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What to watch for this week in New York politics:
A very busy week in New York politics will begin with a variety of tributes to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and be highlighted by Governor Andrew Cuomo's executive budget presentation, which he will give on Tuesday in Albany, showing how he proposes the state closes a $6.1 billion projected deficit for the fiscal year beginning April 1. Cuomo has recently received some good news related to state tax receipts and has been adept at closing budget gaps in the past, though this is the largest deficit he's faced since his first budget.
The week will also feature Public Advocate Jumaane Williams giving his inaugural "State of the People" address; remarks by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams in a high-profile Manhattan forum; the MTA's monthly Board meetings; a variety of City Council hearings; and much more -- see our day-by-day rundown below.
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The run of the week in detail:
Monday, January 20
Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. There will be celebrations and remembrances throughout the city.
State Comptroller DiNapoli is Washington, D.C. and New York City on Monday. At 8:30 a.m. he’ll attend the National Action Network Washington Bureau’s Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Breakfast. At 5 p.m. he’ll participate in the MLK Day of Service at NYC Rescue Mission on Lafayette Street in Manhattan.
At 9 a.m. Monday, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will deliver remarks at the New Hope Baptist Church Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Breakfast in Buffalo. At 12:30 p.m., Hochul will address Lackawanna's Second Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration.
Governor Andrew Cuomo will hold a conference call with reporters at 11:30 a.m. Monday to make an announcement.
At 10 a.m. Monday, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams will speak at the Staten Island Justice Center Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 'Committed to Census' Day of Service. At 12:30 p.m., Williams will speak at the 122nd Baptist Ministers Conference Annual Commemoration and Celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Manhattan. And at 2:45 p.m., Williams will perform 'Drum Major Instinct' with Theater of War, in Brooklyn.
At 10:30 a.m. Monday, the Brooklyn Academy of Music will host its 34th annual tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., bringing together activists, public figures, and civic leaders to honor King’s legacy, and featuring performances from musical guests Son Little and the Brooklyn Interdenominational Choir. Mayor de Blasio and First Lady McCray will deliver remarks at BAM at 12:15 p.m. Among those also speaking will be City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson.
De Blasio will also be among those who speak at the National Action Network’s celebration of Dr. King, with the mayor set to deliver remarks at 1:30 p.m. Other speakers will include Comptroller Stringer, Public Advocate Williams, Speaker Johnson, and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer.
Stringer will also deliver remarks on Monday at the Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration in the Bronx and at Baptist Ministers Conference of New York and Vicinity Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration in Manhattan.
Johnson will also deliver remarks at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at Convent Avenue Baptist Church in Manhattan and at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration with Council Member I. Daneek Miller at Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Queens.
Manhattan Borough President Brewer will also on Monday attend Habitat for Humanity Brush with Kindness event; Food Bank for NYC's ‘Done in a Day for MLK’ Day of Service; and The Baptist Ministers Conference of Greater NY Commemoration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
At 10 a.m. Monday, “Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will be hosting an interfaith service honoring the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr…Borough President Diaz's office is hosting this event in conjunction with the Trinity Baptist Church.”
In the 7 and 11 p.m. hours, de Blasio will appear on NY1’s Inside City Hall with host Errol Louis for his weekly interview.
At 8 p.m. Monday at the Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club in Brooklyn, “Rodneyse Bichotte, the New York State Assembly Member and Democratic State Committeewoman for the 42nd District is expected to make history on Martin Luther King Jr. Day as the first-ever woman elected to lead the Kings County Democratic Party. Brooklyn's diverse leaders will convene on Monday for the historic vote in an uncontested election.”
Tuesday, January 21
At 1 p.m. Tuesday in Albany, Governor Andrew Cuomo will present his 2021 Fiscal Year Executive Budget.
The state Legislature is in session Tuesday in Albany.
Mayor de Blasio has no public events on his schedule Tuesday. In the evening, he'll "travel to Washington, D.C. for the United States Conference of Mayors' 88th Winter Meeting. The Mayor will return to New York City on Thursday evening."
Beginning at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, the MTA will hold its monthly committee meetings.
At the City Council on Tuesday:
--At 10 a.m., the Committee on Finance will conduct a joint hearing with the Committee on Aging “examining the New York City Department of Finance's administration of the Rent Freeze Program.”
