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With help from Shawn Ness

Two lawsuits that could determine the future of ethics enforcement in New York have advanced in the courts in recent weeks.

Either has the potential to send lawmakers back to the drawing board on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature good-government accomplishment — and one could determine whether ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo will take a $5 million hit to his bank account.

Both suits involve the unique structure of the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government that was created in Hochul’s 2022 budget. Like the oft-maligned Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) that preceded it, most of the members are chosen by the elected officials whose behavior is policed by the commission.

But Hochul added an additional twist. There’s a panel run by law school deans that needs to sign off on the appointments.

Cuomo’s case, meanwhile, came after the new commission took steps to continue a JCOPE probe into whether he used state resources to author his memoir on the pandemic. JCOPE had attempted to force him to forfeit the $5.1 million he was paid for the book.

The ex-governor argued that the commission’s structure runs afoul of separation of powers ideals — it can investigate the executive branch, but the governor has only a minority of commissioners and even those are officially appointed by the panel of deans. An Albany County judge sided with Cuomo in September and said the commission is unconstitutional.

A mid-level appellate court granted a stay that allowed the commission to continue to exist. It heard arguments in Cuomo’s case last month, and a decision could be handed down in the coming weeks.

The other lawsuit came about after the panel of deans blocked Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt’s selection of Gary Lavine on the grounds that his previous experience as a JCOPE commissioner “has negatively shaped his expectations regarding the new commission.”

Lavine argued in a suit that the state is “not allowed to delegate the confirmation power to any entity other than the Senate” based on his read of the state constitution, said Brian Ginsberg, a Harris Beach attorney representing Speaker Carl Heastie in the case.

But Ginsberg said that “hundreds of years of constitutional practice and precedence” have backed up the ability of the Legislature to hand power off to a screening commission like this one, and Lavine lost last year.

But that case is also moving forward. Final briefs were submitted to a Rochester-based appellate court last week, and oral arguments are scheduled April 8.

With the two cases on similar timetables, there’s a chance there will be conflicting appellate decisions on the commission’s constitutionality, guaranteeing that the Court of Appeals will weigh in on that subject in the near future.

And it’s a safe bet the losers will still ask the state’s top court to consider their cases even if the appellate courts come to similar conclusions. — Bill Mahoney

BLAZING A TRAIL: Hochul announced today a new online timeline in celebration of New York State Parks’ Centennial.

The timeline will be arranged by eight chronological eras, and, as of right now, the first two eras are up and running. The first two eras are “Laying the Foundation: 1850-1924,” and “Adopting The Park Plan: 1924-1929.” The rest of the installments will be added throughout the year.

“The New York State Parks Centennial is the perfect opportunity to explore the rich history of our parks and historic sites,” Hochul said in a statement. “Local leaders, philanthropists, businesses and people from across this state worked together to create a nation-leading parks system that has become one of New York’s most cherished recreational and cultural treasures.”

The program will utilize photos, illustrations, paintings, documents, archived footage and maps to tell the story of New York’s parks.

The timeline is one of five initiatives launched to celebrate the centennial of the nation’s oldest parks system. The others consist of an exhibit in the Capitol tunnel; the “Share Your Story Project;” the Centennial Challenge and the release of a merchandise collection.

“When people experience ‘Blazing A Trail,’ they will gain an understanding of the forces that shaped the park system we know and love today and a greater appreciation of this public treasure,” Randy Simons, the commissioner pro tempore of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, said in a statement. — Shawn Ness

SUBWAY SHOOTING: While ostensibly hitting the airwaves this morning to highlight a new agreement between the administration and an influential construction union, Mayor Eric Adams ended up talking a lot about a shooting on the subway yesterday afternoon, when a scuffle on a Brooklyn A train ended with one person shot in the head and in critical condition.

As subway safety has become a political hot potato as of late, Adams talked up his administration’s recent efforts to bolster NYPD ranks underground. He also called on state lawmakers to strengthen Kendra’s Law, the statute that allows officials to involuntarily commit someone deemed to be having a mental health crisis.

