Politico

With help from Shawn Ness

New from New York

Happening now:

• The Legislature is back. And no, there isn’t a budget deal.
• What lawmakers think of Rebecca Lobo’s comments about Albany.
• Republicans hosted an antisemitism awareness rally.
• A ban on ‘dry’ towns?

DAYS THE BUDGET IS LATE: 2

WILL BUDGET BEAT OUT ECLIPSE?: The stars are aligning — and that’s good or bad news for the budget, depending on who you ask.

Well, actually, it’s just one star (the sun) that’s set to line up with the moon on Monday. And the celestial event could be too much for some lawmakers to bear while balancing budget negotiations. Some are asking whether they should even have session on Monday.

“I've heard a lot of people wanting to not meet” during the eclipse, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, a Brooklyn Democrat, said.

“It’s not just lawmakers saying that. There’s lots of people asking the same thing — everybody wants to be out,” state Sen. Roxanne Persaud, a Brooklyn Democrat, quipped.

On Monday, Playbook wrote how Gov. Kathy Hochul blamed the now-two-days late budget on the Easter Bunny: “If you did not have Easter Sunday being the deadline, I think we could have met it. I really do,” she said.

Now, there’s grumblings that Monday’s eclipse warrants another day off.

Why? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon and large gatherings are a good way for the members to score points with constituents if they are back home with them rather than plugging away on an already late state budget.

But Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins spoke with Playbook and shot that idea down, for now: “The plan so far is to be here on Monday.” And Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie: “We may have to go look at it on the roof.”

Another lawmaker, state Sen. Andrew Gounardes, was firm in his prediction: The eclipse will come and go before a budget deal is reached.

“Maybe seeing the eclipse will inspire us to get this job done,” he said. And state Sen. Liz Krueger opined: “Maybe there's some magic to [the eclipse and budget] being born together.”

But forget outer space.

The delaying power of religious holidays could also factor in the budget timeline. Lawmakers plan to take off for Eid on April 10 and 11. And Passover means there won’t be any session at all during the third week of April.

So even if the lawmakers hold a session during eclipse day, there are six days of session left of April after tomorrow to make a deal.

“I fully believe we will get this done in the month of April,” Stewart-Cousins told Playbook. — Jason Beeferman

OH, ALBANY: Former WNBA star and ESPN TV analyst Rebecca Lobo’s aggression against New York’s capital city won’t stand.

Lobo trashed the town, which was hosting parts of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, for not having a lot to do. Lobo would later back track in a post on Instagram.

For Albanians, historically a sensitive group whenever out-of-towners mock Smallbany, the damage was already done. War Room Tavern owner and PR man Todd Shapiro was so incensed he called for the city’s bars and restaurants to cancel their ESPN subscriptions.

But what about the people who have to travel to Albany six months out of the year? Playbook did a (very) informal poll of state lawmakers who agreed Lobo committed a foul.

“There are so many great things to do in Albany,” Rochester Democratic state Sen. Jeremy Cooney said. “In fact, Albany is the center of the universe. You can get anywhere you want from Albany in like three hours. You can go to the Adirondacks.”

State Sen. John Mannion, a Democrat from the basketball-crazy Syracuse area who was elected four years ago, said he’s never been bored, noting Albany has a proliferation of Irish bars.

“I’ve found there’s a lot to do when my family comes down,” he said. “We make sure we partake in different arts activities or enjoy the restaurants.”

Bronx Sen. Gustavo Rivera, an established connoisseur of Albany’s karaoke offerings, acknowledged Lobo’s comment made on a Monday night may have been a bit understandable.

“She might be right about Mondays,” Rivera, a Democrat, said. “There are a lot of places closed on Monday.”

But he defended the food options, many of which are within walking distance of the Capitol.

“There’s actually really good food choices here in Albany,” he said. “Savoy Taproom. The Delaware. Copper Crow. Rain is a good one on a Friday night, too. Most of the places I walk to are the ones that I love.” — Nick Reisman

ISRAELI HOSTAGES: The Republican conference held a bipartisan rally to show support for all hostages in Hamas captivity to be released and to raise awareness of a rise in antisemitism.

