Friday Morning Brief April 12, 2024

Apr 11

Written By Michael Avella

Member Spotlight

Simcha Eichenstein

Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein joined us to discuss his Brooklyn-based district to talk about his experience and priorities in the Assembly. Before becoming an Assemblymember, he dedicated his life to public service and advocated for his community, working alongside many non-profit organizations and community groups. He currently chairs the Subcommittee on Outreach and Oversight of Senior Citizen Programs. He is also a member of various committees, such as on Cities, Housing, and Insurance.

What district do you represent? Can you describe it for those who have never been there and highlight anything of particular interest about your district?
I represent the 48th Assembly district which includes the Brooklyn neighborhood of Borough Park, and parts of Kensington and Midwood. My district is very diverse, with a combination of Orthodox Jews, Muslims, Asians, Hispanics and some Italians. It is considered one of the safest neighborhoods in New York City and is probably also one of the most misunderstood areas in the State of New York.

What was your profession before becoming a legislator? Did it inspire you to run for office?
Honestly, I never really wanted to run for office as I always preferred working behind the scenes. I have previously served on the intergovernmental and state legislative teams under former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and prior to that I served as a senior advisor to State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. I always enjoyed being involved in public service, but running for public office did not come naturally to me. Nevertheless, when the opportunity arose to serve the community in this way, I felt I couldn’t turn it down. So here I am today.

What kind of music do you like? Any favorite bands/artists?
I really enjoy different types of music, depending on the circumstances. When I need to unwind after a long or stressful day, I’ll stick my earphones in and turn on something slow and soulful. Or I’ll unwind with classical music. Then there are times when I prefer to listen to a more upbeat and uplifting sound, like rap or hip hop. So it totally varies according to how I’m feeling or what I’m doing.

What about sports? Any favorite NY sports team?
I’m a huge baseball fan. There was a time when I knew all the stats on the backs of the baseball cards by heart, but that was years ago. Nowadays, while I’m still a passionate fan, I don’t get to follow the regular season games as closely. I also am a big Jets fan and I root for the Knicks, but there’s really nothing more all-American than enjoying a baseball game in a stadium while munching on popcorn with a beer in your hand on a hot summer afternoon.

What’s your favorite food?
Hands down, it’s coffee. I probably shouldn’t admit it but I survive on it, like ten cups a day. Just like America runs on Dunkin’s, Simcha runs on coffee.
As for real food, let’s just say my wife is a really good cook, and pretty much everything she makes is a favorite of mine.

Do you have any favorite restaurants in your district?
As you may be aware, kosher law prohibits mixing meat and dairy dishes so lots of eateries in my district offer either meat or dairy, not both.
That being said, I would have to go for Amnon’s Pizza on 13th Avenue in Borough Park as my favorite dairy eatery and Olympic Pita on Coney Island Avenue in Midwood as my favorite meat restaurant with the best shawarma in the neighborhood.

As the Chair of Subcommittee on Outreach and Oversight of Senior Citizens Programs, what issues are you focusing on this year?
Let’s be honest here. Lots of mistakes were made during Covid especially regarding the aging population, and I’m not just talking about nursing home policies. It’s important for us to understand what went wrong, where we failed our senior citizens and how to ensure that never happens again.
This should be a priority for all New Yorkers. We are all aging and hoping to become seniors one day and I don’t believe we’re doing enough to serve this population. That’s precisely why I introduced legislation that will require greater transparency from agencies serving the elderly, so we can determine unmet needs of the aging population. This important bill passed in the State Assembly last year. I believe we need to do more for this particular population and the unmet needs bill would at least give us an indication of how many of our seniors are being underserved at this time.

