Politico

With help from Shawn Ness

New from New York

Happening now:

• First the New York City mayor, and now Gov. Kathy Hochul is headed to Rome.
• A ‘Big’ Hall of Famer visited the state Capitol.
• The Adams administration was in Albany today to push for procurement changes.
• Rep. Nicole Malliotakis showed up outside the trial of former President Donald Trump.

THE POPE AND HOCHUL: Gov. Kathy Hochul will be jetting away to Rome this week for a climate conference hosted by Pope Francis.

She’ll be giving a 15-minute talk, titled “Climate Leadership in the Empire State: Building Resiliency for All,” at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Vatican City time.

The pontiff will hold an audience with the governor and other world leaders shortly after Hochul’s speech.

The governor’s trip to the Vatican comes just days after Mayor Eric Adams also visited the Holy See. (Adams and his team flew back from Rome today, after arriving on Friday).

The nearly back-to-back visits to the Vatican seem to be coincidental.

“Our goal for this trip is simple: strengthen international connections that will create economic opportunities for New Yorkers and a cleaner future for the next generation,” Hochul said in a statement.

Hochul, unlike Adams, is Catholic, and she frequently talks about her faith during public addresses.

The three-day summit will also be attended by California Gov. Gavin Newsom; Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey; the mayors of Boston, London, Rome, São Paulo, Paris, Athens and Venice; and other politicians and academics.

A main goal of the summit will be to create a “Planetary Climate Resilience protocol,” fashioned in the likes of the Montreal Protocol, and all the global leaders will sign their names to it. The document will then be submitted to the United Nations.

“This is a great opportunity for New York to discuss their climate bill and all the actions going on right now to reduce our climate footprint,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director at Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “This is a critically important meeting that can hopefully inspire other leaders to take action.”

It won’t be the first time the governor and the pope are side by side. In 2015, then-Lt. Gov. Hochul visited the White House on behalf of her boss, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, for the pontiff’s first visit to the U.S.

“For me personally, as a Catholic, it was amazing to be in the presence of such a humble but inspirational individual,” Hochul said at the time.

Hochul spokesperson Avi Small said the trip is official business of the governor and will be bankrolled by the state.

“Climate change is a critically important issue to the Holy Father, and we are pleased that Governor Hochul will have a chance to possibly meet him and discuss this pressing matter period,” said Dennnis Proust, the executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference.

“Our hope is it would be a moment of grace for her as a Catholic to meet Pope Francis.” — Jason Beeferman

BIG PAPI TO ALBANY: Famed Yankees beater David “Big Papi” Ortiz stopped by the state Capitol today to be honored for his charitable work.

“My career as an athlete and off the field with the community, this is what people really love about me as a person,” Ortiz said. “It’s not just me as an athlete who was out there doing my thing.”

Sen. Luis Sepulveda – ironically a Bronx resident – invited the former Red Sox player to Albany and lauded his efforts with groups like the Maestro Cares Gala.

Ortiz said he’s always been a fan of the Empire State: “New York is a state that every Dominican has someone related to them here,” he said.

“The only fans worldwide who stop me and say ‘I love and respect you’ are the Yankees fans. No Dodgers fans, no other team’s fans, but the Yankees fans are the only ones who spread that to me.”

While he said he’s “very familiar with the Bronx,” he hadn’t been to Albany before. “I drive by a lot,” he said. The Capitol is “beautiful,” he said. — Bill Mahoney

ADAMS ASK: Adams has another ask for Albany.

Officials with the mayor’s administration were at the Capitol today to push for changes to procurement law to speed up construction of infrastructure and other projects.

“These tools, my colleagues in the rest of the country already have them,” said Tom Foley, commissioner at the New York City Department of Design and Construction, which is responsible for public building projects. “We need these tools… to build better, faster and cheaper.”

The delegation also included Meera Joshi, deputy mayor for operations, and Michael Garner, chief business diversity officer.

Lawmakers supporting the mayor’s agenda indicated they’re willing to give Adams more latitude than previous officials.

State Sen. Jim Sanders also said it might seem late in session for a push, but that Adams was successful last year in a late effort for changes related to minority and women-owned businesses. The session ends the first week of June.

“There’s no waiting for another year, there’s getting it done now,” Sanders said.