“At the heart of this, if you do an analysis … we are dealing with far too many people in our system that are dealing with severe mental health illnesses,” Adams told PIX 11. “And that is why our pursuit to do involuntary removal in Albany and strengthening the Kendra's law is so important right now.”

While Adams did not mention Kendra’s Law during his annual trip to Capitol earlier this year to outline the administration’s state legislative priorities, his office said he has sought for years to clarify several portions of the law that would make it easier for his administration to intervene when officials deem someone cannot care for themselves.

Meanwhile, the man who shot another man on the subway appears to have acted in self defense, prosecutors said. — Joe Anuta

TENANT PROTECTION: The Adams administration launched a multi-agency initiative today aimed at protecting New York City tenants.

The new “Tenant Protection Cabinet” will facilitate coordination across about two dozen agencies and offices to help ensure renters are connected to resources they need, boost underutilized tenant services and develop policies to make it easier for tenants to access support.

The cabinet will be co-chaired by Maria Torres-Springer, the deputy mayor for housing and Leila Bozorg, the executive director for housing

“Homes are more than brick and mortar — they are places where New Yorkers who rent can build their American Dreams. Together, this cabinet will work to deliver relief for tenants and working-class New Yorkers,” Adams said in a statement. — Janaki Chadha

LEAVE IT BLANK: Two former candidates for office in New York City and other organizers this week launched the Leave it Blank NY campaign to encourage voters to cast blank ballots in New York’s primary election in protest of President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

“Tell Biden ‘Count me out for genocide,’ submit a blank ballot on April 2nd,” the website said.

New York does not have the option of write-ins on its ballot, so the workaround is to cast blank ones.

The campaign is paid for by Hesham El-Meligy, a Democrat who ran for New York City comptroller in 2013, and Brittany Ramos DeBarros, a House candidate in Staten Island under the Working Families Party in 2022.

“As Democrats, we know how much is at stake in the upcoming general election, and are deeply concerned by the thousands and thousands of voters who we know are very upset about the fact that Biden has continued to block international efforts for a cease-fire,” DeBarros told Playbook.

DeBarros, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, warned that Biden’s position on the war in Gaza could cost Democrats in November.

“It was devastating to be on the ground in war and to watch families and people flee me and people with me out of absolute terror because of what had been a decade of war,” she said. “And when I look at the videos or the photos that I've seen in Gaza, I remember those looks that people had when fleeing or getting gunned down as they are just trying to get flour to survive or humanitarian aid.”

DeBarros hopes that in the next two weeks or so they will have an operational phone bank. She said she has talked to organizers in Minnesota who ran successful phone banks for similar campaigns and spent around $15,000, which is what she is aiming for with Leave it Blank NY.

The campaign has been modeled after ones for voters to cast their votes as “uncommitted” in places like Michigan, Minnesota, Washington and Hawaii. — Shawn Ness

MEDICAID CONCERNS: Nearly 100 patient groups and community health advocates sent a letter to Hochul demanding she address what they deem as a Medicaid funding crisis.

They are calling for her to raise the reimbursement rate for hospitals and nursing homes.

Nearly 4.2 million New Yorkers are on Medicaid. According to the NY State Alliance for Healthcare Justice, the state is paying hospitals 30 percent less than the actual cost of care and 24 percent less for nursing homes.

The push comes as lawmakers and Hochul are at odds over Medicaid funding ahead of the April 1 start of the fiscal year. Medicaid is the largest piece of the state budget when federal funding is included.

“For decades, Medicaid underpayments have created unacceptable health disparities among the vulnerable people we serve, especially in the Latino community, where we face worse health outcomes, shorter life expectancies, and higher rates of infant mortality,” Roxanne Marin, the regional director of Centro Civico in Albany, said in a statement.

The groups said Medicaid’s underfunding negatively impacts those of Black and Latino communities, in particular. — Shawn Ness

MIN WAGE LAMENT: Advocates who are pushing for a change in the state’s minimum wage law were disappointed the Democratic-led Legislature did not include a raise for tipped workers in their budget resolutions this week.