What are the top priorities in your district in particular?
There are several. First off, I represent the highest number of Holocaust survivors anywhere in the United States. They are our cherished heroes, and I am committed to ensuring that they live their golden years in dignity and grace.
Secondly, I feel strongly about the issue of Yeshiva education, which has unfortunately become something of a political football in the press. I will do my utmost to speak out on behalf of schools that are educating their students and are being unjustly maligned.
And number three, I am dedicated to fighting the alarming rise in antisemitism both in my district and across the state. These are all issues that I am passionate about.

What are/is your proudest achievement(s) throughout your career?
I’ll begin by saying that I am proud of all my legislative achievements. There’s nothing as gratifying as having a bill that I sponsored passed or having my suggested amendment incorporated into an existing bill.
But, the most fulfilling aspect of my role as a public servant is on the constituent service level. My office has dealt with literally thousands of cases over the years. People turn to us for help and we work hard to ensure that their needs are met. Whether we’ve helped a family whose newborn baby needs to be transferred to a specialty hospital due to an emergency, or an individual waiting for a heart transplant who needs help navigating the red tape, these are the achievements that I am the most proud of.

Are there any other members that you find yourself working with or enjoy hanging out with in particular?
Whoa. If I start naming people, I’m going to get in trouble because inevitably I’ll forget someone. So let’s just say that I’m fortunate to have many friendly positive relationships with a large and diverse cross-section of colleagues who I have the pleasure to work with.

What advice would you give to young folks wanting to get into politics or run for office?
Be true to yourself. Never pander to someone else because it’s the easy or convenient way out. Stick to what you believe in, and you’ll be respected for it.
If you come to my office, you’ll notice there’s no fancy artwork or photos on the wall. The only thing you’ll see to the side of my desk, is a quote from President John Quincy Adams which reads: “Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.” This has become my mantra.

Are you a public official or staffer that would like to be featured in our spotlight? If so, reach out to your favorite D&A team member or contact us at team@dickinsonavella.com to set up an interview!

Beginning of the End of the Budget Negotiations?

On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins explained to reporters that the ongoing Budget negotiations are “at the beginning of the end, but the end is hard.” This comes as the Senate approved another budget extender yesterday, and the Assembly is set to pass the extender later today around noon. While not confirming that the Budget will be finalized by Monday, Stewart-Cousins explained, “Well, I mean, we are working. We continue to work at it.” Yesterday, Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger said, “I am still hopeful, frankly, that next week might be the right week for this, but it might not be.”

Housing negotiations continue with Stewart-Cousins saying, “I know it’s doable, and that’s why we’re working so hard at it.” Currently, after leaders of the Legislature announced that a housing package would likely include changes to the Individual Apartment Improvement cap, more than 40 Democratic lawmakers, including Senate Deputy Leader Mike Gianaris, announced that they wouldn’t support the Final Budget with this policy. The Individual Apartment Improvement cap, first approved in 2019, limits how much landlords can charge rent-stabilized tenants in NYC for building improvements. “Undoing the 2019 rent regulation reforms would inevitably lead to increased housing costs, evictions, tenant harassment, and homelessness,” Krueger explained. However, Stewart-Cousins still reiterated her support for tenant protections, “We want to be able to build, and we want to be able to protect tenants.” Healthcare spending also seems to be at the top of budget negotiations, with Stewart-Cousins acknowledging that Medicaid spending or cuts have not been finalized.

Plans to combat retail theft are also being discussed. Hochul proposed to increase criminal penalties for attacks on retail workers to combat organized retail theft. However, many, including Speaker Carl Heastie, have been skeptical of the proposal. Heastie explained on Tuesday that “The question should not be, are you going to raise penalties because you wanted to deter crime? The question should be do you want to raise penalties because you want people in jail longer?” Many lawmakers, including Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, explained that it’s important to increase penalties to deter attacks against retail workers. “It’s really important that we send a message with the retail workers. We send a message that we support them, that their lives are valuable.”