“We are the indigenous people,” GOP Assemblymember Ari Brown, a Jewish lawmaker from Long Island, said. “And these are our children that are held hostage today. They must be set free.”

The legislators and activists who attended were led in a prayer for peace by a local Jewish community leader.

“They should be returned to their families. If they are dead, their bodies should be returned to their families, so that we can pay their respects so that we can say goodbye,” Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt said at the event.

State Sen. Jack Martins, a Republican from Long Island, said he wants to hold those that do not show support to Israel accountable. Several Democrats from across the state also attended the event.

“Those who will not support the efforts of bringing these hostages home, let's hold them accountable. As New Yorkers, as warriors, as the people who are called on to do more than just talk, let's come together,” Martins said. — Shawn Ness

HEASTIE ON HOUSING: Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said certain tweaks to the 2019 rent-regulation reforms are on the table in budget talks, but said the changes being considered will not go as far as “rolling back” the laws.

Specifically, lawmakers are looking at changes to how much landlords can raise rents after making apartment improvements — allowances that were significantly curtailed in the 2019 reforms.

“Individual apartment improvements has been raised at the table,” Heastie told reporters Tuesday.

“The question of trying to get the apartments that have not been put back online because, I’d say, the landlords don’t want to spend the money to put the apartments back online. Those are the type of questions we’re having, but rolling back 2019 — no.”

Real estate groups have been pushing more significant changes to the rent reforms, but that effort has faced staunch pushback from tenant groups and left-leaning legislators.

But lawmakers appear open to considering more modest tweaks — if they come as part of a larger package that also bolsters tenant protections.

The Senate’s one-house resolution, for example, said the body’s Democratic majority is “open to further discussing raising the current cap on individual apartment improvements (IAIs) as part of a comprehensive housing package that includes the core principles of Good Cause Eviction.” — Janaki Chadha

BUDGET DANCE: The mayor expressed an interest in nixing all of his proposed budget cuts today.

His comments came during a press briefing where Adams was asked about a report from the City Council that argued there is enough money in the budget to completely undo the spending reductions mandated by City Hall.

“I pray to God every day that they found a pot of money that can resolve the budget issues,” Adams said. “We don’t want to make cuts. We do not want to take away services. And if … when they sit down with [the budget director], they have a way to do this, we are open to hearing that.”

The Council identified north of $6 billion of unaccounted-for resources in the upcoming budget that could be used to reverse cuts, end a looming fiscal cliff and add to the city’s reserves. — Joe Anuta

SCHOOLS CHIEF IN ALBANY: Schools Chancellor David Banks traveled to Albany today to persuade state lawmakers to let Mayor Eric Adams continue running the school system.

Banks met with state Sen. John Liu, who heads the Senate’s New York City Education Committee, as well as Assembly Education Chair Michael Benedetto and Senate Education Chair Shelley Mayer among others. He’s meeting with Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Stewart-Cousins this afternoon.

“We think that the mayor, Eric Adams, in many ways has earned to be able to have an extension of this,” Banks told reporters during a gaggle. “We’ve been delivering for New Yorkers, and we want to continue to do that work.”

Banks also testified before legislators in Albany earlier this year.

The visit comes as lawmakers and Hochul continue to hammer out details of the final budget. State education officials are also expected to release their long-awaited report on mayoral control early next week. (They requested and received an extension from the Legislature, according to a spokesperson).

Banks told reporters he’s “anxiously awaiting” to see the report. He insisted the study is not just a reflection of public hearings officials held citywide but a “historical perspective” on mayoral control.

Lawmakers have also said they will consider how Adams approaches a state law mandating lower class sizes as they deliberate on mayoral control. But Banks insisted the two won’t be tied.

