districts for state Senate and the U.S. House. Democrats believe that they can take the state Senate this year, and are including one Brooklyn district -- the one represented by Senator Marty Golden -- among those they believe they can flip, and that they can flip several House seats, including one in New York City -- the one represented by Rep. Dan Donovan -- to contribute to the party's national efforts to take the chamber from Republicans.
While electioneering will continue to dominate many of the headlines, there is also governing happening this week, including additional meetings of the 2019 charter revision commission, City Council meetings, and more. 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
The Business Council of New York State's annual meeting began Sunday and continues Monday and Tuesday at the Sagamore Resort on Lake George. The forum will focus on “improving New York’s business climate and economy.” Former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele will deliver keynote remarks. Other speakers include Republican gubernatorial nominee Marc Molinaro, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and his Republican challenger Jonathan Trichter, Republican Attorney General nominee Keith Wofford, and State Senator John DeFrancisco, among many others.
At 10 a.m. Monday, "Mayor de Blasio will deliver remarks at the Opening Plenary of the World Economic Forum's Sustainable Development Impact Summit." In the evening, the mayor will make his weekly appearance on NY1's Inside City Hall in the 7 and 11 p.m. hours.
At 10 a.m. Monday outside of Kushner Companies Headquarters on Fifth Avenue, "Housing Rights Initiative (HRI), in partnership with the City Council’s Oversight & Investigations Committee Chair Council Member Torres, will release a new report on building permit fraud showing the extent and depth of the problem across the real-estate industry, and the impact it has on reducing the number of tenants across New York City. HRI found that hundreds of landlords falsified over 10,000 work permits over 2 1/2 years. Council Member Torres will also announce new City Council legislation that will close the “Kushner Loophole” which allows companies to falsify documents with city agencies and lie about the amount of rent-regulated units in a building without consequence."
At 11 a.m. Monday at City Hall, "First Lady Chirlane McCray will deliver remarks at the NYC Stands with Survivors Rally. The rally will be co-hosted by Hollaback!, Girls for Gender Equity, and YWCA Brooklyn. Survivors and advocates will share their stories and will be joined by: Cecile Noel, Commissioner of Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender Based Violence, Jacqui Ebanks, Commissioner, Commission on Gender Equity and Carmelyn Malalis, Commissioner, Commission on Human Rights."
At 12:15 p.m. Monday, "Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul Delivers Remarks at Climate Week Opening Ceremony" at The Times Center in Manhattan.
At 2 p.m. Monday, "New York State Senators Kemp Hannon, Elaine Phillips, and Carl L. Marcellino will be holding a press conference...to demand action on setting critical drinking water safety standards. Harmful contaminants like 1,4-dioxane have been discovered in wells throughout the region and in order for communities to protect public health, state action is necessary. The Senators will be calling on the Cuomo administration to: restart a stalled process required to set state standards for 1,4-dioxane, PFOA, and PFOS; ensure local governments have access to the funds needed to remove drinking water contaminants; and improve public notification about emerging health threats. The press conference will be held at the Bethpage Water Plant on South Park Avenue, near the intersection of Sarah Drive and abutting Bethpage State Park."
At 6 p.m. Monday, the 2019 Charter Revision Commission will meet at the College of Staten Island to hear public testimony.
At 6 p.m. Monday, the governor’s Regulated Marijuana Workgroup will hold a listening session at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Queens on the legalization of marijuana in New York.
At 6 p.m. Monday, Attorney General candidate Letitia James and State Senate candidates Alessandra Biaggi, Zellnor Myrie, and Robert Jackson will speak at the launch event for Planned Parenthood NYC Votes PAC at 620 Loft and Garden in Midtown.
At 6 p.m. Monday, the New York League of Conservation Voters, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, and other advocates will hold a town hall meeting discussing the need for replacing the diesel school bus fleet with electric buses, for both health and environmental reasons. The town hall will take place at Brooklyn Borough Hall.
At 6:30 p.m. Monday, Comptroller Scott Stringer will host his African Immigrant Heritage Event at the National Black Theatre in Manhattan.