Aside from housing and healthcare, some issues have been agreed upon. Stewart-Cousins and Hochul explained that the proposal to restrict algorithmic social media feeds for children is not expected to be included in the Final Budget. Late last week, Hochul acknowledged that her proposal to remove the hold harmless provision in calculating the Foundation Aid formula for schools has been removed from budget negotiations. However, Hochul explained that a similar proposal to change the Foundation Aid formula would return next year. “I’m giving everybody the notice, the warning that they all ask for,” Hochul explained. Earlier this week, Senate Cannabis Chair Jeremey Cooney confirmed that the cannabis potency tax is expected to be removed in the Final Budget in favor of a flat wholesale tax. However, Cooney still urges more efforts in combatting illegal dispensaries, saying that it’s a priority to make “sure we can padlock these illegal stores in a timely matter.”

EXECUTIVE UPDATES

This week, Hochul announced that Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez will serve as the Acting President and CEO of the state Dorming Authority starting May 8th. “As Secretary of State, Robert has been a skilled manager, a sharp tactician, and a devoted public servant for the people of New York, and I have the utmost confidence that he will continue to succeed in this new role,” said Hochul. Rodriguez will be replacing Reuben McDaniel, who left the Authority last fall.

Last Friday, Hochul announced the annual investment of $10 million for fourteen SUNY’s research centers. Through the investment, eleven campuses will invest more into their professional researchers, seven will upgrade their research facilities, four will invest in their student research programs, and seven will initiate new research programs. The $10 million investment was part of last year’s Final Budget’s $163 million increase in direct operating aid to SUNY campuses. “Through this $10 million investment, SUNY campuses are expanding research opportunities for students and ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed,” Hochul explained.

On Monday, Hochul announced that $400 million in bonds and subsidies had been awarded to housing projects in NYC, Finger Lakes, and the Hudson Valley to increase and preserve about 1,100 units of affordable housing. The funding was allocated by the state Homes and Community Renewal’s March 2024 bond issuance, which provided $283 million in tax-exempt housing bonds and $129 million in subsidy. Nearly an additional $225 million by private entities is estimated to add to the $400 funding. The recent funding builds upon Hochul’s Five-Year $25 Billion Housing Plan and her commitment to increase the housing supply in the state. “This funding will generate housing opportunities that are affordable, modern, sustainable, and offer the types of services that can improve the lives of more New Yorkers,” Hochul explained.

On Wednesday, Hochul joined the National Action Network’s annual convention to deliver remarks and praise the progress of social justice advocacy. During her remarks, Hochul thanked Reverend Al Sharpton, who founded the organization, for his work on civil rights and called for unity. Hochul also reiterated her commitment to addressing the housing shortage for Black and brown communities. “We’ve lost 200,000 Black and brown families. Why? They can’t afford a home. So we’re going to make sure we start building and building, so kids who were raised here can raise their own families here,” explained Hochul. After the convention, Hochul traveled to the White House for a meeting with Biden’s senior advisor, Tom Perez, and to attend a White House state dinner with the Japanese Prime Minister.

Yesterday, Hochul announced that $142 million in financial assistance has been approved for water infrastructure improvement projects across the state. Approved by the Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors, the funding authorizes municipal access to low-cost financing and existing grants to build new water infrastructure projects. The funding granted about $2.7 million for constructing a new wastewater treatment plant in Ontario County and eleven drinking water project plans in the Hudson Valley, Upstate, Central New York, and on Long Island. The funding builds upon the voter-approved $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act and previous investments in water infrastructure projects, such as January’s $78 million investment for water infrastructure projects. “These funds are crucial to help communities modernize and protect critical infrastructure so that all New Yorkers have access to clean water,” explained Hochul.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Next week, the Legislature is scheduled to be in Session Monday to Wednesday
The Assembly is set to reconvene today to vote on a budget extender

Monday's Solar Eclipse Stalled Budget Negotiations

On Monday, the ongoing budget negotiations were eclipsed by the eclipse. With many Assemblymembers back in their district and the Senate passing the third budget extender by noon, lawmakers and staffers in Albany were on the lawn of the Capital watching the eclipse. However, Senator Jim Tedisco said it was “disheartening” that the budget negotiations were stalled because of the eclipse. “You could go outside for 5 or 10 minutes and still be here. It’s cloudy today, anyways,” Tedisco added.

