Eric Adam’s Plan to Further Criminalize Mental Illness + New Assembly Maps Drafted
The NYC Thorn is a weekly roundup of local political news compiled by members of NYC-DSA.
The NYC Thorn is a weekly roundup of local political news compiled by members of NYC-DSA.
Local News
Mayor Eric Adams announced a plan to require New York Police Department (NYPD) officers remove New Yorkers who appear to be suffering from mental illnesses to hospitals against their will. Critics say the plan violates constitutional rights, and many mentally ill New Yorkers and emergency medical service workers are worried about its implementation. Hundreds already complain every year that the NYPD forces people to hospitals.
The New School’s part-time faculty are now meeting with a mediator to continue contract negotiations with management. The union, part of ACT-United Auto Workers Local 7902, has been on strike since November 16.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced her intent to release a major housing plan for 2023 in the near future. Gotham Gazette covered major priorities that housing activists and landlords hope to push for statewide.
Brooklyn congressmember Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8) was elected leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives to replace outgoing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (CA-12). Jeffries worked for years as a corporate lawyer, received more donation dollars in hedge fund money than any other congressmember in 2020 and has fought the left on the local and national level. Jeffries also recently told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee that aid to Israel should continue with “no conditions.”
Janet DiFiore, the outgoing Chief Judge on the New York State Court of Appeals, is wielding her influence to choose her replacement on the court to punish the court's liberal bloc.
Ibrahim Khan, longtime chief of staff to New York State Attorney General Letitia James, resigned abruptly amid investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him.
The budgets of the State, City, and the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) all face uncertainty in both the medium and long term given current forecasts about the economy. The MTA in particular warned of large potential fare hikes if new sources of revenue aren't found.
The Gavin Power Plant in Cheshire, Ohio, which is known to pollute the local groundwater and air with coal ash and sulfuric acid, has been funded by several public pension funds including the New York State Common Retirement Fund. The Common Retirement Fund is part of the portfolio of Blackstone Capital Partners VII and is exempt from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's pledge to divest from fossil-fuel companies because Blackstone is not technically considered a fossil-fuel company.
In a victory for landlords, an Orange County Supreme Court judge struck down Newburgh's local Good Cause law prohibiting evictions under certain circumstances.
The City is hiring a director of rodent mitigation, popularly referred to as a “rat czar” to deal with escalating sanitation issues.
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Members of the NYC-DSA Electoral Working Group formed the NYC Thorn in early 2017 to create an easy way for members to keep up with local political news. In the six (!) years since, thousands of New Yorkers—some of whom are not DSA members—have received, read, and (we hope) enjoyed this newsletter. If you are one of them, please consider taking the next step to join our mass political organization and become a DSA member today!
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Elections
The State’s Independent Redistricting Commission released a draft of new Assembly district maps for the 2024 election cycle. Earlier this year, a judge ruled that the current map was unconstitutional for the same reason the State Senate and Congressional maps were, but allowed this year's elections to proceed since there wasn't enough time to produce new districts in time for 2022’s election.
The Assembly will likely vote against seating the Republican winner of an Assembly race in Brooklyn, Lester Chang (District 49), after learning that he only recently moved to the borough. If it passes, Governor Hochul would need to call a special election to fill the seat.
The Brooklyn Democratic Party is once again naming people to county committee roles without their knowledge. This practice allows party leaders to exert more influence by voting as proxies for these unwitting county committee members.
THE LOCAL
A publication of the Legislative Committee of the NYC-DSA Labor Branch.
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