State Legislature Fails to Pass Build Public Renewables or Good Cause Eviction
No. 273 | Monday, June 6
The NYC Thorn is a weekly roundup of local political news compiled by members of NYC-DSA.
Local News:
The New York State Legislature failed to pass several meaningful bills including Good Cause Eviction and the Build Public Renewables Act (BPRA). The latter passed the Senate and reportedly had the votes needed to pass the Assembly, but Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (District 83, Kingsbridge, East Bronx) did not bring it to the floor for a vote.
The State Legislature has agreed to a deal that extends mayoral control of New York City public schools two years, short of Mayor Eric Adam's requested four years, and mandates smaller class sizes.
Sponsored by State Senator Julia Salazar (District 18, Bushwick), the NYCHA Preservation Trust passed the State legislature.
Governor Kathy Hochul's budget includes billions in "unnecessarily opaque" funds controlled by the Governor, according to a report by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, continuing a budget practice common under former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Amid abnormally high attrition in the City's workforce, Mayor Adams continues to insist that City employees work in person in the office every workday.
Mayor Adams is proposing major changes to the City's zoning code to make it easier for developers to build housing. The plan, called "City of Yes," requires City Council support.
Despite surging rents across the City, the State legislature refused to pass Good Cause Eviction this session.
Mayor Adams has halted plans for public high-speed Internet.
The MTA is facing a "dire" staff shortage after multiple attempts to increase hiring have not worked.
Elections:
Rana Abdelhamid, who was running for Congress in NY-12 against incumbent Carolyn Maloney (Astoria, Manhattan’s East Side, Greenpoint) , has ended her congressional bid after being drawn out of NY-12 and into the districts of two progressive incumbents.
Tom Suozzi and Jumaane Williams met for a gubernatorial primary debate. Incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul did not appear.
Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (D-Hudson Valley) is shifting his campaign to a more safely Democratic district after redistricting, leaving his former seat vulnerable to a Republican challenge.
New York State Republicans are opposing a bill to consolidate local elections in even years, when increased turnout is likely to favor Democrats.
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