New York City Hall
What to watch for this week in New York politics:
The week begins with a great deal of attention on the shootings of two NYPD officers in separate weekend incidents in the Bronx, allegedly committed by the same assailant. Both officers, one who was sitting in an NYPD van and the other who was in an NYPD precinct house, are in stable condition (the officer shot on Saturday night was released from the hospital on Sunday).
NYPD officials and others are calling the shootings assassination attempts and tying them to recent anti-police protests, during which protestors vandalized subway stations and called for violence against police officers. The exact motives of the shooter, suspected of being the one to pull the trigger in both incidents and reportedly an individual with a long criminal record including violent incidents and paroled in 2017, are not evident at this time. In separate press conferences on Saturday night and Sunday morning, Mayor de Blasio addressed the shootings and called violence against police officers an attack on all New Yorkers.
The week also begins amid an ongoing feud between Governor Andrew Cuomo and President Donald Trump over the Trusted Traveler Program. As the two continued trading comments and accusations, Cuomo was in Washington D.C. on Saturday and Sunday to attend the 2020 National Governors Association Winter Meeting. While there, he gave remarks to the association and, in a separate event, interviewed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in front of a live crowd.
There’s a great deal happening this week, both locally and beyond, including the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary on Tuesday. In Albany, state legislative budget hearings will continue this week, starting with Mayor de Blasio’s testimony on Monday.
In the city, the City Council has a busy week, including a Stated Meeting where bills will pass and new bills introduced. Among the legislation expected to pass is Council Member Brad Lander’s Reckless Driver Accountability Act.
There are many events to be aware of this week -- see our day-by-day rundown below. Also, this Friday (Feb. 14) is the deadline for New Yorkers who are already registered to vote to change their party affiliation and have it impact which party primaries they can vote in for the April presidential primary and June congressional and state legislative primaries.
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The run of the week in detail:
Monday, February 10
The New York State Board of Regents will hold its monthly meetings on Monday and Tuesday in Albany.
The State Legislature is in session on Monday in Albany. At beginning at 11 a.m., there will be a joint legislative budget hearing on local governments, led as usual by New York City, with Mayor Bill de Blasio testifying on Governor Cuomo’s executive budget proposal and the city’s state priorities. City Comptroller Scott Stringer and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson will also testify, as well as leaders from other cities around the state. After de Blasio testifies he will hold a media availability, then meet privately with legislative leaders, according to his public schedule. In the evening de Blasio will appear in his usual Monday evening segment on NY1's Inside City Hall, in the 7 and 11 p.m. hours.
On Monday in Albany, the New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials will host its annual legislative meeting. Comptroller Tom DiNapoli will be among those in attendance.
At noon Monday in Albany, Council Speaker Corey Johnson will deliver remarks at a press conference with a coalition of labor leaders.
At the City Council Monday:
--At 10 a.m., the Committee on Transportation will hold a hearing on Council Member Brad Lander’s Reckless Driver Accountability Act, a piece of dangerous driving legislation expected to pass this week.
--At 10 a.m., the Committee on Resiliency and Waterfronts will hold an oversight hearing to share updates on the Build-it-Back Sandy Funding Tracker.
--At 10 a.m., the Committee on Immigration will hold an oversight hearing on the dismantling of the U.S. asylum system and its impact on immigrant New Yorkers. The committee will also hear a resolution from Chair Carlos Menchaca on “maintaining the availability of asylum-related protections for individuals and families with a well-founded fear of persecution due to domestic or gang-related violence.”
--At 11 a.m., the Committee on Economic Development will meet on two pieces of food policy legislation.
--At noon, the Committee on General Welfare will meet on several bills related to food assistance.
--At 1 p.m., the Committee on Public Safety will hear a bill sponsored by Council Member Mark Treyger on individualized responses to hate crimes. The bill “would require the Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes (OPHC) to provide an individualized response to alleged violent hate crimes...provide information to the affected community within 24 hours of the occurrence of a violent hate crime when practicable…[and] notify the Mayor, the Speaker of the Council, the Public Advocate and the council member of the district in which a violent hate crime has occurred.”
