Friday Morning Brief Sept 1, 2023

Aug 31

Member Spotlight: Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman

For today's Member Highlight, Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman agreed to answers questions about herself, her district, and her experiences during this year's legislative session. From Brooklyn, Assemblymember Zinerman currently serves as the Chair of Subcommittee on Emerging Workforce, as well as a member on various other committees such as on Labor, People with Disabilities, and Agriculture.

What was your career before becoming a legislator? Do you miss your job before becoming a legislator?
Prior to my election to the New York State Legislature, I served as the senior program director for a city-wide adult literacy program and workforce development program. I’ve been fortunate to have multiple careers and I have enjoyed them all, which I attribute to my belief system that “work is love made visible”. I love being a legislator but I do miss the culture we created at BEGIN and the professional development opportunities we created to enhance our practice and to learn from each other.

What area do you represent? Can you describe it for those that have never been there?
I represent the 56th Assembly District located in Central Brooklyn, which encompasses the historic and vibrant neighborhoods of Bedford Stuyvesant and northern Crown Heights. We are a global destination for arts and culture and the home to many icons such as singers Lena Horne and Stephanie Mills, sports figures Jackie Robinson and Connie Hawkins, rap stars Jay-Z and Mos Def, and towering political figures Shirley Chisolm and Al Vann. We embody the moniker “The Vibrant 56” due to our extensive population of artists who ignite our galleries, musicians who stir our souls, and business leaders who fuel our commercial corridors and support our nightlife. From live jazz at Sister’s Place, dance and theatrical performances at Billie Holiday, and iconic institutions like Restoration Plaza and Weeksville, the 56 is the place to be!

What is/are your greatest/proudest legislative achievement(s) this year?
As the Chair of the Subcommittee on Emerging Workforce, I was most proud to pass the Community Hiring bill A.7677. This legislation will allow the City of New York to leverage its purchasing power to connect low-income New Yorkers with livable wage jobs and apprenticeship opportunities in the building and construction trades. It is exciting to sponsor a bill that has the support of both Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams who grabbed the baton from the former administration and made it his own. After the Community Hiring was removed from the budget, there were thoughts that the bill would not pass this session but I worked with the Mayor’s Office, Labor Unions and Chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Cities to come to consensus on language to pass the bill. When faced with statistics that show the unemployment rate for black workers in NYC is 12.2% compared with a white worker rate of 1.3%, it was evident that we needed to work opportunities that will drive innovation and foster a stronger, more inclusive workforce for us all.

What was the most challenging piece of legislation/policy that you worked on this year?
Community hiring bill was definitely the most challenging. The bill was initially introduced by another legislator and once it did not pass in the budget, it appeared to be a dead issue. However, I’ve been committed to Community Hiring since 2020 when I was introduced to the concept by former Deputy Mayor Phil Thompson and was vested in its passage. The bill was also a priority of the BPHA and the NYSBLT and with their support, my staff and I kept pushing to get it passed before the end of session until we made it a reality.

What are your priorities/goals for next year?
I am very focused on passing the Amistad Act (A1939), helping to strengthen New York’s Non-Profit agencies (A7518 and A7531) and working to achieve equity on what I refer to as my “five pillars” - education, healthcare, economic development, housing and justice. These are the core principles to the advancement and future of our society.

Do you have a favorite colleague that you love to work with?
I'm blessed to work with several groups that I enjoy including the Members of the Agriculture Committee, Legislative Women's Caucus, and Black Puerto Rican and Hispanic Caucus. Last year, a group of us formed the New York State Black Legislative Taskforce (NYSBLT) to address disparities in education, healthcare, and economic empowerment. Being surrounded by a great group of people is a balm against the work of addressing rising hate crimes, the erasure of our history, the erosion of civil rights.

What advice would you give to young folks getting into politics?
Understand your “why”. Politics can be a brutal business if you don’t have clarity about why you want to run for office, serve your community, and represent them in a legislative body. Take time to ‘leave no door un-opened and no stone unturned’. Opportunity lies all around you and the more you search for them the easier they are to spot. The younger generation is lucky given their knowledge of social media and mass organizing. Using those tools you have the opportunity to make the changes you are determined to make in your community. I appreciate their courage and outspokenness and look forward to witnessing the emergence of the next generation of influential policymakers.

Any favorite/go-to spot for bites in Albany?
Thanks to the delivery apps, I am able to order food from some of my go-to spots after long session days when everything shuts down in the Capitol. For breakfast, I love a smoothie and an acai bowl from Loco Smoothie or an omelet from A Better Bite. If I get to eat out, I walk over to Dove Street and get Italian food from Rosana’s or crafted pub fare from Dove and Deer. When I am stuck at my desk, the drunken noodles with shrimp and the hot ginger tea from Emanuel Thai restaurant does the trick!