The lack of support for the provision from the state Senate and Assembly likely puts a damper on the measure being included in a final budget agreement by the end of month. But supporters are still holding out hope.

“We urge Governor Hochul to support the inclusion of the bill in the final budget,” Saru Jayaraman, the president of the One Fair Wage coalition, said in a statement. “New Yorkers deserve predictable and stable wages for their hard work.”

Business organizations have pushed back on efforts to hike the minimum wage this year, including for counties north of Westchester. The tipped wage in New York ranges from $10 cash wage plus a $5 credit for food service workers upstate to $10.65 cash wage and a $5.35 credit in the New York City area. — Nick Reisman

— Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens ranked in the top six nationally for losing the most residents to other states in 2023. (POLITICO PRO)

— Sen. Tim Kennedy got an endorsement from Attorney General Tish James for his congressional bid. (Buffalo News)

— The New York Thruway is preparing for the eclipse. (Democrat and Chronicle)

With help from Shawn Ness

Daytime TV, meet Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The governor made her first appearance on “The View” this morning, a brief respite from the ongoing scut work of the state budget negotiations in Albany.

It was a chance for her to demonstrate on the midday political gabfest her personal side to a national audience as she is also becoming an increasingly relied-upon surrogate for President Joe Biden’s reelection.

Hochul spoke about being thrust into the governor’s office following the resignation of Andrew Cuomo in 2021 and the pressure she has felt being the first woman to serve in the role.

“I knew I had to get it right. People are going to have me under a microscope,” she told the panel. “I had to be perfect in every sense of the word. I’m human, and I make mistakes.”

She revealed that she speaks with her granddaughter on FaceTime each morning while putting on makeup.

“She thinks her grandmother is a makeup artist,” Hochul joked.

But the appearance on “The View” coincides with the broader duties the governor is taking on over the last several months.

Hochul has sought to claim a bigger role in the nation’s political story: helping Biden on national TV talk shows and working to build up the infrastructure of the Democratic Party in New York in order to aid down-ballot House candidates running in key swing seats this year.

But it doesn’t mean “The View” panelists skip over the metro section.

Hochul was pressed (as much as one can be pressed in the show’s largely friendly confines) about the migrant crisis and the escalating costs for the state and city. She once again blamed House Republicans for rejecting a Senate border security plan.

“We’re doing the best we can to manage the influx, get people housing,” she said. “It’s very expensive.”

Rep. Mike Lawler, who briefly spoke with Hochul when she attended State of the Union last week, challenged Hochul to support his immigration legislation.

“She refused to support my bill, which would actually secure the border,” he told Playbook.

And questions over the state’s bail laws have remained stubbornly persistent no matter how many times Hochul points to measures in which she has expanded circumstances that cash bail is required in criminal cases. "The View" was no different, and the governor said she won changes by holding up the budget last year.

“I held the budget up one-month late,” she said. “Last year, I held up the budget; I got the changes I needed. Judges have discretion.”

And the governor defended her decision to deploy National Guard and State Police personnel to New York City subway stations as necessary psychological reinforcement to get people back on mass transit.

“My job is to keep people safe,” she said. “People are saying thank you for taking such strong actions.”

But panelist Whoopi Goldberg, who had stayed largely silent during the two blocks Hochul was on the show, ended the conversation by railing against the coming congestion pricing tolls for Manhattan.

“You can’t get to Broadway unless you leave the day before,” Goldberg said. “This is a huge deal. I can afford it. But a lot of my friends who left because they can’t afford to live here, can’t.”

The show ended before Hochul could respond, but she told Goldberg she’s willing to talk more with her about it. — Nick Reisman

INSULIN COPAYS: After the Senate and Assembly released their one-house budgets, some lawmakers are celebrating the inclusion of the elimination of insulin copays. They are urging that the measure makes it into the final budget deal.

