Mayor Bill de Blasio said yesterday that he will allow religious groups to rent space in public school buildings when classes are not in session. The announcement comes a week after a federal appeals court ruled that the City could ban the practice if it wished. "I’ve said very clearly what I believe: that a faith-based organization has a right like anyone else waiting in line to use that space," the mayor said. "We will, as a result of the court decision, update our rules and refine our rules to make clear some specific parameters." Schools chancellor Carmen Fariña had said in the past that she was opposed to allowing the practice, but has not spoken out on the issue working under a mayor who supports it.
New this morning from Gotham Gazette
De Blasio's Hundred Days, Then and Now
Ben Max examines Bill de Blasio's first hundred days as mayor, as public advocate, and as a city council member, finding some common threads.
City Council Member Item Process Continues
Kristen Meriwether obtained a second internal city council document and follows up on the ongoing rules reform and discretionary funding processes in the Council.
Also from Gotham Gazette
100 Days of De Blasio (Public Statements)
A visual representation of the 50 words appearing most often in a large sample of the mayor's speeches, press releases, and public statements.
New York Launches I-STOP to Curb Overdose Deaths
Rebecca Bratek reports on a state-wide initiative aimed at reducing abuse of prescription drugs and the loss of life that can often result from drug addiction.
Other Stories We're Following
De Blasio Picks Immigrants To Lead Two City Agencies (NY Times)
Council To Introduce Bill For Municipal ID Cards (Capital)
New Finance Chief: Property-Tax System Needs Change (NY Post)
Federal Investigators: Captain's Error Led To 2013 Ferry Crash (WSJ)
Report Details Woes For City's Electric-Cab Experiment (City Limits)
City To Finally Implement Bank Law Passed In 2012 (Crain's)
Man Released From Prison After Murder Conviction Dismissed (WSJ)
MTA Blocked Lawmaker's Ad For Deporting Suspected Nazi (Daily News)
Bratton: NYPD Overtime Makes Up For Lower Headcount (NY Observer)
>A New York Times/Siena College Poll finds that New Yorkers are generally reserving judgement on Mayor Bill de Blasio's overall performance as he approaches 100 days in office, but are mixed when it comes to assessing how he has handled the bevy of issues that his administration has confronted so far. Forty nine percent of those polled approve of the job de Blasio’s is doing as mayor, while 59 percent say the jury is still out on the administration. Sixty nine percent of those surveyed support de Blasio’s proposal to raise taxes on those who make over $500,000 a year to fund citywide prekindergarten (a plan which appears dead, at least for now). Fifty percent of those polled are dissatisfied with de Blasio’s early efforts on income inequality, his signature issue. De Blasio earned high approval ratings on his work to win prekindergarten funding from Albany and his handling of stop and frisk. Meanwhile, a majority of those surveyed said they haven't heard enough of police chief Bill Bratton to form an opinion.
New from Gotham Gazette
New York Launches I-STOP To Curb Overdose Deaths
Rebecca Bratek reports on State efforts to limit prescription drug abuse and the deaths that can result.
Other news from Gotham Gazette
Push To Reform NYPD Crisis Response May Lead to State-Wide Program
David King looks at how the city's police force is less prepared to work with the mentally ill than it should be - and changes afoot to improve the situation.
Charter Oversight Hearing Postponed
Kristen Meriwether looks at the controversial City Council charter school oversight hearing that was scheduled for Tuesday, 4/8, but has been postponed.
Other Stories We're Following
Malcolm Smith's Bribery Trial Set For June (NY Post)
Sharpton Linked to Spying on Mafia (NY Times)
Charles Barron Crashes News Conference to Rip de Blasio (Daily News)
Average City Woman Earns 82 Cents On The Dollar Compared to Men(Daily News)
Harvard Professor to Lead Brooklyn DA Conviction Review Unit (WSJ)
State Budget Restores Millions For Spinal Cord Injury Research (WSJ)
What Public Financing Would do to Statewide Coffers (YNN)
NY Officials Join Fight Over Palisades Tower (Capital)
Schumer Endorses Rangel (Capital)
City's Finance Commissioner Resigns (Crain's)
Quiet Labor Deal Gave $3 Million in Back Pay to Elevator Workers(DNAinfo)
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli will not take part in the campaign campaign financing system that was created in the state budget that only applies to his race for this year. DiNapoli has long urged lawmakers to use his office as a test for such a system but he says the current proposal was rushed, poorly designed and that neither Gov. Andrew Cuomo or legislative leaders bothered to call him while they worked out the details for the program. “What they did is take something well-intentioned,” DiNapoli told The New York Times, “and hijacked it for their own short-term purposes, very much at my expense.”
