Friday Morning Brief May 19, 2023

May 18

Hochul Seeks Federal Assistance for Asylum Seekers Crisis

With an uptick in the number of asylum seekers in the state after the expiration of Title 42, Governor Hochul and local officials have been rushing to find housing and care. Various counties in the state have announced a state of emergency as the state and local counties lack proper equipment and necessities for asylum seekers. “The current situation is failing,” said Steven Acquario, Executive Director of the New York State Association of Counties. GOP lawmakers have also criticized Hochul for the state’s inability to deal with the rising number of asylum seekers.

In NYC, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom said the city is at a “breaking point” and “crisis point.” According to Williams-Isom, the city is caring for over 41,500 asylum seekers, with 4,300 arriving just last week. “There is absolutely just no more room,” said Williams-Isom. Currently, asylum-seekers have been sheltering in various hotels across the city. This comes after NYC Mayor Eric Adams’s attempt to bus asylum seekers to Orange and Rockland counties was blocked by court orders.

On Monday, Hochul iterated that the state requires federal help, even sending a letter to the White House. Hochul assured that even though Title 42 expired, a significant influx of asylum-seekers has yet to materialize, but the state still requires monetary assistance from the federal government. Hochul issued a state of emergency in the state on Tuesday in anticipation of the influx of asylum seekers and promised to work with counties across the state. State officials have also started to look at housing asylum seekers on SUNY campuses. “We are looking at every possible property in the State of New York to help have a relief valve for the City of New York,” explained Hochul.

EXECUTIVE UPDATES

On Monday, Hochul signed a bill enabling nursing students to complete up to one-third of their clinical training through simulation experiences. The legislation aims to alleviate the state’s current healthcare worker shortage by giving nursing students hands-on experience in clinical environments. The state’s Education Department will oversee the simulation training.

Earlier this week, Hochul announced the availability of $55 million for enhancing public safety and emergency communications systems. $45 million will be given to the Interoperable Communications Formula Grant, allowing the state to reimburse eligible counties for various emergency communication systems activities. The other $10 million will be given to the Public Safety Answering Point Operations Grant Program, which will enable counties to receive state support for eligible public safety expenses. "This funding is critical to strengthening New York's emergency response capabilities, and I encourage County officials throughout the State to take advantage of these funding opportunities to ensure first responders have the resources they need to keep our communities safe," said Hochul.

On Tuesday, Hochul announced the $82 million investment in the state’s Council on the Arts grants. The grants will provide funding for nonprofit arts, cultural organizations, and individual artists across the state. “These vital funding opportunities will strengthen our creative sector by supporting a wide range of diverse and innovative projects and will allow our arts and cultural organizations to develop further and grow while making it more accessible for New Yorkers and visitors alike,” Hochul said. The applications and guidelines are available in https://arts.ny.gov.

Hochul announced $8 million for the Climate Smart Communities Grant program earlier this week. The program will help municipalities help combat climate change with funding for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and flood risks, increase climate resiliency, and upgrade infrastructure. "These grants will help empower locally-driven, bold action to help meet New York's ambitious climate goals while creating resilient communities that set an example for other municipalities to follow."

Last Friday, Hochul vetoed 36 line items from the 2024 Budget. According to the governor's veto mesage, the items were duplicative items that were fully expended or been inactive for more than seven years. To read the full list of vetoes, click here.

In remembrance of the May 14 Mass Shooting at Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, Hochul directed flags on the State buildings to be flown at half-staff and landmarks to be lit orange last Sunday. "As we mark the first anniversary of this horrific, racist act of terror in Buffalo, we honor our ten neighbors who were senselessly taken from us, and we renew our commitment to doing everything we can to prevent this from ever happening again," said Hochul. The landmarks that were lit orange include:

One World Trade Center
Kosciuszko Bridge
The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building
State Education Building
Alfred E. Smith State Office Building
Empire State Plaza
State Fairgrounds - Main Gate and Expo Center
Niagara Falls
Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct
Albany International Airport Gateway
MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station
Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal
Peace Bridge

To watch the remarks Hochul made at the Moment of Remembrance at Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo to mark the one-year anniversary of the May 14 Mass Shooting, click here.

LEGISLATIVE/BUDGET UPDATES

3 more session weeks before the legislature adjourns until Jan.

Next week, the Legislature is scheduled to be in session Monday to Wednesday

As of Wednesday, the Legislature has introduced over 14,000 bills this session.