“If we have money to pay for a new Buffalo Bills stadium and an expansion of Madison Square Garden, we have the money for this,” Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes, a Brooklyn Democrat, said.

Insulin can cost on average $1,000 a month for those living with diabetes who do not have insurance. For those with insurance, it can cost anywhere between $20 and $50 a month.

An estimated 1.5 million New Yorkers live with diabetes and 34 million nationally. Twenty-five states and D.C. have put a cap on insulin copays.

“In New York, we're at a crossroads in healthcare. Amidst our skyscrapers and million dollar homes, there are individuals, neighbors, friends, coworkers, people who are forced to make unthinkable choices between life-sustaining medication and financial stability,” Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest, a Brooklyn Democrat and nurse, said at a news conference today.

“Nowhere is this more visible than in the ongoing crisis surrounding the cost of insulin.” — Shawn Ness

SPEAKER SPEAKS ON THE BUDGET: Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said today that “hope springs eternal” for the possibility of getting a budget passed by the March 31 deadline. This year’s timing is complicated by the fact that Easter falls on the due date, meaning members are aiming to wrap everything up by Thursday, March 28.

“We have 15 days,” Heastie said. “You can look at it both ways: As Yogi Berra used to say, ‘It’s getting late early.’ Or you could say, ‘15 days in Albany time is a lifetime.’”

The Assembly and Senate released their one-house budget plans this week, jumpstarting final negotiations. Heastie reminded reporters at the Capitol today that his house’s long-standing policy is to “shy away from things that are more policy-related in the budget.”

But he’s hopeful the budget can include a deal to improve the state’s housing laws.

“REBNY and the unions have to come to a wage deal,” Heastie said. “If they can come to a wage deal, then I think the other elements can be discussed.”

He’s not concerned that the Assembly’s plan to raise taxes on high earners might drive people out of New York.

“Since we’re so worried about people living in New Jersey and working in New York … let’s hurry up and get to a deal on housing affordability,” the speaker said. — Bill Mahoney

MIGRANT PLANNING: Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced this afternoon that the city’s legislative body would pitch into the massive effort to support migrants by helping with coordination.

The so-called New Arrivals Strategy Team will be spearheaded by government and nonprofit leaders and “recommend policies to stabilize new arrivals and identify lasting structural solutions that facilitate their path to self-sufficiency,” Adams said as part of her State of the City speech, delivered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

“This new migration can benefit our city, but more intentional planning is needed,” Adams said.

Other council members, including Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala, have criticized Mayor Eric Adams’ administration for continuing to manage the migrant crisis in a sort of “emergency mode,” even nearly two years after the first buses from the southern border began arriving.

Tonight, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso will make a separate migrant-related announcement in his State of the Borough address, launching a work authorization application help center in conjunction with the mayor’s office, Playbook reported. — Emily Ngo

EARLY CHILDHOOD PUSH: Speaker Adams also signaled her plans to make 3K and early childhood education programs a priority in budget negotiations amid the mayor’s proposed cuts.

Citing a lack of affordable child care options and a “weakened 3K system,” she lamented the growing number of working and middle-class families who feel they can no longer afford the Big Apple. She called on the city and state to increase investments in programs financed by sunsetting Covid-19 federal stimulus funding.

“Now is the time to renew our promise to New Yorkers and deepen our commitment to the city’s 3K and early childhood education programs,” Adams said during her State of the City address. “Our children need us.”

Adams is also partnering with District Council 37, the city’s largest municipal union, to announce an initiative that will create pathways to careers and jobs in city government.

Other education proposals from the council speaker: 

• Examine sexual health education and whether recommendations from a 2018 task force have been implemented. 
• Consider legislation requiring the city conduct an education and outreach campaign in collaboration with young people.
• Introduce new laws obliging the city to offer peer-to-peer mental health training for students. — Madina Touré

TENANT PROTECTIONS: Senate and Assembly Democrats are advocating for right to counsel legislation to provide tenants facing eviction with an attorney to fight for them.