New from Gotham Gazette
Push To Reform NYPD Crisis Response May Lead to State-Wide Program
David King reports on the NYPD's lagging behind other cities in preparing officers to respond to calls involving the mentally ill and reforms on the horizon.
ICYMI from Gotham Gazette
Charter Oversight Hearing Postponed
Kristen Meriwether reports that a City Council hearing on charter schools set for Tuesday has been postponed.
De Blasio's Homelessness Reset
John Surico writes that the new administration is looking to reinvent a rent-subsidy program to move homeless into permanent housing.
Other Stories We're Following
Arts Education Lacking in Low-Income Areas of City (NY Times)
De Blasio Administration Does Business With Organization He Condemned (Capital)
Union Revolt May Signal Trouble For Cuomo (Capital)
Push For More Cops in NYCHA Buildings (Daily News)
Low Wages For Women Spur Group to Demand Equality From Cuomo, Legislature (Daily News)
Feds Target Lawmaker Travel Expenses (Daily News)
De Blasio Has Much to Do on Affordable Housing (WSJ)
Bratton Balancing community Outreach, Officer Morale (WSJ)
Final Votes Cast in NYC Participatory Budgeting (DNAinfo)
Motorman in Fatal Metro-North Crash Suffered Sleep Apnea (DNAinfo)
Hospital Execs Receive Sky-High Payouts (Crain's)
A Federal appeals court ruled yesterday that a City policy banning religious groups from using space in public schools for worship does not violate the U.S. Constitution. The 2-1 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals in Manhattan is the latest in a nearly 20-year legal saga that started with a small Bronx church that tried to hold weekend services at its local school. The ruling does not prohibit the City from offering space, but allows it to deny use. Unlike his predecessor, Mayor Bill de Blasio has said he supports religious organizations' right to hold services in schools, pointing out that they pay a rental fee like any other non-profit doing so. Out of the 50 largest U.S. school districts, New York was the only one to entirely ban religious worship. The City has also not been allowing public schools to host partisan political activities or for-profit events.
New from Gotham Gazette
De Blasio's Homelessness Reset: Advantage Lessons Learned
John Surico takes a detailed look at past homelessness policy and how Mayor de Blasio will be looking to address the problem of New York City's 53,000-plus homeless.
ICYMI from Gotham Gazette
Creating the Workforce The City's Tech Economy Needs
Kristen Meriwether examines Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen's outline for workforce and economic development in the new tech economy.
Preliminary Budget Questions Remain
An op-ed from CM Helen Rosenthal discussing her approach to the budget and key questions she still has after the council's March preliminary budget hearings.
From Pre-K Tunnel Vision to Vision Zero
Kristen Meriwether reports that after Mayor de Blasio secured pre-K funding in the state budget, he'll soon be turning his Albany attention to his Vision Zero traffic safety plan.
Other Stories We're Following
Brooklyn Housing Court Can’t Find New Home (NY Times)
Median Rent In Brooklyn Hits $2,890 (Daily News)
Speed Camera Dispute Erupts Between Cuomo, de Blasio (Daily News)
Correction Officers Union Criticizes Incoming Commissioner (WSJ)
Bronx Junk Food Ads Outweigh Healthy Ones 11 To 1 (NY Post)
Comptroller Wasn't Told Of Public Financing Pilot (Times Union)
Rikers Warden Demoted After Inmate Dies In Overheated Cell (NY Times)
Finalists Chosen In Storm-Proofing City Design Competition (Crain's)
What The State’s Charter Push Did To Mayoral Control (Capital)
Taxi Nominee Disagrees With de Blasio On Outer Borough Cabs (Capital)
>The city began accepting applications for 4,268 new full-day pre-kindergarten seats this fall at 140 public schools across the five boroughs, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced yesterday. That's a 26 percent increase over the current school year. Many of the new seats are in high demand districts. The announcement comes shortly after the state agreed to provide funding for the new seats. De Blasio's goal is to expand to 73,250 pre-K seats by 2015. Officials expect 40 percent of the new pre-K slots to be located in public schools, with the rest run by community-based organizations.