At 7:30 a.m. Monday, Brooklyn Borough Adams will appear on Fox5’s “Good Day NY”; at noon outside 1 Police Plaza, Adams will hold a “solidarity press conference with business and elected leaders following attempted assassinations of NYPD officers in the Bronx’s 41st Precinct” - participants will include Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, Staten Island Borough President James Oddo, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce President Jessica Walker, Council Member Fernando Cabrera, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, and others; and at 5:30 p.m., Adams will appear on News12 Brooklyn’s “Ask the BP.”
At 11:30 a.m. Monday, the city’s Department of Small Business Services Commissioner Gregg Bishop will appear on WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show.
Tuesday, February 11
"On Tuesday, Mayor de Blasio will meet with World War II veteran Sidney Walton. This event is closed press. In the afternoon, the Mayor will sign Intro. 1785 to expand healthcare benefits to surviving family members of City employees who die in the line of duty or who die from a 9/11 illness. The Mayor will also sign Intros 420-B, 873-A, 891-A, 904-A, and 919-A to further reduce lead exposure in New York City. This event is open press. There will be no Q-and-A. Later, the Mayor will deliver remarks at a contract rally for 32BJ. This event is closed press."
At 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, the New York City Bar Association will hold a breakfast with New York State Department of Financial Services Superintendent Linda Lacewell, who will discuss the state of the New York insurance industry, the Department's accomplishments in the past year, as well as areas of regulatory concern.
At 9 a.m. Tuesday, the New York City Board of Corrections will hold its first public meeting of the year.
The State Legislature is in session on Tuesday in Albany. And at 9:30 a.m., there will be a joint legislative budget hearing on elementary and secondary education. New York City Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza is among those who will testify.
At the City Council on Tuesday:
--At 10 a.m, the Committee on Finance will hear a bill sponsored by Chair Daniel Dromm that “would authorize the Downtown Flushing Transit Hub business improvement district to increase the amount it expends annually, extend its boundaries, provide additional services and the modify of existing services, and change the method of assessment upon which the district charge is based as set forth in the BID’s amended district plan.”
--At 10:30 a.m. the Committee on Rules, Privileges & Elections is expected to approve the nomination by Mayor de Blasio of Aloysee Heredia Jarmoszuk as the next chair of the Taxi and Limousine Commission, moving the nomination to a full Council vote.
--At 11 a.m., Council Speaker Johnson, Council Member Brad Lander, other Council members, and safe streets advocates will rally outside City Hall to celebrate the impending passage of the Reckless Driver Accountability Act.
--At 1:30 p.m., there will be a full-Council Stated Meeting to pass and introduce legislation. Speaker Corey Johnson will host the usual pre-Stated press conference at 12:30 p.m.
At 9 a.m. Tuesday, Comptroller Scott Stringer will deliver remarks at the New York Immigration Coalition Legislative Breakfast in Manhattan.
At 11 a.m. Tuesday, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams will attend the lease-signing ceremony for Brooklyn Community Pride Center at Restoration Plaza.
At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Manhattan, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams will delivers keynote remarks at the Cadwalader Black and Latino Association Event, discussing "Black History Month, the ongoing struggle for progress across a wide range of issues, and the work the office is undertaking."
At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Brooklyn Historical Society will host “The Toxic City: Lead Poisoning and its Silent Attack on the Vulnerable.” The event will cover the history of lead poisoning in New York City and its impact on marginalized populations, particularly low-income communities of color. Speakers will include Matthew Chachère, activist in the fight against lead poisoning; Dr. Morri Markowitz, Director of Lead Poisoning Prevention and Treatment at Montefiore Children’s Hospital; and Cordell Cleare, candidate for City Council District 9. The discussion will be moderated by Christopher Werth, senior editor at WNYC who has recently broken important news about lead exposure in city schools.