“I think mayoral control… in many ways stands on its own because it’s broader than any one particular issue,” he said, adding that class size is “a hot topic right now.” — Madina Touré and Nick Reisman

SENATE MOVES TO BAN DRY TOWNS: The state Senate’s Investigation and Government Operations Committee advanced a bill today that would allow the sale of alcohol in New York’s dry towns.

“The restaurants and potential bars and other on-premises establishments and liquor stores that would want to do business in these towns, they are implicitly looking at us to do business in these communities,” said state Sen. James Skoufis, the committee’s Democratic chair.

Towns and cities are allowed to ban alcohol sales via referendums. A few have ended their local prohibitions in recent years, meaning there are only six remaining completely dry places — the largest being the 2,200 town of Caneadea in Allegany County — though a few dozen others have rules that limit alcohol to places like hotels.

“It’s a vestige, as are a lot of our Alcoholic Beverage Control laws, of Prohibition-era ridiculousness,” Skoufis said. — Bill Mahoney

NEW CENTRAL HUDSON CEO: The utility serving more than 300,000 electric customers and 84,000 natural gas customers in the Hudson Valley announced a new CEO today.

Stephanie Raymond will take over as president and transition into the full president and CEO role in October once Chris Capone retires.

Capone took over, postponing his retirement, after the board ousted Charles Freni as CEO last year. Freni’s tenure ended abruptly amid fallout from billing issues at the utility that sparked public outcry and an investigation and action by state regulators.

Raymond was most recently the CEO of PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, a Pennsylvania utility serving 1.4 million electric customers. Raymond was there for more than a decade in various roles after working in telecommunications. She left PPL in September 2023 after the utility dealt with its own major billing issues.

Central Hudson highlighted Raymond’s efforts to improve grid reliability and customer satisfaction scores. The search committee was aware of the billing issues that were “effectively resolved” during Raymond’s tenure, said spokesperson Joe Jenkins.

“Her experience leading and managing through those challenges was viewed as a strength,” Jenkins said. “Central Hudson’s billing system is currently performing at levels similar or better than its previous system and we believe Stephanie’s experience in this area will help us continue to rebuild trust with our customers as we move forward.”  — Marie J. French

CLIMATE SUPERFUND: A collection of environmental justice groups held a rally in the Capitol today to urge Hochul to support a $3 billion climate superfund paid by big oil corporations.

The bill would also include $1 billion for disadvantaged communities that have been hit by flooding and extreme heat.

“It’s the trust that is given to us that we have to take care of it [the Earth]. We have to deliver it to our students,” Sohaib Chekima, a professor at Union College, said during the event.

“We believe that God created us on this Earth as its custodians, not the owners. We act as if this is ours. We are privileged. The governor has to understand the leadership position is not one of privilege, it’s a responsibility that she’s assumed.” — Shawn Ness

— Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on the Department of Justice to go after retail thieves under the RICO act. (State of Politics)

— The man accused of murdering an NYPD officer has been indicted with murder in a Queens court. (Newsday)

— Turkey’s consul general sent a letter to the state Senate Finance Committee urging them not to commemorate the end of a major conflict in Cyprus. (Times Union)

With help from Shawn Ness

New from New York

Happening now:

• Gov. Kathy Hochul knocks Trump on abortion rights.
• Lawmakers leave, again, without a budget deal.
• Randall’s Island has been safe for migrants, Adams said.
• Protesters arrested outside of Hochul’s office. 

DAYS THE BUDGET IS LATE: 9

HOCHUL TALKS ABORTION RIGHTS: Gov. Kathy Hochul continued her efforts this morning to help to keep President Joe Biden in the White House, targeting Donald Trump’s recent comments about abortion rights.

“How do you know when Donald Trump is lying? When his lips are moving,” Hochul quipped this morning on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

The governor gave her first reaction to former President Donald Trump’s announcement Monday that he supports leaving the issue of abortion up to the states.

Hochul vowed on the morning show that Trump’s announcement will be “a jolt for the election” and a win for Biden.