New from Gotham Gazette
Creating the Workforce The City's Tech Economy Needs
Kristen Meriwether examines Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen's outline for workforce and economic development in the new tech economy.
Preliminary Budget Questions Remain
In a Gotham Gazette op-ed, Council Member and budget expert Helen Rosenthal discusses her approach to the budget and key questions she still has after the council's March preliminary budget hearings.
ICYMI from Gotham Gazette
From Pre-K Tunnel Vision to Vision Zero
Kristen Meriwether reports that after Mayor de Blasio secured pre-K funding in the state budget, he'll soon be turning his Albany attention to his Vision Zero traffic safety plan.
Other Stories We're Following
Supreme Court Contribution Ruling Could Impact NY (Capital)
Traffic Fatalities Down 26 Percent (Daily News)
City To Overhaul Workforce Training Programs (Crain's)
Fracking Is Frozen, But The Gas Flows From Elsewhere (Capital)
Cuomo Drops Plan For College Classes For Inmates (NY Times)
Teachers, Nurses, Professors Contracts First: Union Rep (DNAinfo)
Lawmakers Push For Reforms After Queens Library Scandal (Daily News)
Program To Help Cos Get A Kit To Combat Overdoses (NY Times)
Privacy Concerns Nix Student-Data Plan (Associated Press)
Mayor Still Backing City-Based Minimum Wage Hike (NY Observer)
Fixing The Port Authority: Here's What's On The Table (WNYC)
>Mayor Bill de Blasio and his administration looked to reboot their relationship with the press yesterday after budget battles with Albany came to an end this week. De Blasio met with city hall reporters in acasual setting and trumpeted winning pre-kindergarten funding as "A real liftoff moment for this administration." He downplayed his budget disagreements with his former boss Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who at times seemed particularly interested in thwarting the new mayor. "We had some disagreements, its not exactly a state secret." de Blasio said. His administration is also looking to strengthen its communications team with a veteran press aide, new speechwriters and web media experts. Even with the state budget finalized, de Blasio's interaction with Albany is far from over as he is expected to launch a major push for his Vision Zero traffic safety plan in the capital in the coming weeks.
Lawsuit Threatens City's Property Tax System (Capital)
Report Traces Port Authority Flaws to Crumbling Business Model (NY Times)
City Students Begin Common Core Tests As Debate Continues (NY 1)
Council's Progressive Caucus Elects New Leadership Team (NY Observer)
Anti-Gun Control Rally in Albany Brings Out Donald Trump (Daily News)
Former Chiefs Weigh In on Splitting up Port Authority (Wall Street Journal)
Upgrading City's Gas Pipes Could Take Decades (Wall Street Journal)
Senate Leader's Budget Measure Would Delay Bronx Medical Center(Capital)
How Big is NYC's Tech Sector? (Crain's)
Katz Asks Queens Library Head to take Leave of Absence (DNAinfo)
The latest from Gotham Gazette
Other Stories We're Following
Councilman Introduces Paid Vacation Bill (Crain's)
All Employers Must Give Time Off Starting Tomorrow (Crain's)
NY Casino Licenses to Cost Millions (NY Times)
Gas Pipes For East Harlem Blast to Undergo Further Tests (NY Times)
Senator Wants to Legalize Internet Poker in New York (the Post Standard)
West Side of Manhattan Unready For Commuter Boom (NY Post)
Sandy Victims Still Waiting For Build It Back Funds (Daily News)
Firm That Ran Council Speakers Campaign Now Lobbies Her (Daily News)
State Could Change City's Pre-K Funding (Wall Street Journal)
Bloomberg Considering New Political Site (Capital)
Port Authority Wants to Build Another Bus Terminal (DNAinfo)
State legislators will begin a marathon session today where they will vote on a budget agreement that was reached late Friday night and into Saturday morning. Today's session is expected to last well into Tuesday. As is, the agreement sets aside $300 million in prekindergarten funding for New York City, establishes a city renters' tax credit and focuses on tax relief for upstate homeowners. The budget strips de Blasio of some of his power to control city charter schools as it mandates the city find space for charters in public buildings or pay for alternative space. A deal was not reached on The DREAM act and good government groups are unhappy with the campaign finance portion of the budget that would create a trial system for this year's comptroller race only. Those groups are urging Comptroller Thomas Dinapoli not to participate in the system because of its hasty assembly and are calling on Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders to come up with a more comprehensive deal. Cuomo told reporters on Saturday that he will end his Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption as long as legislators pass the deal they reached that includes the campaign finance trial, stronger bribery laws and a new elections enforcement position at the State Board of Elections.