But some of the measures Adams’ officials were pushing haven’t even been introduced, including making the Department of Design and Construction into an authority and expanding design-build contracting ability. Two have been introduced: changes to the public hearing requirements (A8864/S7833) which has passed the Senate and changes to the New York State Insurance Fund (A7317/S7975). — Marie J. French

TRUMP ON TRIAL

THERE FOR TRUMP: Rep. Nicole Malliotakis showed her support for former President Donald Trump today at his Manhattan criminal hush money trial, helping to slam key prosecution witness Michael Cohen because a gag order prohibits the former president from doing so.

The Staten Island Republican accompanied Trump in court and then stood alongside Sens. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall to challenge the credibility of Trump’s one-time fixer.

“He’s a convicted, disbarred perjurer,” Malliotakis told reporters of Cohen outside the courthouse during a break in his testimony.

Prosecutors have said Cohen’s testimony can be corroborated with other evidence.

Malliotakis also assailed Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, the Democrat who has become a frequent foil for Republicans. She said Bragg should be focused on “actual crime.”

NYPD statistics show shootings and homicides have been trending downward in Manhattan since Bragg took office. — Emily Ngo

‘SEEING US:’ After a long public engagement campaign, the City of Buffalo and victims’ families of the racially-motived mass-shooting in Buffalo in 2022 have come to a decision on how to honor the lives lost.

“Seeing Us” will consist of 10 unique pillars inscribed with the names of the victims.

"As we approach the solemn two-year anniversary of when our neighbors were senselessly slaughtered solely because of the color of their skin, we rededicate ourselves in supporting the East Buffalo community, remembering those we lost, and supporting those who were injured,” Hochul said in a statement.

Ten Black people were murdered in a Tops grocery store after a white 18-year-old drove over 200 miles from his hometown in Broome County to the predominantly-Black neighborhood.

Twenty designs were submitted to the 5/14 Memorial Commission, which consisted of 11 members. Five were appointed by Hochul, five from local leadership and one agreed on by both. — Shawn Ness

FAITH COMMUNITY SUPPORTS COLUMBIA STUDENTS: The Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York is creating a safe space for Columbia University students in the wake of recent pro-Palestinian protests on campus.

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Morningside Heights, the seat of the bishop, is providing room for a daily lunch for students currently banned from the university’s dining halls, Bishop Matthew Heyd wrote in a newsletter to parishioners this morning.

The church is also hosting an alternative commencement for students next week.

Ryan Kuratko and Megan Sanders, college chaplains at Columbia and New York University, are also supporting their respective campuses.

“The Cathedral is providing safe and open space for everyone at a time when Columbia University is not safe,” Heyd said, adding that all events at the cathedral “are open to everyone.”

This comes as Columbia kicks off smaller graduation ceremonies in lieu of its university-wide commencement, which the institution canceled last week.

There have been no arrests at the cathedral so far, Heyd added, noting he instructed the church to not cooperate with the NYPD around the demonstrations.

The Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations — made up of committees that collaborate with representatives for the Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities — is scheduled to meet this week. The General Convention, the governing body of the Episcopal Church that includes bishops, will also weigh resolutions related to the Israel-Gaza war this summer.

“It’s my hope the Commission can facilitate a wider diocesan conversation about the Israel-Gaza war,” Heyd said.

He, along with two other bishops — who have denounced Israel’s deadly Oct. 7 attack on Hamas militants as well as the taking of hostages — called for a cease-fire in Gaza as well as access to humanitarian aid.

The bishop was scheduled to meet with young adults in the diocese who have expressed concerns about the church response to the war later this morning. — Madina Touré

CHECK, PLEASE: The restaurant industry has a bot problem. And state lawmakers may try to crack down on it by the end of the legislative session June 6.

Assemblymember Alex Bores and state Sen. Nathalia Fernandez today pushed a measure that’s meant to address websites that scoop up a restaurant’s reservations and sell them to customers.

That’s costing restaurants, especially those in high-demand in New York City, big when there’s a no-show.

“It’s a lot like ticket scalping, but it’s even worse. Reservation being held by the bot system,” New York State Restaurant Association President and CEO Melissa Fleischut told reporters. “They staff up, they order all the food, they think they’re going to have a full restaurant.”

The measure backed by Bores is meant to differentiate between the legitimate online reservation services like Open Table and the websites — many using automated bots — that have no actual relationship with the eatery.