--At 10 a.m., the Committee on Governmental Operations will hear a bill sponsored by committee Chair Fernando Cabrera that will “authorize the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (“OATH”) to dismiss taxi and limousine commission-related violations pertaining to vehicle lights upon proof of correction.”
--At 10 a.m., the Committee on Hospitals will hold an oversight hearing on prenatal care in hospitals.
--At 1 p.m., the Committee on General Welfare will meet jointly with the Committee on Public Safety to discuss the NYPD Subway Diversion Program.
--At 1 p.m., the Committee on Veterans will hold an oversight hearing on the future of the Department of Veteran Services.
At 11 a.m. Tuesday, the Rockland County Legislature will recognize NYPD Officers Russell Mattera and David Radziwon "for their work in apprehending the person who allegedly carried out the machete attack on Hanukkah celebrants in Monsey."
At 11 a.m. Tuesday in front of the Manhattan District Attorney's office, "Reverend Kirsten John Foy of The Arc of Justice, NYC Public Advocate Jumanne Williams, Tamika Mallory of Until Freedom, The Justice League and G.M.A.C.C will hold a press conference to demand the resignation of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance...based on his latest abdication of his duties to protect women from violent predators."
At 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in Albany, activists, advocates, and elected officials will host "a performative press conference themed CASH: THE MUSICAL. The call will be for BUDGET JUSTICE: a platform of proposals to tax the vast, under-assessed extreme wealth in New York to raise an estimated $35 billion -- and to invest those funds to make New York a better, fairer, safer home for us all." The focus will be on inequality in New York, "due to inaction in the legislature and opposition to progressive budget proposals in the Governor's mansion. This Tuesday, when Governor Cuomo is expected to unveil his budget for the upcoming fiscal year, Indivisible activists and advocacy allies from across New York will be meeting with legislators and hosting." Participants will include the True Blue New York Coalition and Empire State Indivisible as well as allies from community, labor and faith organizations including Fiscal Policy Institute, Alliance for Quality Education, VOCAL-NY, Patriotic Millionaires, Housing Justice For All, the Strong Economy For All Coalition, the New York State Council of Churches and many more, as well as elected officials.
On Tuesday at noon in Albany, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein and Senator Julia Salazar, joined by representatives from the Fiscal Policy Institute and Housing Justice for All coalition, will unveil their legislation to raise millions of dollars for public housing by expanding the mortgage recording tax to include private equity financed real estate transactions.
On Tuesday at noon at City Hall, “Ahead of a City Council hearing on the NYPD's “Subway Diversion Program,” homeless New Yorkers, along with other advocates and supporters, will rally outside City Hall to condemn the program and the increased policing and surveillance of homeless New Yorkers. Homeless New Yorkers will share their firsthand experiences with the program, which -- contrary to the administration’s claims -- increases police interactions with people sleeping on the subways without offering them the housing they want and need. Advocates argue that by emphasizing policing of homeless New Yorkers instead of devoting more resources to the housing and services people actually need, Mayor de Blasio has once again missed an opportunity to truly and humanely address homelessness and is driving our most vulnerable neighbors deeper into the shadows.” Participants will include Legal Aid Society, Coalition for the Homeless, Vocal-NY, and others.
At 4 p.m. Tuesday, the Prospect Park Alliance will hold the 2020 Census Fair at the LeFrak Center in Prospect Park. Visitors can apply for a job with the census, volunteer with their Neighborhood Organizing Census Committee, and get important information to share with their friends and neighbors.
At 6 p.m. Tuesday at his Dinkins Municipal Building offices, Comptroller Stringer will host a "roundtable discussion with young African community stakeholders."
Wednesday, January 22
The State Legislature is in session in Albany on Wednesday.
At 8 a.m. Wednesday, the Association for a Better New York hosts a Power Breakfast with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams at the New York Hilton Midtown. Adams “will discuss his perspective on the dysfunctional management of cities and how to resolve through real-time governance.”
Beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday, the Urban Land Institute New York (ULI NY) will host its annual Real Estate Outlook event at The Times Center in midtown Manhattan. The event provides real estate professionals from across New York the opportunity to hear from industry veterans and visionaries about the forces that are shaping the real estate business in the New York metro area. The event will showcase ULI/PwC’s Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2020 Report (attached) with a presentation of key findings and a response panel with top industry professionals.”