What did your office focus on during the summer?
Summer is my time in the district to focus on connecting with new and long-time constituents, building coalitions to address quality of life issues and hosting events to connect people with resources. To date, we’ve hosted a ton of events including a peace week to address gun violence, a youth-led health conference with the Young Doctors of DC to expose youth health careers, and a full day of activities to support college-bound youth. In addition, we are hosting read-alouds with volunteers, the library and community partners at block parties and open streets to raise the literacy rates among K-12 students.

In the aftermath of another racially motivated mass shooting in Jacksonville, Florida, Hochul issued a statement of condolences to the families of the victims and the Jacksonville community. Hochul also iterated her commitment to public safety, curbing gun violence, and combatting hate crimes. “After the Buffalo massacre, New York took action to curb gun violence and prevent these acts of terror. We raised the age to buy a semiautomatic rifle, strengthened our red flag laws, and required social media companies to improve their responses to hateful comments on their platforms,” Hochul explained.

Last week Monday, Hochul publicly unveiled a carving of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Capital’s Great Western Staircase. The seventeenth woman to be carved on the “Million Dollar Staircase,” Ginsburg is the first portrait to be added to the Staircase in 125 years. One of Ginsburg’s children, Jane Ginsburg, who teaches law at Columbia Law School, joined the unveiling ceremony. “By force of her intellect and toughness that we love, she achieved history, not just to be the second woman appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States of America, but also the first Jewish woman on the Supreme Court,” Hochul explains. To watch the full unveiling, please click here.

Last week Hochul announced the opening of the first state-owned utility-scale battery energy storage project. Located in Chateaugay, Franklin County, the 20-megawatt facility connects to the state’s electric grid and will relieve transmission congestion to incentivize the utility industry and private sector to integrate more clean energy into the power system. The new facility will aid in reaching the state’s target of installing 6,000 MW of energy storage by 2030, which will help the state reach its energy storage and climate goals.

Hochul concluded the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act Listening Tour last week, where over 1,000 New Yorkers attended in-person and virtual educational presentations across the state. The 10-stop educational listening tour for the $4.2 billion Bond Act was part of the state’s commitment to a collaborative and transparent process and to provide the public and potential funding applicants with more information about the possible guidelines being developed to identify potential projects. The Bond Act will support job creation through new environmental and community projects and invest in the Clean Green Schools initiative, which will serve more than 1,000 under-resourced public schools.

Last Friday, Hochul publicly announced the ratification of a four-year labor agreement with the United University Professions, which includes over 37,000 SUNY system faculty and employees. The contract includes yearly salary raise, increases in bonuses, 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave, and change in their health insurance program that encourages in-network employee utilization. "This contract fairly compensates the hard-working members of the United University Professions who provide critical expertise to benefit New York’s college students each day," said Hochul.

To further alleviate the state from the ongoing opioid crisis, Hochul announced further funding opportunities for harm reduction interventions for priority populations vulnerable to overdose. Through the state’s Opioid Settlement Fund, the Department of Health recently directed additional investments in several harm reduction programs and posted two new Requests for Applications:

Expanding Harm Reduction Services for Priority Populations Who Use Drugs ($7.5 million over two years) applications due October 3, 2023.
Development of a Comprehensive Coroner Training Program in New York State ($400,000 over two years) applications due October 5, 2023.

The two new funding opportunities total nearly $8 million and reflect a component of Hochul’s comprehensive plan to combat the state’s opioid crisis. “This funding underscores our commitment to holding manufacturers and distributors accountable while ensuring affected communities have the resources and compassion needed to end this epidemic,” explains Hochul.

Additionally, to aid the state in combating the opioid crisis, Hochul announced the Interagency Task Force on Overdose Prevention on Tuesday. The task force’s goal will be to increase programmatic coordination, analyze the success of existing state programs, and explore additional solutions to the opioid crisis. First announced in her State of the State address, the task force will review the prevention, treatment, recovery, and harm reduction of illegal substance use. The task force will also study how substance users interact with education, healthcare, criminal justice, housing, and other social service entities. A report by the task force with their findings will be published in a report later this Fall. “Turning the tide on illegal substance use requires full coordination across our agencies, and today, we take the next step in this ongoing vital work,” explained Hochul.

Yesterday, Hochul publicly launched the Pro-Housing Communities Program, a statewide initiative to give priority investments of up to $650 million in state discretionary funds to localities committed to housing growth. The Pro-Housing Communities will receive priority funding over other localities for certain discretionary funds, such as the 2024 Budget-funded Downtown Revitalization Initiative. This builds upon her executive orders earlier this summer to promote housing growth and incentivize municipalities to apply for Pro-Housing Community certification. “Increasing the housing supply in New York is critical, and I’m using every tool a Governor has at her disposal to make an impact. I look forward to visiting Certified Pro-Housing communities across New York to celebrate their accomplishments in the months to come,” explained Hochul.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

Hochul Signs Bill During 2023 State Fair Opening

After opening up the annual State Fair last week, Hochul signed a bill to develop new agricultural technologies and another bill to support new smaller fairs across the state. The bill to develop new agricultural technologies will take effect next year and establish a youth agriculture technology competition. It is hoped that the new competition will create new technology to assist the state agriculture to be cost and energy-efficient and to withstand new environmental challenges. The bill supporting new and smaller fairs will enable the state to offer a $2,500 reimbursement threshold to county fairs.