The Right to Council coalition members are asking for $260 million to fund the program and expand it to include tenants who are above the income threshold for qualification.

“If they've got an attorney, they're far more likely to win and to be able to stay in their homes. We also know if they have access to an attorney, they're more likely to challenge an eviction rather than just self evict,” Syracuse Sen. Rachel May, the bill’s sponsor, said at a news conference this afternoon.

“And for all of these reasons, we've got to get this done this year in the budget and get the money to make sure that we can have the attorneys and the support that tenants need to stay in their homes.”

Syracuse has the second highest child poverty rates in the country, and it is harder to find an apartment in Syracuse than it is in New York City, she said.

The coalition estimated it would provide legal representation to 46,000 families across the state facing eviction, decrease eviction filings by 19 percent, and default evictions to decrease by 32 percent.

“When we talk about housing, it's not just about shelter, it's about stability. It's about dignity. It's about having the essence of a home. It's about making sure that individuals and families facing eviction and other housing related legal issues have a path to address it,” Assemblymember Michaelle Solages, a Long Island Democrat, said. — Shawn Ness

GAS BATTLE REDO: The need to reduce emissions from the state’s natural gas system — which heats 60 percent of homes — is set to divide Senate and Assembly Democrats once again.

Last year, lawmakers and Hochul ultimately cut a deal to enact nation-leading limits on fossil fuel combustion in new buildings that begin to take effect in 2026. This year, Senate Democrats and Hochul want to take another sweeping step to enable the state’s utility regulator to limit expansions of the gas system further and even, in future years, begin dismantling sections of it.

While a majority of Assembly Democrats support the legislative measure dubbed “NY HEAT,” those more expansive provisions were excluded from the one-house budget proposal.

But Assembly Democratic leadership did officially signal openness to a smaller step: ending subsidies for new gas hookups.

The conference is “exploring” that idea, a summary of the Assembly’s budget position posted before sunrise states. “Any resulting proposal would include strong labor standards and protections and workforce development programs to train, retrain, and transition the fossil-fuel workforce.”

The Assembly also proposed $200 million aimed at keeping utility bills below 6 percent of income for low-income ratepayers. “We want to deal with the heating costs, the cost is an issue for low wage earners,” he said.

Heastie said the other components of the NY HEAT Act weren’t included because they’re considered policy.

That’s not enough to satisfy environmental advocates, who see a need to end the “obligation to serve” new gas customers and more flexibility for the Public Service Commission to regulate gas utility expansion and mandate additional steps as essential. The state’s climate plan also backs such changes.

“The real driver of the gas rates is the maintenance and replacement of old gas mains,” said Jessica Azulay, executive director Alliance for a Green Energy Economy. Addressing the obligation to serve is “also the key to allowing gas utilities to plan their system.”

The broader proposal to potentially enable the PSC to downsize the gas system and block existing buildings using propane or other fuels from hooking up faces opposition from some gas utilities, labor unions and business groups.

Sen. Liz Krueger, who sponsors the measure, after a rally at which advocates chanted “HEAT Act now, Heastie,” said she’d like to get the whole measure in the budget, but that passing it afterward was also an option given growing support in the Assembly. — Marie J. French

SENATE AIMS TO BLOCK LEGAL REIMBURSEMENTS: The Senate included a proposal in its one-house budget to block the state from reimbursing campaign committees for some legal defense fees.

Current law says taxpayers will reimburse office holders for their legal defenses after an acquittal on criminal charges — even if that defense was paid for with a campaign account. That law gained prominence when former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno was reimbursed $2.4 million following a 2014 not guilty verdict. More recently, ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s campaign account received $565,000 after prosecutors dropped a forcible touching charge against him.

Cuomo’s account is expected to receive several million more from the state.

Senate Deputy Leader Mike Gianaris, who has sponsored legislation to ban this sort of reimbursement since the Bruno case, said that it might not impact the ex-governor if the language stays in the budget.