At 10 a.m. Wednesday in Albany, the New York State Legislature will conduct a public hearing on “the economic impact on the three unused downstate casino licenses.”
At 10 a.m. Wednesday in Albany, the State Senate Standing Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering will hold a public hearing on the “economic impact on the three unused downstate casino licenses.”
At the City Council on Wednesday:
--At 10.a.m., the Committee on Technology will meet to consider two bills on the “annual inventory of agency data” and “reporting on automated decision systems used by city agencies."
--At 10 a.m., the Committee on Civil and Human Rights will meet to consider two bills, including one that would designate January 27th, 2020 as Holocaust Remembrance Day and kick off a week of citywide Holocaust education in New York City.
--At 10 a.m. the Committee on Transportation will meet to consider three bills sponsored by committee Chair Ydanis Rodriguez, including one that would “establish a short-term task force that would study challenges to the viability of the black car and livery industries.”
At 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams will “deliver his inaugural State of the People Address...before an audience of elected officials, organizers, activists and the people of New York. Immediately following the address, attendees will have the opportunity to join five separate breakout sessions led by Deputy Public Advocates to discuss and organize around key issues facing the people of New York which had been raised in the speech.”
This week’s Max & Murphy show will air on WBAI radio, 99.5FM and wbai.org, at 5 p.m. Wednesday. This week’s show will feature a discussion of the recent spike in hate crimes, especially anti-Semitic crimes, and what can be done to reverse the trend. Guests will include Orthodox Jewish community leader and former City Council Member David Greenfield, followed by Deborah Lauter, the executive director of the city’s new Mayor’s Office to Prevent Hate Crimes.
Thursday, January 23
The State Legislature is in session in Albany on Thursday.
At 9 a.m. Thursday, this month’s MTA Board meeting will occur.
At 11.a.m. Thursday in Albany, SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson will present her 2020 State of the University System Address. Chancellor Johnson invites guests to listen “as she expands on her vision that will continue to elevate the SUNY system and shares her insights from campus visits and events across the State and the nation.”
At 1:30 p.m. Thursday, the City Council At 1:30 p.m. the Council will hold a Stated Meeting to pass and introduce legislation. Speaker Corey Johnson will host the usual pre-Stated press conference at 12:30 p.m.
At 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Museum of the City of New York, “Getting Out the Census: Counting New Yorkers in 2020,” will include panelists Julie Menin, director of the Census for New York City; Melva M. Miller, executive vice president at the Association for a Better New York; Assemblymember Robert J. Rodriguez; Steven Romalewski, director of the CUNY Graduate Center’s Mapping Service; and moderator Juan Manuel Benítez of NY1. The program accompanies the museum’s “exhibition Who We Are: Visualizing New York by the Numbers (through Summer 2020) as well as the Museum's Future City Lab, the interactive third gallery in our New York at Its Core exhibition.”
At 6:30 p.m. Thursday, the Brooklyn Historical Society will host “An Urban Amble: Exploring NYC’s Streetscape with Michael Sorkin and Stanley Greenberg,” with “photographer Stanley Greenberg, [who] walked every block of Manhattan capturing images of the overlooked, underseen elements that we take for granted every day; Architect Michael Sorkin, one of the great urbanists of our time,” in a conversation moderated by “Karrie Jacobs, founding editor-in-chief of Dwell and a professional observer of the manmade environment herself.” The “two city observers [will] reflect on the humble city spaces that most of us look past, look through, but rarely look at.”
Friday, January 24, and the weekend
Mayor de Blasio may make his weekly appearance on WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show at 10 a.m. Friday.
On Saturday, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli will be among those attending the Flushing Chinese Business Association’s 2020 Lunar New Year Parade in Flushing, Queens.
At 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Reconstructing Judaism will host the 2020 Day of Learning, “Jewish Response to Homelessness in the New York Area,” featuring various remarks and breakout sessions, and a political panel including Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Council Members Chaim Deutsch, Mark Levine, and Helen Rosenthal.
At 1 p.m. Sunday, the Staten Island Borough President James Oddo will host “Direct Connect 2020,” his annual open house and public event to meet with constituents, and discuss present, past, and upcoming projects.
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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 Max & Claire Del Sorbo
@GothamGazette