Compromise Yields Minimal Reform In On-Time Budget
What Will The New NYPD IG Inspect?
Other Stories We're Following
Schumer Rips Port Authority For Security Breaches at World Trade Center (NY 1)
Tish James Renews Public Advocate's Legislative Role (NY Observer)
De Blasio Announces Push For Hurricane Recovery (NY Times)
Mayor Betting on Pre-K to Succeed (NY Times)
De Blasio Expanding Communications Team (Daily News)
Bill Bratton Slams Ray Kelly (Daily News)
Budget Blocks Attorney General From Controlling Settlement Cash(Bloomberg)
Moreland to Refer Cases Before it Closes (Capital)
Is the Budget Technically Late? (Wall Street Journal)
Mixed Grades For De Blasio on State Budget (Wall Street Journal)
Family Leave Bill Gains Momentum in Albany (Crain's)
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state legislative leaders struck a tentative deal on charter schools during budget negotiations yesterday that would increase per-charter pupil spending statewide and force the City to provide rent assistance to charters. Per pupil funding would rise $1,100 over three years, starting with $250 the initial year, then $350 the next, and $500 the third. The boost would amount to an increase of about 3.4 percent. Also, the city would be forced to look for space for charters in public schools, or provide rent money for them to use in private spaces, which could cost up to $40 million a year. According to the deal, a third-party arbitrator would make a final ruling if the City and a charter school disagree over a co-location plan and the City would be barred from charging rent for space in public school buildings. The deal would also force the City to find space for the three Success Academy schools run by Eva Moskowitz whose co-locations were rolled back last month. The plan does not, however, offer building aid for charters to replace the $210 million in capital funding that Mayor Bill de Blasio recently diverted away from charters.
New at Gotham Gazette
Legislature Will Have Hard Time Silencing Moreland
Gotham Gazette's David King reports from Albany that State legislators are looking to defund the Moreland Commission on public corruption in the state budget, but that even if they are successful in doing so, the investigations being done by Moreland are likely to live on.
ICYMI at Gotham Gazette
Idle Time: City Car Owners Could Be In For A Shift
by Adam Wisnieski
Council Member Survey Says: How Should We Divide Our Money?
by Kristen Meriwether
Other Stories We're Following
De Blasio's Child Welfare Reforms Faliling, Officials Say (DNAinfo)
Council Sees Flawed Mental Health System On Rikers (NY Times)
Budget To Include $1.1 Billion For Schools (Journal News)
Queens Library Head Worked 30 Hour Week Second Job (Daily News)
City Jobless Rate Rises For First Time In Nearly Two Years (NY Times)
Complaints Mount In Council About Mark-Viverito (Capital)
Ambulances Take Nearly 10 Minutes To Get To Emergencies (NY Post)
Citi Bike Racks Sit Unused In Brooklyn Boondocks (NY Post)
Experts Bullish On Citi Bike (Wall Street Journal)
>New York State public schools are the most racially segregated in the nation, and New York City schools are largely to blame, according to a new report by the Civil Rights Project at the University of California at Los Angeles. In New York City, 19 of the city's 32 community school districts had elementary and middle schools with enrollments that were less than 10 percent white in 2010.