“It takes effect immediately,” he said. But “it would apply when the claim was made, so any claims that have already been made would not be subject at all.” — Bill Mahoney

— The Assembly passed a ban on CO2 fracking. They have instead recommended a new practice. (State of Politics)

— GOP Rep. Marc Molinaro is the first Republican to support Democrats' bill to create federal protections for in vitro fertilization services. (Axios)

— Adams defended the NYPD officers who beat up and tasered a migrant man holding his infant son at a migrant shelter in Queens. (Daily News)

With help from Shawn Ness

From pristine beaches to awe-inspiring waterfalls, New York’s parks have been getting major love — and they’re now in store for some green from Gov. Kathy Hochul.

This past year saw more visits to New York’s parks than in any other year.

In total, there were 84.1 million visits to state parks in 2023 — 4.7 million than the previous attendance record set in 2022, Hochul’s office said this morning. Niagara Falls, the state’s most visited park last year, saw about 9.5 million visitors — almost one million more than second-place Jones Beach on Long Island.

But the successful attendance numbers for New York’s park system was just part of the good news for coming out of Albany this morning.

The outgoing commissioner of parks, Erik Kulleseid, is stepping aside with praise from Democratic lawmakers who applauded recent major proposed investments, including $100 million for Jones Beach.

“They were happy because of the amount of money,” Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell, who chairs the committee on Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development, said of the rousing applause from Assembly Democrats at today’s budget hearing.

Hochul’s proposed budget includes a total $450 million in capital funding for state parks, $250 million more than last year. That includes $150 million for swimming investments.

Kulleseid testified at the hearing that those funds would be doled out in the form of grants to local governments who develop more public pools. The money isn’t for pools on state parkland.

“There's a real commitment to making sure those are in underserved communities,” Kulleseid said. He said they’re currently taking input informally on how to structure the grant program.

The parks department is also working to re-open a key swimming destination for New York City area residents at Lake Sebago in Harriman State Park in the Hudson Valley. The beach there has been closed since the impacts of Hurricane Irene in 2011. Improvements to the beach, re-opening a concession stand and a wastewater treatment plant are part of the $80 million project, Kulleseid said.

The Jones Beach project involves re-opening the historic East Bathhouse, converting an abandoned pool into a spray park with opportunities for inexperienced swimmers to learn how to swim. But there won’t be solar canopies on the parking lots at Jones Beach.

“We want to be cautious about where we place them,” Kulleseid said in response to a lawmaker’s question, explaining that the configuration of the grid in the area made siting solar challenging.

Several lawmakers also had questions about safety. Kulleseid highlighted efforts to increase the park police force and higher pay for those stationed downstate.

He said the department is also working to get a new chief of the state parks police.

Assemblymember Carrie Woerner, a Democrat from Round Lake, questioned whether a 25-year timeline for a pension instead of a 20-year one was a deterrent for retaining park police. “Most of our officers would say that the parks job is one of the best law enforcement jobs out there,” Kulleseid responded.

CARROTS NOT STICKS: Hochul today awarded 20 localities across the state with a “pro-housing” certification — a designation that gives them priority consideration from up to $650 million in discretionary funds.

Getting first dibs on that funding is intended to incentivize localities to grow their housing stock — after Hochul’s proposed production mandates failed to make it through the state Legislature last year.

Localities that received the certification include White Plains in Westchester County; Kingston and Newburgh in the Hudson Valley and Mineola on Long Island, where opposition to Hochul’s plan was particularly fierce last year. Another 61 localities have started their applications, Hochul said.

State legislators argued last year Hochul should use carrots rather than sticks to get towns and cities to boost housing growth.

So Hochul went with the message: At a Red Room event with local leaders to celebrate the certifications Hochul held up an actual bunch of carrots.

“I’m told this is what you’re willing to eat to build more housing,” the governor joked. — Janaki Chadha

TRYING AGAIN: The twice-vetoed proposal to expand New York’s wrongful death law is back.

State lawmakers this week introduced a new version of the bill with the same premise: Making it easier for people to file wrongful death claims based on emotional anguish.

