photo: William Alatriste

Happy new year! As we jump right into 2016, Gov. Andrew Cuomo prepares for his State of the State and budget address, Mayor Bill de Blasio works to improve his public approval ratings, and the two keep on feuding. There's a lot to look for in the new year, here are about 40 political questions we're asking as the year begins - if you want to share them, answer any, or let us know one we missed, tweet @GothamGazette:

1. How will the Cuomo-de Blasio feud play out?
2. Who's next for Preet Bharara?
3. What will Albany do about preventing public corruption?
   1. Will the LLC loophole close?
   2. Will New York move forward on a public campaign finance system?
   3. Will there be agreement on pension forfeiture?
   4. Will further limits be placed on legislators' outside income?
   5. Will legislator salaries be raised?
   6. Does the budget process become more transparent?
4. What kind of Assembly reforms will Speaker Carl Heastie allow in terms of the ways in which his legislative house conducts its business?
5. How does the Governor's minimum wage push wind up?
6. What happens with the 421-a tax break/affordable housing program?
7. Will the de Blasio administration show significant progress in turning around struggling schools?
8. What happens with mayoral control of city schools, as dictated by state policy?
9. What do teacher evaluations look like next, as dictated by state policy?
10. What's the future of the Common Core in New York?
11. Does the opt-out movement continue to grow?
12. How do the 2016 elections affect which party controls the state Senate?
    1. Who wins the special election for the seat previously held by Dean Skelos?
    2. Who wins other vacant state legislative seats, like that held by Sheldon Silver?
13. Will de Blasio improve his relationship with Albany Democrats?
14. Can de Blasio effectively reduce the street and shelter homeless populations?
15. How will the city and the state approach the homelessness crisis together/separately?
16. Will New York "raise the age" of criminal responsibility from 16 (to 17 or 18)?
17. Will de Blasio successfully negotiate paid parental leave with the city's municipal unions after announcing he is offering it to nonunion city employees?
18. Will the State move on a paid family leave program?
19. Can Cuomo show more progress in his efforts to revive struggling city and regional economies?
20. How do the mayor's rezoning proposals fare in the City Council?
21. How does City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito differentiate herself from Bill de Blasio?
22. Will the City Council move any bills that the mayor isn't behind - like the Right to Know Act?
    1. Will de Blasio use a veto for the first time as mayor?
23. What's next for Mark-Viverito as she faces term-limits (at the end of 2017)?
24. Can the Mayor keep making progress toward his affordable housing goals?
25. What will city elected officials' compensation increases look like once the mayor and Council come to an agreement based on the compensation commission's recommendations?
    1. Will Council pay increases come with the elimination of lulus and other reforms?
26. Who will replace Charlie Rangel in Congress?
27. How does it go for the two new District Attorneys, in the Bronx and on Staten Island?
28. Can the NYPD continue to drive crime down, reducing murders after a small rise, while also improving community relations?
29. Will there be progress on Rikers Island?
30. What steps will the City take to desegregate its schools?
31. What does Bill de Blasio's cabinet look like after a deputy mayor is replaced and the homeless services department is reassessed?
    1. Will other top officials leave the administration?
32. What will happen with Uber?
33. Will the City pass a plastic bag fee?
34. Is there a compromise on reducing Central Park carriage horses?
35. Can de Blasio improve his public approval ratings?
36. Does anyone formidable emerge to declare a challenge to de Blasio for 2017?
37. What will Comptroller Scott Stringer's charter school audits look like?
    1. What other audits and reports come from Stringer's office?
38. Will Public Advocate Tish James continue to use litigation against the city to seek change? If so, what suits?
39. How are New York officials involved in the presidential race?
    1. How will de Blasio, Cuomo, Mark-Viverito and other city and state officials who have endorsed her be involved in Hillary Clinton's campaign?
    2. Who wins New York in the Democratic and Republican primaries?
40. Who becomes the next President of the United States?

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by Ben Max, Gotham Gazette
@tweetBenMax