According to the report, New York City charter schools are the most segregated, with less than 1 percent white enrollment at 73 percent of charter schools. But some charter leaders argue that the sector can't win, that charter schools are already accused of trying to attract the most talented students. Charters typically give preference to students who live in the district where they're located and have traditionally been created in highly segregated, low income neighborhoods. The report suggests that the housing segregation of the city is at the root of most of the schools' segregation.
The report's authors argue that the city should offer parents an unscreened choice in choosing public schools. The current high school choice system, which uses entrance tests at top schools, excludes most black and Latino students. The city's Department of Education spokesman, Devon Puglia, brushed off the findings, saying officials "value the incredible diversity among our students."
New from Gotham Gazette
Council Member Survey Says: How Should We Divide Our Money?
An update on city council rules reform from Gotham Gazette's new city reporter Kristen Meriwether
ICYMI at Gotham Gazette
What's Next for East Midtown
an op-ed by Council Member Dan Garodnick
Beyond Pre-K: What Else is at Stake for NYC in the State Budget
by David King
Other Stories We're Following
Queens Assemblyman's Office Raided (Wall Street Journal)
City's Surplus Gets Even Bigger (Crain's)
Council To Address Death Of Inmate In Hot Cell (Associated Press)
Mayor Puts Charter Leaders On Co-Location Panel (NY Post)
Citi Bike System Successful, But Wobbly From Start (NY Times)
Cuomo Seeks Homelessness Impasse Resolution (Wall Street Journal)
City Growth Reversing Decades-Old Trend (NY Times)
Council Proposes 10-Cent Plastic Bag Fee (Associated Press)
Councilman Wants Schools To Offer Halal Lunches (Daily News)
Teacher Pension Transparency At Appeals Court (Albany Times Union)
Former Construction Aide Tapped For Sandy Rebuilding Effort (DNAinfo)
De Blasio Slow To Make Police-Oversight Appointment (Capital)
New Permit To Speed Demolition Of Sandy-Damaged Homes (DNAinfo)
MTA: We Don't Need Cuomo's $40 Million (Daily News)
>Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state legislative leaders may be close to a budget deal that provides $300 million in funding for New York City pre-kindergarten. Albany lawmakers stressed that no figure was settled yet, but Cuomo said the final number would depend on how much a municipality needed and capacity to spend, and then referred to the city asking for $300 million. The amount is $40 million less than Mayor Bill de Blasio has been seeking and does not necessarily create a dedicated annual funding source, which the mayor has been calling for. It appears that de Blasio's desired tax increase on the city's highest earners to pay for pre-K and middle school after-school programming will not be a part of the deal. De Blasio has said the city is ready to provide full-day pre-K for 53,000 kids by this September, and have 73,000 enrolled by year two. Rather than receiving the funds up front, a district will first have to spend money on pre-K and then seek reimbursement from the state. It's still unclear how much funding the city will receive in after-school funding.
Other Stories We're Following
Donors Funnel $28 Million To State Politicians (NY Post)
Mayor: ‘Miscommunication’ On Homeless With Gov (Wall Street Journal)
Lawmakers Approve 'National Popular Vote' Bill (Associated Press)
Silver: Charter Aid In Budget Limited To Money (Capital)
Rangel, Espaillat Battle Causes Rift Among Minority Legislators (NY Post)
Fired Officer's Complaint Adds Details To Rikers Death (NY Times)
Brooklyn Brewery Owner Suggests Park-Funding Solution (Capital)
Interfaith Medical Center Files Plan To Exit Bankruptcy (Crain's)
2 CNN Producers Held For Trespassing At WTC (NY Times)
NYPD To More Quickly Neutralize Shooting Suspects (Daily News)
Budget Talks Pull Governor Toward Left (Wall Street Journal)
City Plans Taxi Accessibility Surcharge (Associated Press)
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