Senate Passes Animal & Pets Protection Legislative Package Amidst Animal Advocacy Day

Monday was also Animal Advocacy Day. With parrots, Great Pyrenees dogs, and a snake visiting the Capital, the Senate passed a legislative package to strengthen animal welfare and rules around the treatment of pets. “It’s our responsibility to protect and defend the voiceless, and that includes our cherished pets and animals,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins explained. “Our pets depend on us for safety, love, and survival and shouldn’t have to suffer because of their owners’ thoughtless actions,” Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Michelle Hinchey added. Some of the bills in the legislative package include:

Tucker’s Law: would allow violators of aggravated cruelty to animals to be imprisoned for more than two years.
Big Five African Trophies Act: would ban the importation, transportation, and possession of certain African wildlife species and products
Restricting Devocalization of Cats and Dogs: would prohibit the practice of devocalization of dogs and cats unless it is medically necessary
Increased Animal Cruelty Prevention: would strengthen the state’s animal cruelty laws, including increasing the penalties for organized animal fighting

Republican Lawmakers Sent a Letter In Opposition to the RAPID Act

On Tuesday, Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and Assemblymembers Mike Norris and Angelo Morinello sent a letter to Hochul voicing their opposition to the Renewable Action Through Project Interconnection and Deployment (RAPID) Act. Currently being negotiated as a Budget item, the RAPID Act would centralize the authority to conduct environmental review and permit major renewable energy generation and electric transmission facilities under the Office of Renewable Energy Siting. Opposing lawmakers argue that the RAPID Act would reduce local control of new energy projects and rush the process of setting up a new project. Instead, they urge the passage of a bill that would require a public referendum to approve a new energy project. “The RAPID Act is nothing more than a modern-day land grab that seeks to grant Albany Democrats the ability to sacrifice local voices for their wayward green-energy policies,” Ortt explained.

Republican Lawmakers Hold Press Conference in Opposition to Good Cause

With Senate Democrats and many Assembly Democrats pushing for the inclusion of Good Cause or some variation of Good Cause in the Final Budget, Republican lawmakers held a press conference on Wednesday voicing their opposition to Good Cause Eviction. Republican lawmakers explained that Good Cause would inevitably drain the state’s housing supply and raise the price of purchasing or renting a home. “Why would we possibly take the rules we have in NYC where they have a housing crisis – rent is doubling and tripling because of a housing supply issue – and extend that to the rest of the state?” Assembly Republican Leader William Barclay said. With many expecting some variation of Good Cause to be included in the Final Budget, Assemblymember Mary Beth Walsh recommended that Good Cause be optional for counties. “If you’re going to do it, have counties opt-in,” Walsh said.

Lawmakers Urge for the Release of $3 Million for Veterans

Earlier this week, a bipartisan group of lawmakers held a rally and sent a letter to Hochul urging her to release nearly $3 million in tax check-off donations for veteran services. Headed by Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security, and Military Affairs Chair Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, the letter explained that the $3 million disbursements are essential for organizations that directly support and benefit the state’s military veterans. According to a January economic analysis on income tax check-offs and disbursement logs, the state has withheld $1.5 million for the Veterans’ Remembrance and Cemetery Maintenance and Operation Fund, $1.3 million for the Homeless Veterans Assistance Fund, $360,000 for the Veterans Home Assistance Fund, and $230K for the Military Family Relief Fund. “Three-and-a-half million dollars might not sound like a lot in the context of this budget, but it’s a lot to organizations that provide that support,” Scarcella-Spanton explained. “This money is already there and it’s just sitting there,” Senator Jake Ashby added, who is a military veteran and the ranking member of the Senate Veterans, Homeland Security, and Military Affairs Committee. However, the Department of Veterans’ Services stated that the “funding has already begun to flow to important initiatives benefiting veterans and their families.”