“We could say ‘What day was the election really lost [for Trump]?'” Hochul said. “It may just have been the day that the solar eclipse occurred.”

Hochul has increasingly taken on the role of a Biden surrogate in recent months as she continues to trumpet a pro-Biden message on CNN and MSNBC. Her ascendant support of the president’s reelection bid also comes as Mayor Eric Adams — the self-proclaimed “Biden of Brooklyn" — has faded from the president’s embrace.

“We won't know for sure exactly by what margins, but this is a big boost for Joe Biden,” the state’s first woman governor said of Trump's abortion stance. “Trump fell into this. He should have kept his mouth shut because now he's antagonizing everybody.”

Trump’s Monday announcement suggests he won’t pursue a national abortion ban if elected, but the former president didn’t rule out signing one, either. He also did not say where he stands on other efforts to limit access to the abortion pill, mifepristone.

Hochul’s comments slamming Trump — she added that he’s “indicted himself in the eyes of women all over America” — comes as New York’s own version of the Equal Rights Amendment, which aims to enshrine reproductive rights in the state, is on the ballot in November.

“Every state, the record is there,” Hochul said. “When people have a chance to voice their position on abortion, they stand with the women — unlike Donald Trump.” — Jason Beeferman

SO LONG, BUT NOT FOR LONG: They’re leaving town, but they’re coming back.

Lawmakers won’t be meeting Wednesday for Eid al-Fitr, a fast-breaking holiday celebrated at the end of Ramadan, amid a late state budget for the fiscal year that started April 1.

“We expect an extender to be passed on Thursday,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins told reporters, adding that the extender will run until Tuesday of next week.

The Assembly, on the other hand, will meet on Friday week to pass the extender as the sides remain undecided over the $233 billion spending plan that includes measures to address the state’s housing shortage and address retail theft.

After passing the extender on Thursday, Stewart-Cousins doesn’t expect senators to return until the start of next week: “We are at the beginning of the end, but the end is hard.” she said.

The leader has used that phrase before. On April 19 2023, Stewart-Cousins said lawmakers were at "the beginning of the end” of the budget process.

It took 13 days from that point to final passage. This year, the sides are poised to recess starting April 18 for two weeks because of Passover — so a goal is to get a deal before then, but the days are ticking away toward meeting that goal. — Jason Beeferman

HOUSING LACK OF DEALS: As the budget is now nine days late, progressive groups are still protesting to get their wants included in the budget, including a deal to ensure affordable housing.

Eight protesters were arrested outside of the governor’s office in the Capitol during a rally this afternoon.

“Economic and social mobility depends on a government, depends on leadership like [Assembly Speaker Carl] Heastie and [Senate Majority Leader] Andrea Stewart-Cousins to hold a powerful executive like Gov. Hochul, who's moving out of step with the vast majority of New Yorkers, to hold her accountable,” said Jawanza James Williams, a director at VOCAL New York.

“We need those two conferences, the Assembly and the Senate, to actually represent the people that put them there.”

What does that mean? For them, it’s getting the good cause eviction measure to protect tenant rights and the Housing Access Voucher program included in the state’s budget in a bid to help fight homelessness.

They also want to tax the rich and large corporations.

Cea Weaver, the coalition director at Housing Justice for All, said that it seems that Hochul seems to be more willing to meet with real estate executives and campaign donors than renters.

“I think we have been quite clear for months that we are not married to every crossed T or dotted I in our bill,” said Weaver, who was among those arrested. — Shawn Ness

SKIRMISH SURPRISE: Mayor Eric Adams said he “would have never predicted” how infrequently skirmishes occur on Randall’s Island, where the city is sheltering about 3,000 migrants under conditions he called “inhumane.”

“Three thousand people are placed into an environment — many of them are young — and told ‘You can’t do anything all day but sit there for the whole day,’” the mayor said today during an off-topic news conference. “I’m amazed at how well they’re doing.”

Randall’s Island has drawn headlines in recent months for violence among the migrants sheltered there, and Adams in January promised a “complete analysis” of the site’s safety precautions.