Stewart-Cousins on Last Weeks of Session

At a press conference on Tuesday, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins told reporters that the Legislature was moving “full steam ahead in terms of our legislative agenda,” noting that bills will keep passing until the final day. This comes after Hochul said she hopes to target some “low-hanging fruit” on housing, including accessory dwelling units office to apartment conversions. “If there are, quote-unquote, low-hanging fruit, we will certainly contemplate approaching it,” Stewart-Cousins replied in response to Hochul’s comments. On “good cause” eviction, Stewart-Cousins explained, “We know that the ‘good cause’ bill as it exists will not pass.”

Regarding Clean Slate, Stewart-Cousins indicated that it’s one of the issues the Legislature is looking to pass this year. The bill would seal felony charges after seven years and misdemeanor charges after three years, excluding sexual offenses and if reoffences occur. According to a report by the NYC Comptroller, research shows that people with criminal convictions earn on average $5,000 to $6,000 less per year. It total, the reports shows that old criminal convictions that would be sealed by the Clean Slate bill are responsible for a total of nearly $2.4 billion in lost wages.

Other issues are still up in the air, including sentencing and parole reforms, environmental reforms and the transgender-haven bill. “You’ll see hundreds and hundreds of bills coming forward in the next couple of weeks,” said Stewart-Cousins.

Justin Pearson Visits Albany

Justin Pearson, a Tennessee Representative, visited Albany on Wednesday with full honors from the Senate. Pearson met with lawmakers, including Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, to advocate for combatting gun violence and environmental protections. Pearson was brought into the national spotlight after the Tennessee GOP expelled him from the TN legislature for protesting in support of gun control (he was later reappointed).

Judicial Accountability & Transparency Legislation
Package Passes the Senate

On Tuesday, the Senate passed a legislative package to strengthen the state’s judicial accountability and transparency. The package includes the following:

One of the main pieces of legislation of the legislative package closes a “lobbying loophole” on judicial nominees and other state offices by requiring lobbyists to disclose their activities related to Senate-confirmed appointments. This comes after various groups advocated for and against Hochul’s nomination of Hector LaSalle to be the state’s Chief Judge earlier this year.

"Not On Our Dime" Bill Blocked by the Assembly

The “Not On Our Dime” bill seeks to stop the state’s charities from funding organizations that support the Israeli settlement of the West Bank. Although a first-of-its-kind bill in the nation, it has received pushback from majority of the Democratic lawmakers, calling the bill a “ploy to demonize Jewish charities with connections to Israel…and [to] further sow divisions within the Democratic Party.” Speaker Heastie explained that the bill is “a non-starter, and it is not something we are considering.” Assemblymembers Nily Rozic and Daniel Rosenthal led pushback against the bill, including circulation of a letter signed on by the majority of the Assembly Majority.

OTHER UPDATES

Joseph Zayas Appointed as Chief Judge

This week, Judge Joseph Zayas has been formally appointed as the new chief administrative judge, making her the first Latino judge to serve in the post. Zayas would replace Judge Tamik Amaker, who has been acting administrative judge since December last year. As administrative chief judge, Zayas would be overseeing the day-to-day operations of the state’s court system.

DOCCS's Anthony Annucci to Step Down

Anthony J. Annucci, the acting state Department of Corrections & Community Supervision Commissioner, will step down after 38 years in the department. Annucci has been the acting commissioner for over a decade, even after failing to attain approval from the Senate to serve in an official capacity. DOCCS Executive Deputy Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello will assume operational control of the agency after Annucci’s last day on June 9. Hochul will nominate Annucci’s successor with the Senate approving or rejecting her nominee after a hearing at a later date.

Congressional Ethics Committee to Investigate & Expel George Santos

Congressional House Representatives voted on Wednesday to expel George Santos, a Representative from Long Island, to the Ethics Committee. The vote went along party lines as the Democrats urged the GOP to hold an immediate vote to expel him. Although the majority of the GOP, including the state’s GOP members, called for Santos to resign, they explained the importance of the Ethics Committee referral as the immediate expulsion from Congress required a two-thirds vote.

Former Councilmember and Senator Passes Away

Bill Perkins, former NYC Councilmember and Senator, passed away on Tuesday. Perkins represented Harlem for both NYC and the state for 25 years, recently from 2017 to 2021 as Harlem’s councilmember. “After a lifetime fighting for justice, equality and to make the voices of our community heard, my husband, former City Councilman and State Senator Perkins died at home in Harlem, the community he loved and fought for his entire life," Pamela Perkins wrote in a statement.

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