“It’s so important for us to be protecting not just consumers, but our small businesses and our restaurants,” Bores said. — Nick Reisman

LAWMAKERS SAY ‘NEIGH’ TO HORSE SLAUGHTER: One month after the nation’s strictest anti-horse slaughtering law went into effect in New York, two equine protection groups honored five of the lawmakers that helped get it passed.

The two groups selected chair of the Senate’s Racing and Wagering Committee Joseph Addabbo; Senate Agriculture Chair Michelle Hinchey; Assembly Racing and Wagering Committee Chair Gary Pretlow; Assembly Environmental Conservation Chair Deborah Glick; and Assembly Agriculture Committee Chair Donna Lupardo were the five legislators honored.

The law banned the slaughter of all horses for human and animal consumption.

“After nearly 20 years of carrying this important bill, I am thrilled that New York has finally put an end to the horse slaughter pipeline that has run through our state,” Glick, a Manhattan Democrat and bill sponsor, said in a statement. — Shawn Ness

— An increasing number of school districts on Long Island are hiring armed guards. (Newsday)

— Two advocacy groups are suing the state claiming that inmates with disabilities were placed in solitary confinement. (Times Union)

— New York’s biggest teachers union is celebrating record school aid funding and pension changes. (POLITICO Pro)

With help from Shawn Ness

New from New York

Happening now:

• Gov. Kathy Hochul and regulators took steps to bolster the failing recreational marijuana industry.
• A Buffalo Senate seat vacated by now-Rep. Tim Kennedy will remain empty through the remainder of the year.
• Mayor Eric Adams kicked off his trip to Italy by offering praise of the Pope.
• Hochul told reporters that she’s hopeful a deal can be reached to address the ills of social media on children.

TROUBLE IN THE WEED WORLD: Chris Alexander, the executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management, will leave at the end of his term to “pursue other opportunities,” Gov. Kathy Hochul told reporters today during a press conference announcing an overhaul of the state’s cannabis agency.

Meanwhile, the Cannabis Control Board was meeting at the same time to approve additional licenses and a shift in how licenses are processed.

The overlapping press conference and agency meeting were the culmination of years of New York’s troubled cannabis rollout amid an effort to redress the harms of past cannabis enforcement.

Entrepreneurs have long spoken out about the botched program, outlining the financial consequences of the slow licensing process.

Hochul acknowledged how those hardships have affected specific applicants who were supposed to be positioned to take advantage of an economic opportunity in the recreational marijuana industry, only to have suffered devastating financial consequences.

She told reporters about an applicant who invested more than $40,000, but still has yet to hear any news on their application — a story that is familiar to anyone who has been listening to public comments at the board meetings.

Staffing issues: Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy, who led a review released today on the system, told reporters that the state is recruiting additional staffers to review licenses in hopes of speeding up the process.

Agencies need to prioritize requests for staffing, she said.

“If the idea is that the office was sitting there not asking for additional staff … and all of a sudden somebody's saying that we need to ask for additional staff, it sounds like that's not accurate,” said Cannabis Control Board member Adam Perry during Friday’s meeting. “It sounds like the office has asked for additional staff.”

Perry was also critical that the board wasn’t provided with a draft of the report ahead of its public release, as is customary for external reviews.

Board Chair Tremaine Wright said the board had not been presented with a report and that she had requested that it receive an update on the findings of the audit. A spokesperson for the governor said that Wright was briefed on key information from the report on Wednesday.

Other new developments: The governor also announced a task force to crack down on the illicit cannabis market, as well as a $5 million grant program to help entrepreneurs impacted by past cannabis enforcement.

The board approved more than 100 additional licenses today, though only 31 more retailers. Cannabis regulators are also changing the licensing review process, and they plan to review significantly more applications than from the general application window last fall.

Not everyone was happy about the change.

Kassandra Frederique, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, said during the board meeting that the licensing process was supposed to be protected from the whims of the governor.

“People want to ask why folks of color do not stand up to be in these positions as elected officials… It's because we get set up and then they cut our heads off in public. And that is what is happening to the OCM.” Frederique said of the state Office of Cannabis Management.

“It is not lost on me that for the first time we have Black leadership … We're changing the goalposts and the cannabis board was supposed to be independent to protect the intentions of the work.” — Mona Zhang

NO SPECIAL EXPECTED IN BUFFALO: Rep. Tim Kennedy took the oath of office for his new job on Monday evening, which leaves state Senate Democrats one vote shy of the 42-member supermajority they’ve enjoyed since 2021.

But senators are predicting there won’t be a special election to fill the seat before the November elections.