The current wrongful death law, sponsor Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal argues, is not sufficient.

“The law, in essence, says that the attributes of our family members that we most value--emotional support, love, companionship, advice and guidance--count for nothing,” the bill’s memo states.

But opponents have not been convinced. The Lawsuit Reform Alliance, an advocacy organization, remains opposed.

"The bill sponsors continue to ignore the school districts, public hospitals, transit authorities, cities, towns and counties who are deeply concerned about this legislation and its impact on taxpayers and local government budgets," Tom Stebbins, the group’s executive director, said.

"Despite the oceans of data, lawmakers absurdly claim the fiscal impact to state and local governments will be 'none.' That's not possible.”

Lawmakers will still have to convince Hochul, who has vetoed two versions of the bill. Her budget office has pointed to the costs, including the potential insurance premiums skyrocketing as a result. — Nick Reisman

SPLIT DECISION: Hochul dismissed the idea of covering half of New York City’s migrant costs, making her the second Albany leader to dash Mayor Eric Adams' hopes.

“We are already making substantial contributions to deal with the problem,” Hochul said during an unrelated press briefing when asked about the mayor’s plea.

Her remarks came a day after Adams traveled to the capital to make his request — along with several others — before a panel of Senate and Assembly lawmakers.

“New Yorkers are already carrying most of the asylum-seeker costs. It is wrong to ask them to do more, and it puts our city in a precarious position,” the mayor testified. “Today, we are asking the state to increase its commitment and cover at least 50 percent of our costs.”

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins was the first to offer a chilly response soon after his testimony.

Hochul said today that Adams did not make the request to her at all during a closed-door meeting following Adams’ nearly three-hour appearance. He did, however, thank her profusely for the aid the state has already given, she said.

Hochul proposed $2.4 billion for migrant costs in her state budget, up from less than $2 billion. City Hall said that is still $400 million short of what they have budgeted for, based on the state, city and federal government splitting the costs equally.

While Adams has asked the state to up its cost share to half in light of federal inaction, officials could not provide a dollar figure to POLITICO they would like to see in the state budget. — Joe Anuta

CLOCK STARTS FOR NEW YORK’S OTHER CONGRESSIONAL SPECIAL: Rep. Brian Higgins’ formal resignation last week set off the calendar for the special election to replace him.

Hochul will need to pick a date, but at this point, the rules governing timing mean it will be on either April 23 or April 30 if she wants to hold it on a Tuesday. April 30 might be more likely, as April 23 is the first full day of Passover.

“I would assume it plays into the timing,” state Sen. Tim Kennedy said today.

Kennedy will be the Democratic nominee in the special for the Democratic-friendly seat, having won the backing of the Erie and Niagara county parties last month. “I’m excited about the opportunity to go serve Western New York,” he said.

Republicans have yet to pick a candidate: “We’re keeping our eyes and ears open, but until the special’s called, I think there’s a lot still to be determined,” Kennedy added. — Bill Mahoney

PATROL FOR PILIP: The union for border patrol agents came to the Nassau-Queens border today to endorse Republican Mazi Pilip in the congressional special election.

“I get to recommend to my fellow U.S. citizens a great individual,” National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd said at a press conference outside the migrant shelter at the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Bellerose.

Both Democrat Tom Suozzi and the union have supported the border security deal in Congress, while Pilip called it “an absolute non-starter." But Judd said they’re backing her anyway because Pilip “was able to build bridges” despite disagreements.

Suozzi brushed it off at a virtual presser this afternoon as “not surprising at all” since the union is close to Donald Trump, who opposes the bill. The endorsement was “obviously a deal with the Trumpers and the right wing despite the best interests of the border patrol agents,” he said.

Judd said he hopes a border deal can be separated from an international aid package in Congress. — Jeff Coltin

MIGRANTS ATTACK ON NYPD OFFICERS: At a bipartisan press conference at the Capitol today, state senators and Assembly members called for additional action because they claim Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg did not take enough action against the migrants attacks on NYPD officers last week in Times Square.