Wednesday, February 12
The State Legislature is in session on Wednesday in Albany. And at 9:30 am., there will be a joint legislative budget hearing on public protection. At noon, the Senate Standing Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering will hold a meeting to discuss “the economic impact of the three unused downstate casino licenses.”
At 10 a.m., the New York City Campaign Finance Board will hold a public meeting.
At the City Council Wednesday:
--At 10 a.m., the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises will meet.
--At 1 p.m., the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations will hold an oversight hearing on the closure of the Court Square Library.
--At 1 p.m., the Committee on Governmental Operations will meet on several bills.
--At 1 p.m., the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Sitings and Dispositions will meet.
At 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Civilian Complaint Review Board will hold its monthly meeting.
At 5 p.m., this week’s Max & Murphy show will air on WBAI radio, 99.5FM and wbai.org, and include a discussion of Mayor de Blasio’s 2020 agenda and the City Council’s recently-released plan to fight homelessness with Council Member Stephen Levin.
At 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Voter Assistance Advisory Committee (VAAC) of the New York City Campaign Finance Board will hold a public meeting at which “NYC Votes and the VAAC will discuss plans to help naturalized citizens in New York City register to vote and mobilize get out the vote efforts in 2020 and beyond.”
At 6 p.m. Wednesday, the New York League of Conservation Voters will hold a forum with Queens Borough President candidates, where they will be asked “where they stand on environmental and sustainability issues, including how the City can meet its 80x50 climate goals, improve access to clean transportation, and reduce waste,” among other issues. Candidates Costa Constantinides, Elizabeth Crowley, Anthony Miranda, and Donovan Richards are participating in the forum, which will be moderated by Katie Honan of the Wall Street Journal.
At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, City Comptroller Scott Stringer will host “Trailblazers: Program and Award Ceremony in Honor of African-American History Month” at Long Island University in Brooklyn.
Thursday, February 13
Beginning at 8 a.m. Thursday, “Robin Hood will host its fourth annual No City Limits Conference, convening national leaders across sectors in the fight to increase economic mobility from poverty in order to spur innovative solutions and increase collective impact. In conjunction with Columbia University, Robin Hood will launch its Annual Poverty Tracker Study, which documents the dynamics of poverty and disadvantage in New York City. Following this, a series of panels, presentations and speakers will focus on addressing poverty through academic work, innovative research, and civic engagement.” Speakers will include Stacey Abrams, American politician and founder of Fair Fight, Fair Count; Esther Duflo, 2019 Nobel Laureate and Co-Founder of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab at MIT; Wes Moore, CEO, Robin Hood; Nicholas D. Kristof, Columnist, The New York Times and co-author, "Tightrope"; Alexis McGill Johnson, Acting President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America; and others.
At 8:30 a.m. Thursday, the Association for a Better New York will host a breakfast with Donna De Costanzo, Director, Eastern Region, Climate & Clean Energy Program of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). De Costanzo will “discuss her career path and her policy work addressing climate pollution, energy efficiency, renewable energy deployment, and clean transportation.”
The State Legislature is in session Thursday in Albany. And at 9:30 Thursday in Albany, the State Legislature will hold a joint budget hearing on economic development. And at 1 p.m., a joint budget hearing on taxes.
At 10 a.m. Thursday, the New York City Campaign Finance Board will hold a general meeting.
At the City Council Thursday:
--At 11 a.m., the Committee on Land Use will meet.
--At 1 p.m., the Committee on Civil Service and Labor will meet on two bills related to fast food industry employment.
At 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Spencerport, the Board of Regents is holding another in a series of public meetings about high school graduation requirements.
On Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in Red Hook, the city Economic Development Corporation is hosting a community meeting on the proposed BQX streetcar.
Friday, February 14 & the Weekend
At 8:15 a.m. Friday, the Center for New York City Law will host a breakfast with Janet Sabel, Attorney-in-Chief and Chief Executive Officer of Legal Aid Society, who will speak about “working towards justice one case at a time.”
Mayor de Blasio may make his weekly appearance on WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show on Friday at 10 a.m.
Beginning Friday, it is New York State Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus weekend in Albany.
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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