A 2021 law overhauled the rules for calling special elections. Governors now need to quickly call them, but they’re not allowed to do so if a vacancy is created after April 1 of an election year — unless there will be a special session sometime before January, in which case calling one is mandatory.

But that begs the question: How do we know there won’t be a special session later this year?

Albany doesn’t hold special sessions anymore. There are occasional “extraordinary” sessions — when the governor calls lawmakers back to Albany. And there are plenty of times when lawmakers come back to town to vote on issues like pay raises that are colloquially called “special sessions."

But technically, those aren’t special sessions.

Those only occur when the Legislature comes back after adjourning for the year. And the Legislature hasn’t formally adjourned before New Year’s since the 1970s, thanks to members like state Sen. Neil Breslin holding two-minute sessions in the off weeks. — Bill Mahoney

NYC IS THE ROME OF AMERICA: Mayor Eric Adams today lauded Pope Francis’ calls for migrants to be treated humanely as he kicked off a multi-day visit to Italy that will culminate in an audience with the pontiff.

“His voice on these topics will cause those who would probably traditionally ignore the topic to sit up and take note,” Adams said in a news conference from Rome, adding the pope urges people to “just look at your fellow human being as your fellow brother or sister.”

He described the pope ahead of their meeting as a “credible messenger” in parts of the world struggling with influxes of newcomers, including New York City, where 195,000 migrants have come in the past two years.

The pope has challenged anti-immigration postures in Europe and in March penned a letter to migrants in Panama calling them “the face of Christ.”

Day One of Adams’ Roman holiday has been far from restful as he toured a subway tunnel under construction near the Colosseum, a slaughterhouse that was converted into an arthouse and sat with a roundtable of Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

The Democratic mayor is visiting Rome for the World Meeting on Human Fraternity, and his travel bill is being footed by the pope’s Fondazione Fratelli Tutti, according to City Hall. — Emily Ngo

CULTURE CLUB CRIES CUTS: Do you really want to hurt them? The cultural institutions that get direct city funding say Adams didn’t restore nearly enough of their cuts, and they need another $53 million in the upcoming budget.

“Mr. Mayor, our city’s recovery is significant but fragile — and it cannot withstand uncertainty and continued cuts to culture,” reads the Culture for All petition from the Cultural Institutions Group, made up of 34 organizations ranging from Carnegie Hall to the Staten Island Zoo.

Adams cut $12 million from this year’s budget and the next in November, and another $13 million in January. The second cut was restored to fanfare last month, but the institutions want the initial cuts restored too, plus the same $40 million boost to baseline funding they fought for, and got, for last year’s budget.

The city allocated the Cultural Institutions Group about $141 million total in operating expenses for fiscal year 2024 budget.

The mayor’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment, though they have previously defended their commitment to culture, while saying across-the-board cuts were needed to balance the budget.

A City Council spokesperson said the council will be prioritizing the full restoration in the budget. — Jeff Coltin

SCHOOL ENROLLMENT: New figures released by the New York City school system shows a projected increase in enrollment for the 2024-25 year.

An additional 778,000 students are expected to be enrolled, making it the first time enrollment increased year-over-year since before 2016.

"The proof is in the enrollment projections — through a mix of new and innovative programming, engaging academics, and genuine family and student engagement, our system is bouncing back from years of declining enrollment and leading the nation in public school education,” Schools Chancellor David Banks said in a statement.

Banks attributed the increase to three programs: NYC Reads, Student Pathways and the Summer Rising program. — Shawn Ness

JAMES SIMONS, 86: Hedge fund manager James Simons passed away at the age of 86 today. A former math professor at SUNY Stony Brook, Simons made a fortune in hedge funds in recent decades.

He had become a major figure in New York state politics and policy. During Gov. David Paterson’s administration, he lobbied the state for tuition hikes for SUNY to place it on sounder financial footing. He appeared with Gov. Kathy Hochul last year to announce $500 million for Stony Brook, one of the largest charitable donations in American history.

“Jim was a brilliant mathematician and understood the important role science and math play in our future,” Stony Brook alum Carl Heastie, the Assembly speaker, said in a statement. “Throughout his life he donated billions of dollars to support grand scientific endeavors and lower barriers of access to all those dreaming of innovation.”

Simons has also repeatedly been the top donor to New York Democrats.