Tuesday
Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day. NYC Votes, the voter outreach arm of the city’s Campaign Finance Board, will hold several voter registration events across the city, at all public libraries, YMCA locations, Patagonia store locations, Medgar Evers College, and Brooklyn College.
At 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Homeless Services Commissioner Steve Banks and City Council Member Steve Levin will hold a town hall meeting to discuss rental assistance programs for individuals. The town hall will take place at the LGBT Center in the West Village.
At 6 p.m. Tuesday, the governor’s Regulated Marijuana Workgroup will hold a listening session at Long Island University’s Kumble Theater in Fort Greene, Brooklyn on the legalization of marijuana in New York.
Wednesday
The City Council will hold a stated meeting at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. It will be prefaced by the customary pre-stated press conference led by Speaker Corey Johnson.
Also at the City Council on Wednesday: the Committee on Finance will meet at 10 a.m.
The latest episode of Max & Murphy on WBAI radio will be from 5-6 p.m. Wednesday, including interviews with gubernatorial candidates Howie Hawkins, of the Green Party, and Stephanie Miner, of the Serve America Movement party. The show can be heard at 99.5FM or wbai.org, or as a podcast afterward.
At 6 p.m. Wednesday, there will be a public scoping meeting at Queens Borough Hall to discuss the mayor’s plan to place a new jail in Queens, as part of the replacement plan for Rikers Island.
At 6 p.m. Wednesday, the governor’s Regulated Marijuana Workgroup will hold a listening session at the College of Staten Island on the legalization of marijuana in New York.
Thursday
At the City Council on Thursday:
--The Committee on Higher Education will meet at 10 a.m. for an oversight hearing regarding “African American studies and the hiring of black faculty at the City University of New York.”
--The Committee on Justice System will meet at 10 a.m. for an oversight hearing regarding the “cost of justice.”
--The Committee on Contracts will meet at 10 a.m. for an oversight hearing regarding the “administration’s efforts to expand contracting with minority and women-owned businesses.”
--The Committees on Housing & Buildings, Health, and Environmental Protection will meet jointly at 10 a.m. for an oversight hearing regarding “the City’s enforcement of existing lead laws,” as well as to discuss several proposed laws relating to lead hazards.
--The Committee on Consumer Affairs will meet at 1 p.m. for an oversight hearing regarding “gas stations in New York City,” as well as to discuss a proposed law to conduct “a study on the decline of the number of gas service stations in the city and exploring methods to prevent their further decline.”
--The Committee on Cultural Affairs will meet at 1 p.m. for an oversight hearing regarding “Culture Pass and other partnerships between New York City’s cultural organizations and public libraries.”
At 2 p.m. Thursday, Health + Hospitals CEO Mitchell Katz will join the CUNY Newmark School of Journalism’s Center for Community and Ethnic Media to discuss how H+H is addressing both long-term financial challenges and delivering high quality care to the city’s uninsured and immigrants. Katz will be questioned by CUNY’s and NY1’s Errol Louis, BRIC TV’s Martine Granby, and El Diario’s Pedro Frisneda.
At 6 p.m. Thursday, the 2019 Charter Revision Commission will meet at City Hall in Manhattan to hear public testimony.
At 6 p.m. Thursday, there will be a public scoping meeting at the Manhattan Municipal Building to discuss the de Blasio administration's plans to replace the Manhattan Center of Detention, as part of the replacement plan for Rikers Island jails.
At 6 p.m. Thursday, the governor’s Regulated Marijuana Workgroup will hold a listening session at Hofstra University in Hempstead on the legalization of marijuana in New York.
Friday and the weekend
Mayor de Blasio will travel to Austin, TX, on Friday to participate in a panel discussion at the Texas Tribune Festival. The following day, he’ll attend events with the United States Conference of Mayors in Columbia, SC. He’ll return to New York City on Sunday.
***
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).
***
by Ben Brachfeld and Ben Max
@GothamGazette