Today, he told reporters: “Evidently, we’re doing the right thing” by implementing security measures like metal detectors and curfews.

“We’re not seeing skirmishes hop up all the time,” Adams said. “We’re seeing just the opposite. We’re seeing people saying, ‘We want to wait so we can finally get our crack at the American dream.’” — Irie Sentner

SILENT TREATMENT: Adams declined to answer multiple questions today related to revelations that federal authorities are looking into free flight upgrades he accepted from Turkish Airlines and the city’s retention of a celebrity defense lawyer to represent the mayor in a sexual harassment case.

On Friday, a report in The New York Times indicated investigators from the FBI and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York are looking at whether a Turkish Airlines executive vaulted Adams to the highest passenger status offered by the carrier, which is partially owned by the Turkish government’s sovereign wealth fund.

Additionally, City Hall has retained the services of Alex Spiro, who has in the past represented Elon Musk, Jay-Z and Alec Baldwin, in a sexual harassment case.

Adams, who has not been accused of wrongdoing by prosecutors and is facing the sexual harassment case in civil court, declined to go into details about either subject, saying that his legal team is handling the cases while he tends to the everyday business of governing.

“I've said this over and over again — I follow the laws,” Adams said at a press briefing when asked about details of the federal probe being publicized.

“I have great attorneys. My job is to run the city. They are to run the review. I am pleased with my attorneys, what they’re doing. And the process is going to take its course.” — Joe Anuta

CAUCUS PUSHES ON ENERGY ISSUES: Ensuring affordability while taking bold steps to address the climate crisis which disproportionately impacts many communities they represent is a priority for the NYS Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus.

Assemblymember Michaelle Solages, a Democrat from Nassau County and chair of the influential caucus, laid out some of the ways lawmakers could support those goals in an interview last month with Playbook.

The central question facing policymakers is how to fund the state’s climate efforts while preventing unpalatable costs for consumers.

“There are a lot of groups I see that are saying these laws are hurting New Yorkers. They're costing too much. And it's unfortunate because the cost of the climate crisis is already high in so many communities, including communities of color,” Solages said.

“We have high rates of asthma. When flooding happens, we can't afford to rebuild, and so we get displaced. And so at the end of the day, the cost is so high. We need to ensure that we're being smart about the transition, but also not afraid of being bold.”

Solages said the caucus supports the Climate Change Superfund measure, which seeks to charge fossil fuel companies for historical emissions from the fuels they sold, and a low-carbon fuel standard for the transportation sector.

Some environmental justice groups oppose the clean fuel standard, questioning whether it would ensure emissions reduction quickly for the communities they advocate for.

Solages sees it as a beneficial policy for heavy-duty vehicles that will be on the roads for years to come with less impact on individual consumers.

“It won't cost the ratepayers at the end of the day,” Solages said. The low-carbon fuel standard in California has added to gas prices, although proponents argue there’s not a significant correlation between low-carbon fuel credit costs and gasoline costs.

The NY HEAT, the legislative measure to cap energy bills as a percent of income, would end subsidies for new gas hookups and expand the Public Service Commission’s authority to decommission parts of the gas system, is also a caucus priority.

Solages said they’re urging some type of compromise or resolution to get it passed. The issue hasn’t yet been resolved in budget negotiations.

“This is the time that we need to just urge our leadership to be brave about the climate crisis and look at ways that we can ensure that we are transitioning to electric, but also not creating a disadvantaged situation for the ratepayers,” Solages said.

The caucus is also supportive of the $200 million for low-income ratepayers to help with utility bills. They also back more funding for electric school buses to help districts with the up-front expenses. — Marie J. French

— An appellate court rejected Trump’s efforts to delay his hush-money trial. (POLITICO)

— The Inspector General’s Office is investigating the Adirondack Park Agency. What they are looking for is not yet clear. (Times Union)

— A school in Brooklyn is experimenting with a 12-hour school day. (The New York Times)