He and his wife have given at least $7 million to state and local level candidates and parties since 2011, including $3.9 million to the state Democratic Committee, $370,000 to Andrew Cuomo and $205,000 to Hochul. — Bill Mahoney

HOCHUL’S SOCIAL: The effort to limit kids’ exposure to social media algorithms is getting some personal involvement from Hochul.

The governor today told reporters that the measure, which is meant to block social media firms from providing algorithmic feeds to the accounts of children, is her top end-of-session priority.

And unlike some bills that pass without involvement from the governor’s office, Hochul said her legal team is working with lawmakers to craft the final details of a potential agreement by June 6.

“We will find the right balance,” she said. "We want to make sure we protect the interests of children, number one, and make sure we’re creating an environment where these companies can thrive, but within limitations.”

Opponents believe algorithmic-powered feeds can be addicting and lead to mental health problems. But social media companies have warned the proposal would create free speech violations and likely face a court challenge. — Nick Reisman

HER NO WORRIES ERA: New York Democrats want a proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the state constitution to galvanize turnout this election year. A Republican-backed challenge to its ballot status is putting a question mark on those plans.

But Hochul told reporters she is not concerned the amendment would be blocked from the ballot this November over procedural grounds.

The proposal would enshrine a broad array of rights such as the right to an abortion in the state constitution. Republicans won the first round of a lawsuit over the amendment’s placement on the ballot in a ruling that’s almost certain to be appealed.

The amendment is considered a key piece of the Democratic efforts to retake the House with the party trying to flip five seats in New York and take power in the narrowly divided chamber.

But even if the amendment is taken off the ballot, Hochul believes Democrats have a stable of issues to run on, including housing, anti-retail theft measures and cracking down on illegal cannabis businesses.

“There will be plenty of messaging that the Democrats can and will lean on — not the least of which is our strong support of reproductive rights,” she said. — Nick Reisman

— A newer, bigger, better bottle bill is facing the same old problems. (POLITICO Pro)

— Orange County is the latest county to sue the state over proposals to host local elections in even-numbered years. (Times Union)

— State Democrats are sure that the decision to toss out the Equal Rights Amendment will be challenged in the state’s highest court. (POLITICO Pro)

Trump: Jews should be ‘ashamed’ if they vote for Biden

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With help from Shawn Ness

New from New York

Happening now:

• Will this be the year that lawmakers approve physician-assisted suicide?
• Mayor Eric Adams came to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s defense of her gaffe.
• New York sports legends visited the state Capitol today. Here’s why.
• The state Senate is passing a long list of environmental bills.

A LONG SOUGHT LAW: Advocates have fought for a decade to legalize physician-assisted suicide in New York. They are hoping this year that the fight will end.

During any busy week in the Capitol in Albany, it’s hard to miss the throngs of activists donning bright yellow shirts and doggedly handing out stickers to lawmakers and lobbyists.

Medical aid in dying, or the right for a physician to prescribe life-ending medication to suffering, terminally-ill patients, has long been a priority for hundreds of activists who have watched their loved ones suffer unnecessarily during their final days of life.

But in the last year, the push to legalize physician-assisted suicide — which is already law in California, New Jersey and eight other states — has been gaining ground.

The list of sponsors for the bill, now totaling 80 lawmakers, has increased steadily since the current iteration was introduced in 2016. State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and Assemblymembers Amy Paulin and Tony Simone held a packed rally this afternoon outside the Senate chamber in favor of the bill.

And key groups, like the New York Bar Association and New York Civil Liberties Union, have queued up in support of the bill, helping it gain new momentum.

The Medical Society of the State of New York also reversed its longstanding opposition to the Medical Aid in Dying Act last month.

Their cause is clear: Let people die with dignity.

But despite the increased support, the three people with the real power in Albany — Gov. Kathy Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins — have shied away from taking a position on the bill.

And Stewart-Cousins suggested movement on the bill this year — with only 16 days left of session — is unlikely.

“I believe this is a robust discussion, and obviously, we're not there yet,” she said. “It's a matter of information. It's a matter of education, and then we get to see if we can actually do things that change life for the better.”

And the push to legalize the practice faces opposition. The Catholic Conference of New York strongly opposes the measure.

Some doctors have also raised concerns that legalizing physician-assisted suicide could create a sort of slippery slope, where people who aren’t gravely terminally-ill, but instead deeply-depressed, could take advantage of the law to end their own life. They point to examples of that happening in Canada.