Republican Assemblymembers Urge Special Session Amidst Asylum-Seeker Crisis

On Monday, six GOP Assemblymembers sent a letter to Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, urging them to call a special session over the ongoing asylum-seeker crisis. “Though we firmly believe that this is a federal issue in need of a federal solution, it is also true that we have a responsibility to address the strain that this crisis is placing on public services,” the letter states. Speaker Heastie and Leader Stewart-Cousins have not commented on the special session request. The six GOP Assemblymembers are:

Michael Tannousis
Michael Reilly
Sam Pirozzolo
Michael Novakihov
Alec Brook-Krasny
Lester Chang

Senator Samra Brouk's Report on Doula Care

Last week, Senator Samra Brouk released a report on the state’s maternal health and doula care. With findings from March 7’s Joint Public Hearing on Maternal Health, Brouk recommends expanding access to doula care to improve maternal health for Black and Brown mothers. “Access to doula care can improve communication between low-income birthing people and their healthcare providers and staff,” the report states. Additionally, the report calls for increased Medicaid reimbursement to increase access to doula care. Although there was only additional funding for Medicaid coverage of preventative care, including for doulas, instead of an increase in Medicaid reimbursement in the 2024 Final budget, Brouk remains hopeful. “I think we’re moving in the right direction – but we can’t lose sight of the overall goal, and that’s why we can’t stop this work,” Brouk explains.

Early Voting for Assembly District 27 Starts This Saturday

With early voting for the special election for Assembly District 27 to begin this Saturday, Democrat Sam Berger has been garnering various endorsements, such as the state’s Troopers Police Benevolent Association and Queens Jewish Alliance, and local members of the Legislature, such as Senator John Liu. GOP’s David Hirsh has received an endorsement from former GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin, who won nearly 56% of district votes during his gubernatorial election against Hochul last year. Hirsh is optimistic about his race, saying, "Many people will vote Republican because many people are concerned about certain niche community interests.”

OTHER UDPATES

Business Leaders Urge Biden & Congress for More Asylum-Seekers Crisis Aid

On Monday, more than 100 leaders from the state’s business community signed a letter to President Biden and Congress asking for more federal aid in the asylum-seekers crisis and expediting work authorization. In support of Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams, the business leaders’ letter states that the asylum-seeker crisis is “overwhelming the resources not only of the border region but of city and state governments across the nation.” This comes after Hochul extended the state of emergency over the asylum-seeker crisis last week and as she visited the White House on Wednesday to discuss further potential federal assistance. Hochul also publicly urged Biden to expedite work authorization in a 10-minute address and a letter to the White House last week, but the DHS Secretary sent a letter back to Hochul and Adams highlighting two dozen recommendations “to strengthen the city’s migrant operations.” DHS did agree to "provide personnel, data, and resources" to help authorize work authorization for asylum-seekers after Hochul's Wednesday meeting.

State Republican Congressional Delegate Urge Hochul to Not Ask for Asylum-Seeker Crisis Federal Aid

As Hochul was meeting with the White House on Wednesday, Representatives Nicole Malliotakis, Elise Stefanik, Anthony D’Esposito, and Nick Langworthy sent a letter to Hochul about their disagreement with Hochul’s and Mayor Adams’ request for federal aid. Explaining that Hochul’s actions on the ongoing asylum-seeker crisis have “incentivized illegal immigration and encouraged more migration,” which the state cannot support. Instead, the state Republican congressional delegation urged Hochul to call on Biden to “end his executive orders which created this crisis in the first place.”

Trump Pleads Not Guilty in Georgia's Election Case

Yesterday, Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to 13 felony counts in his Georgia’s election interference case and waived his right to appear at his arraignment. Trump’s arraignment is scheduled for September 6th in Fulton County Superior Court. Trump is one of the 19 co-defendants charged in a 41-count indictment that alleges Trump and his associates attempted to interfere and overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. Trump is currently out on bail following his arrest in Georgia on August 25th and is forbidden to comment on his case on “social media or reposts of posts made by another individual on social media,” according to the bond conditions set by a judge.

State Supreme Court Reverses 30 CAURD Licensees Exemption Order

On Tuesday, a state Supreme Court judge reversed last week’s order exempting more than two dozen retail cannabis dispensary applicants from a temporary shutdown of the state CAURD marijuana licensing program. This comes after the state Supreme Court issued an injunction to temporarily shut down the CAURD program after a lawsuit claiming the program violated the Legislature’s 2021 mandate for everyone to be able to apply for licenses simultaneously. Although the state Supreme Court previously agreed to allow 30 pending applications who met all licensing approvals prior to August 7 to continue forward, it was released in an affidavit by the Office of Cannabis Management that not all of the “30 identified licensees have completed all post-selection requirements and inspections.”

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