“How long will we be the benefactors of lawlessness,” Assemblymember Jaime Williams, a Brooklyn Democrat, said. “Today we stand in solidarity to support the two NYPD offices that was assaulted by a group of migrants. I say that the entire issue was mishandled by DA Bragg… he has allowed politics to cloud his judgment.”

Bragg has only indicted one out of 10 of the accused attackers involved in the incident.

Assembymember Sam Pirozzollo, a Republican, made it clear that everyone's comments were really only directed at three people: Hochul, Adams and Bragg.

“We have pretty much given the [migrants] everything… And what do we get in return? We get an assault on New York City police officers, that neither the governor, the mayor and — forget Alvin Bragg — have responded properly to.” — Shawn Ness

EDUCATION: Schools Chancellor David Banks today expressed concerns about education budget cuts impacting Adams’ efforts to persuade state lawmakers he should retain control of the New York City public school system.

He sounded the alarm on soon-to-be-expired federal stimulus money that has funded popular education programs like 3K — and Banks warned of “difficult choices” the city will have to make “with a finite set of dollars.”

“It could, but I certainly hope that it does not,” Banks told PIX 11 on whether it will impact legislators’ vote on whether to extend mayoral control during the ongoing legislative session. “I think that this administration has really earned the right to an extension… of mayoral control.”

He emphasized achievements like improvements in city students’ state test scores and a decrease in chronic absenteeism in schools.

“A lot of people are saying, ‘We should get rid of mayoral control’…but there are very few people that are actually offering up a real alternative.” — Madina Touré

SCHOOL SAFETY: The city Department of Education is looking to put more metal detectors in schools amid an uptick in weapons recovered at institutions.

“We’re looking at that,” David Banks told PIX 11. “Those are also multimillion dollar investments that have to be made, even during some tough fiscal times…There’s nothing more important than keeping all of our kids safe.”

This comes after two students were stabbed at Martin Van Buren High School in Queens. Metal detectors were placed at the school in the aftermath of the incident.

At the same time, education officials have been working with companies who have systems that detect dangerous weapons without subjecting students to a “dehumanizing process” that entails emptying their pockets,” he said.

“Some of these companies are still developing that technology,” Banks added. — Madina Touré

MAKING THE ROUNDS: Hochul has announced two new rounds of education funding for various programs throughout the state.

The Educator Career Development Ambassador Program, which is a summer training session for aspiring teachers, librarians and counselors in six through 12 grade levels. Her initiative also included another round of funding for the Empire State Teacher Residency Program, which now gets $12.4 million a year.

Both proposals are designed to bolster the state’s teaching workforce.

“Our kids deserve the best possible education, and that starts with investing in our teachers… We are reinforcing our commitment to our public servants and to preparing young people for the robust opportunities that await them,” Hochul said in a statement. — Shawn Ness

RENEWABLE RISKS: New York has long pushed to rely on 70 percent renewable electricity by 2030. It’s clear now the state is no longer on track — derailed by growing costs, canceled projects and regulators’ refusal to provide more ratepayer-funded subsidies.

Part of the problem is there are simply not enough existing, awarded and contracted projects in the pipeline to hit the 2030 target.

The biggest blow: Two offshore wind contracts with the state’s energy authority were terminated last week, taking a bite out of the state’s inventory of investments set to be operational before the statutory deadline to reach 70 percent renewable electricity.

State officials have recognized the challenges and highlighted the efforts to still achieve the targets in New York’s historic 2019 climate law, which also included a zero-emission electricity system by 2040 and an 85 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. — Marie J. French

— Child care advocates are calling for better pay for child care workers making less than $36,000 per year. (State of Politics)

— The Corrections Academy Class was postponed because only 40 new recruits signed up. (Daily News)

— Out-of-state gun owners filed a lawsuit saying a state ban on concealed carry weapons violates their 2nd Amendment rights. (Times Union)