Dr. Eve Slater, a professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University and former assistant secretary to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, has organized a group of medical professionals who oppose the bill.

She’s concerned physician-assisted suicide violates a key provision of the Hippocratic oath: Primum non nocere. First, do no harm.

“It is suicide, and, you know, they hope that somehow by getting a physician involved that somehow makes it OK,” Slater said. She’s also worried the bill gives an avenue for those with non-terminal illnesses to cut their life short.

“The lawyers go to work and say, ‘Well, you know, how can you deny it to my client when you've allowed it for somebody else?’” — Jason Beeferman

ADAMS DEFENDS HOCHUL’S ‘COMPUTER’ ERROR: Mayor Eric Adams strongly defended Hochul after she made an embarrassing gaffe on Monday, and he said those who’ve piled on to criticize the governor are simply playing “word police.”

“I know her heart, I know what she was intending to say, and she was not trying to be disrespectful of the people of the Bronx,” Adams said.

The governor made the now-roundly criticized comments during a fireside chat with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart at the Milken Institute Global Conference in California.

“Right now we have, you know, young Black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word ‘computer’ is,” she told Capeheart while discussing a massive state investment into artificial intelligence computing.

She quickly apologized, saying in a statement that “I misspoke and I regret it,” and Assembly Speaker Heastie stood by her saying, “I don’t believe that is where her heart is.” Stewart-Cousins echoed Heastie’s words of support earlier today.

Adams spoke at length to defend Hochul today during his weekly availability with reporters.

“When you make thousands of speeches, when you’re in front of the cameras all the time, when you’re trying to be authentic and say the things that you’re really feeling, one could sit back and do a critical analysis of every sentence you say and say ‘Oh you didn’t say it this way or that way,’” the mayor continued.

“So those who want to word police in this business, you go right ahead. The people of the Bronx knew where her heart was. She’s sincere about uplifting the people. We don’t always get it right.” — Jason Beeferman

TAKING A TEST DRIVE: State Sen. Andrew Gounardes stepped into the BMW for a test drive outside the state Capitol today. It was for a purpose: in support of legislation to install speed limiters on peoples’ cars.

The bill is designed to curb traffic fatalities, where excessive speed plays a factor in roughly one-third of deaths.

It would require the speed limiters, also known as “governors,” to override the vehicle’s acceleration, preventing it from going over the speed limit. It would only be installed for “repeat offenders,” defined as people who have gotten over 11 points on their license in an 18-month period, or have received six speed camera or red light camera tickets during a 12-month period.

The technology uses geolocation to get an accurate roadmap of speed limits. It is accurate enough to even distinguish between passing lanes and standard driving lanes.

“Nothing is in our laws today to crack down on the most reckless drivers on our streets. So we're here to say that enough is enough. We don't have to search for a brand new idea under the sun in order to solve this crisis,” Gounardes, a Manhattan Democrat and sponsor of the bill, said.

After the test drive, Gounardes said that the car would not accelerate past the speed limit, despite his best efforts.

“The drive was really smooth, but the tech works—even when I floored it, I couldn't accelerate beyond what the device permitted. It's easy to use, there's no jerking of the wheel or distracting beeps. You just drive," he said.

Dash cam footage was recorded of his drive. — Shawn Ness

FOREIGN DEBT: The former president of Costa Rica made an appearance outside of the Assembly chambers in the Capitol today to advocate for the Sovereign Debt Stability Act.

The bill gives countries that are in debt options to restructure their debts to help limit forced migration of people from the struggling countries.

“More than half of the world’s private debt is located [in New York],” former president of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado Quesada, said. “Creating a procedure for readjusting debt is critical for developing countries.”

Seventy-six percent of asylum-seekers in New York hail from countries that have debt crises.

“I am convinced that this is something or state can do, and must do,” state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, the bill’s sponsor said. “These institutions are here, they are based here, and they do what they do because we allow them to.” — Shawn Ness

FANTASY ISLAND: Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Chair Joe Addabbo wants to expand gambling options. And he brought some New York sports history firepower to the argument.

Addabbo today in Albany was flanked by former Yankee first baseman Tino Martinez and ex-Giant wide receiver David Tyree to push for a measure that would expand daily fantasy sports wagering.

In essence, the bill would allow for bets on the individual outcome of an athlete’s performance (placing a wager, for instance, on whether Bills quarterback Josh Allen throws for more than 200 yards in a game).