Queens Democratic Lawmakers Introduce Anti-Squatter Bill

On Wednesday, Democratic lawmakers from Queens held a rally in support of a recently introduced bill that would codify the definition of a squatter in the state. The rally and the introduction of the bill came after the media reported several high-profile squatter cases. “There’s a growing trend of violators who are occupying spaces illegally, pretending to be legal tenants, when they’re not,” Assembly sponsor Ron Kim explained. “Owning a home, that’s the American dream. But some people have turned it into the American nightmare, and we have to stop it,” added Senate sponsor John Liu.

Currently, state law allow certain legal actions against a person living in a property they don’t own for 30 days or longer, and landlords are not able to evict lawful occupants without initiating a special court proceeding. Although the issue is related to housing and tenant protections, anti-squatter bills are not anticipated to be included in the Final Budget. Kim said that the issue surrounding squatters and tenant protections are not intertwined, explaining, “We want to make sure that we have new housing, and we have a new ability to build housing, while we have common sense laws to protect tenants on the books.”

PRIMARY & ELECTION UPDATES

Stephanie Liggo Announces Her Campaign For Carl Heastie's Seat

Earlier this week, Stephanie Liggo, a title insurance broker from the Bronx, announced her candidacy for Heastie’s seat. On her reasoning for challenging Heastie, Liggo explained, “Heastie needs to be held responsible for the policies he implemented — first and foremost, bail reform.” A longtime resident of Wakefield, Bronx, Liggo, who is running on the Republican and Conservative Party lines, is considered an underdog in the heavily Democratic district, with Heastie winning 93% of the total votes in 2022. However, Bronx Republicans are hoping to build upon their success with the victory of Kristy Marmorato, who defeated the Democrat incumbent Marjorie Velazquez in an upset for the Bronx-based NYC Council seat. Aside from running on public safety, Liggo said she will also tackle quality of life issues and reverse recent environmental policies.

Dorey Houle and Timothy Jon Mitts to Run For James Skoufis' Senate Seat

With petitioning to get into the June 25th primary process completed last week, the Orange County Board of Elections acknowledged that two challengers to Senator James Skoufis had filed the necessary paperwork to appear on the ballot. Town of Monroe Councilmember Dorey Houle, who previously ran against Skoufis and narrowly lost in 2022 by about 500 votes, has already been endorsed by Orange County Republican and Conservative to challenge Skoufis in November. However, Houle is being challenged by Timothy Jon Mitts for the Conservative Party nomination. The Orange County Conservative Party declined to endorse Mitts, explaining that it had already endorsed Houle and Mitts recently changed his party affiliation to Conservative in February. Although a state election law allows objections to be filed against challenging nominating petitions, it’s unclear if objections will be filed against Mitts' petitions.

OTHER UPDATES

Eric Adams Sets Up New Process for City Lawmakers to Engage With Agencies

This week, NYC Mayor Eric Adams set up a new process for city lawmakers to request interactions with city agency heads to increase the responsibilities of his intergovernmental affairs team. However, the new process has been criticized by city lawmakers for the apparent secrecy and lack of feedback from the City Council. “I got new garbage cans and was requesting a picture with the [Sanitation] commissioner. And they said you’ve got to fill out this form,” explained Councilmember Rita Joseph. NYC Speaker Adrienne Adams encouraged city lawmakers not to adhere to the new process, saying, “The Council will not be adhering to this excessively bureaucratic and inefficient process that only undermines the work of city government on behalf of New Yorkers.” NYPD also raised concerns about the new process, explaining that their precincts and borough commanders engaged with city lawmakers daily. However, the Adams administration defended the new process, explaining, “We must ensure that we have the right processes in place to streamline our services and maximize our resources.”

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