“My mom is 82 years old, and she plays fantasy football and it keeps her involved with the grandkids,” Martinez said. “It’s a great way for the family to come together.”

If approved, the measure would be added to the suite of offerings for sports gamblers, which currently include sportsbooks in casinos as well as mobile sports betting. New York already has the highest grossing online sports betting operation in the nation.

“This is a parallel track,” Addabbo said of his fantasy sports bill. “Fantasy sports is certainly separate from mobile sports betting. It enhances it.”

The Queens Democrat also wants the age of participation to be 21 and insisted the measure includes “safeguards” meant to prevent addiction as well as corrupt outcomes in games.

He expects the measure would generate $150 million in tax revenue for the state.

Having Tyree and Martinez in Albany, meanwhile, helped heighten interest in the measure. Athletes have often been enlisted to help promote legislation (and allow lawmakers, lobbyists and yes, even reporters, to geek out a bit).

Tyree said it was “a weird question” and “no comment” when asked if he was being compensated for the appearance. Martinez said he was not paid an appearance fee. — Nick Reisman

ERA OPPONENTS WIN: Republicans have won the first round in a legal fight over whether New York’s Equal Rights Amendment should appear on the ballot this November.

A judge hearing a challenge brought in Livingston County concluded today that the Democratic-dominated Legislature didn’t take the proper steps before bringing the amendment for a vote, since they didn’t give the attorney general the constitutionally-mandated 20 days to review the language.

“In their rush to pass this amendment, the legislature never held a single hearing on the proposal, never consulted with outside constitutional experts, and falsely asserted this amendment was necessary to protect abortion rights in the state,” state GOP Chair Ed Cox said in response to the ruling.

Democrats, who are planning to use the amendment’s language on abortion to motivate their base this November, promise an appeal.

“According to the reading of all of our very competent counsel, the lack of the AG’s opinion does not negate the validity of our amendment,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. “We will certainly appeal that so that people will have the right to vote this November in terms of codifying our reproductive choices.”

For her part, Hochul vowed that the ERA will make the November ballot.

“Our decades-long fight to protect equality and reproductive freedom will not be thrown off track by one extremist judge, and I look forward to casting my ballot for the Equal Rights Amendment in November,” she said in a statement. — Bill Mahoney

WEED RAIDS: The city did coordinated raids on illegal weed shops across all five boroughs today, ramping up enforcement weeks after getting greater enforcement powers in the state budget.

“We want to close them down. And if you’re out there, we have a lock with your name on it,” Adams said in his weekly press conference.

With cinematic flair, City Sheriff Anthony Miranda appeared live on camera during the briefing from inside a shop down the street from City Hall that he accused of selling illegal mushrooms, cannabis and cigarettes.

“They have violated every statute that we have, in terms of the new laws and protections that we have,” Miranda said. “And we’ll be sealing these locations after the inspections.”

The city wasn’t previously shutting down shops caught violating cannabis control laws. Now they can, deeming it “Operation Padlock to Protect.” But Adams warned that shop owners could still challenge the rulings and apply to reopen again. “There’s still a procedure,” he said. — Jeff Coltin

DATA BREACH AT CITY SCHOOLS: City Hall is continuing to work to address a data breach to the city’s public school system.

“The safety and well-being of our students is always the priority,” Camille Joseph Varlack, chief of staff to Mayor Eric Adams, told reporters at a press conference at City Hall today, adding the city has been engaging Illuminate, its former software vendor. “We have been working closely with Illuminate for a while now on this particular breach.”

An additional 380,000 current and former students saw their personal data compromised in a digital attack that took place from late December to early January 2022, the New York Post reported Sunday. The agency originally said 800,000 pupils were affected by the infiltration.

Varlack said no financial information or Social Security numbers were impacted. The Department of Education is also offering two years of free credit and identity monitoring services to any individual who received a letter from the agency.

Adams said his predecessor Bill de Blasio informed him that cybersecurity “is a real issue.” Matthew Fraser, the city’s chief technology officer, opened an office that trains young people in cybersecurity, he added.

“We’re encouraging young people to go into the field,” the mayor said. “Other cities have been hacked, held hostage, sent ransom notes. It’s a global problem, and we are being inundated every day by outside influence, other countries trying to hack our systems.” — Madina Touré

SENATE MOVES EARTH DAY BILLS: A belated celebration of Earth Day in the Senate means the passage of several environmental measures, with uncertain prospects for passage as the session careens toward a close.

“Our words are only as good as our actions, which is why it's imperative that we modernize our energy systems, protect our clean drinking water and address climate change,” said Stewart-Cousins at a press conference today.

Among the bills slated for passage today is the Climate Change Superfund measure, which would charge fossil fuel companies for historical emissions that have contributed to climate change. The measure would raise $3 billion annually for investments to adapt to climate impacts in New York, but it doesn’t have support from Assembly leaders or Hochul.

“Taxpayers shell out hundreds of millions of dollars a year on just trying to mediate and repair damage caused by climate change,” said state Sen. Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat who sponsors the bill.

“We continue to pass our bills and we continue conversations and I'm sure they'll be moving on things too,” said Stewart-Cousins when asked about what conversations she’d had with Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie about the Climate Superfund bill and NY HEAT. “So we will get there.”

Other bills the Senate plans to pass, versions of which passed last year and died in the Assembly, include state Sen. Pete Harckham’s measure (S2994) to phase out No. 4 fuel oil in buildings by 2028; his expansion of the food scrap donation program (S5331); state Sen. Nathalia Fernandez’s measure (S3328) to require more fenceline monitoring of air emissions at industrial sites; state Sen. Brad Holyman-Sigal’s measure (S1535) to require EV chargers at some state parking lots and garages and his proposal to ban PFAS in anti-fogging sprays and wipes (S992); state Sen. Leroy Comrie’s wildlife crossing bill (S4198); and state Sen. Jose Serrano’s bill to prohibit gas drilling on state lands (S724).

A spokesperson for the Assembly Democrats did not provide a list of environmental bills planned for a vote in the chamber this week. — Marie J. French

PUSH FOR GUN REFORM: A group of moms, students, advocates and lawmakers rallied at a church blocks away from the state capitol today to support a package of legislation on gun reform. 

One bill introduced by state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and Assemblymember Michaelle Solages would prohibit the sale of any semi-automatic handguns that can easily be converted into fully automatic machine guns through the use of a Glock switch.

Current Glock owners would no longer be allowed to use the mechanism. The bill would also bar the sale, possession and manufacturing of Glock switches, and it would make clear that a pistol with the mechanism is considered to be a machine gun.

Another bill sponsored by Senate and Assembly Education Committee chairs Shelley Mayer and Michael Benedetto would mandate the state Education Department to create informational materials to educate parents on safe storage laws.

“I think we have many parents who really are new to this country, new to our communities, even people that have been here a long time, they don’t know what we pass,” Mayer said. “We have to do more than expect that people will know. Given the history of gun violence we have to actually get out there and make sure that they know.”

New York United Teachers President Melinda Person said many parents are often unaware of gun storage laws for households with children under age 18.

“If this notification is something that gets into the backpack mail and saves one life, it's worth it,” Person said to POLITICO. — Katelyn Cordero

ACTORS PUSH FOR A.I. REGULATIONS: A star studded press conference took place on the Million Dollar Staircase in the Capitol, where lawmakers were joined by Rosario Dawson, John Carroll Lynch and Samantha Mathis in a push to pass legislation that will regulate the use of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry.

The group is looking to pass three bills, the first requires employers to provide legal representation when a contract involves the rights of digital replication of a person’s voice or likeness in place of physical work.

This bill is on the move, as it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee today, and bill sponsor state Sen. Jessica Ramos said she is hopeful it will pass both houses by the end of session next month.

“AI is here to stay, and I’d like to say our responsibility is to ensure that labor law is keeping pace with the changes in this and all other industries where workers are trying to earn a dignified wage,” Ramos said to reporters.

“These motion picture companies are pretty much allowing these performers to lend their voice and their likeness to feed into AI, that should not happen without informed consent of the performer.”

A second bill would prohibit the state’s film tax credit for use on productions that plan to use artificial intelligence in the place of employees.

And the final bill would require all advertisers to disclose when they are using artificial intelligence in their content. Violators would have to pay a $1,000 penalty for their first violation. After the first violation they would pay $5,000 for each penalty. — Katelyn Cordero

— A prominent transit union leader plans to sue Columbia University over alleged mistreatment of school staffers during a building seizure last week. (POLITICO)

— After a tenant in Manhattan was treated for arsenic poisoning, she and her neighbors are demanding tests of their tap water. (POLITICO)

— Adams says New York City is ‘ready’ if former President Donald Trump is jailed. (POLITICO)