Archive for March, 2013

The ink is still drying on the 2013-14 state budget, but expect Gov. Andrew Cuomo to begin a pivot to post-budget session needs as the state Legislature leaves Albany until April 15.

Cuomo likes to say that 70 percent of his job is running the operations and pulling the levers of state government, decidedly unsexy, but nonetheless important stuff like building a new bridge, ensuring state resources are at the ready for a disaster and rebuilding after Superstorm Sandy.

But the work that is scrutinized most by the press is what the second floor can get done on the third floor, where the Senate and Assembly operate at the Capitol.

Cuomo laid out an expansive agenda for his third year in office, perhaps recognizing that it would be easier to get a decidedly liberal agenda through now than it would be when all statewide offices and 213 legislative seats are up for election.

The governor has already gotten what he wanted on gun control, extending the millionaires tax a year early and increasing the state’s minimum wage.

But there’s still plenty of things Cuomo wants and — in some cases — needs to get done in order to satisfy core constituencies a year before he gears up for a statewide re-election campaign.

There are 30 session days remaining in the legislative calendar.

Here’s a smattering of what’s left, based on a read of his State of the State briefing book:

Women’s Equality

The governor would no doubt love to answer the question, “What has Andrew Cuomo done for women?” by pointing to the women’s equality package, a 10-point package of measures that take aim at workplace and housing discrimination, domestic abuse and, most controversially, abortion rights.

Cuomo has said he is writing his own version of the Reproductive Health Act, a measure that’s sponsored by Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Critics of the proposal, based on the bill has introduced by the Yonkers Democrat and minority leader of the Democratic conference, would expand abortion rights to include partial-birth abortion. Supports of the measure deny that’s the case, saying it simply codifies Roe v. Wade in New York should that ruling be one day overturned at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Like everything these days, the vote hunting in the Legislature will be in the state Senate, currently led by a coalition of 31 Republican conference members and five indepenent Democrats. Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos, R-Nassau County, has said he is opposed to the RHA in its current form. The measure is shaping up to be yet another test for the coalition and Skelos’ governing partner, Senate IDC Leader Jeff Klein, D-Bronx. And while Democrats do not have majority control of the chamber, they do have a numerical advantage. Still, there are at least two Democratic lawmakers in the mainstream conference, Sens. Tim Kennedy and Ruben Diaz, who are opposed to abortion.

Campaign Finance

While the women’s equality legislation will be the most high-profile of Cuomo’s post-budget efforts, the campaign finance one will be a debate closely watched by political junkies and insiders. A broad coalition of groups – some of them backed by labor organizations — are undertaking a concerted effort to reform the state’s campaign finance laws and put in place a public matching system that’s estimated to cost about $130 million.

If successful, Cuomo would be reforming a system he is incredibly adept at raising cash from, having more than $20 million in the bank for his re-election effort more than a year out.

It’s not clear where New York would get the cash for the public financing system, which would be based off the New York City model. Cuomo has said he would pursue an “off-budget” revenue source that doesn’t come directly from taxpayers, but so far that has not been specifically laid out.

Senate Republicans have generally opposed “taxpayer-funded” political campaigns, so the off-budget source could be used to allay those concerns.

The more pressing matter be convincing lawmakers that a public matching system is within their best interests. It’s far easier for a governor or attorney general candidate to collect thousands of small-dollar donations. It’s a lot harder to do that when you’re an relatively unknown legislative candidate.

If public financing becomes dead on arrival, look for the transparency bill as first mentioned in the State of the State to become a more focal point. The measure would require donations above $500 to be disclosed within 48 hours.

Marijuana Decriminalization

Despite an 11th hour push in the budget negotiations, lawmakers could not agree on the scope and reach of an effort to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana in order to stem stop and frisk arrests in New York City. Again, it’s a measure that may have trouble passing the Senate, with some Democratic and Republican lawmakers not completely on board.

Casinos

Dropped early on in the budget talks, Cuomo and lawmakers could not agree on how much influence the Legislature should have when it comes to siting three upstate casinos. Cuomo wants his own gambling commission to make the determination, and is mindful of what happens when monied casino interests try to influence state lawmakers. But the problem, as articulated by Sen. Tom Libous, is that New York City voters — due to have the highest turn out this year because of the 2013 mayoral race – may not be enticed to approve a constitutional amendment to expand casino gambling in the state with the first round of casinos going north of the metropolitan area.

DREAM Act

A behind-the-scenes source of contention erupted yesterday when Latino lawmakers expressed reservations the budget did not include funding for the children of undocumented immigrants to attend college. Sources said yesterday the concerns have grown so much that one lawmaker told a top Cuomo aide the governor would have a “Latino problem” if the DREAM Act wasn’t taken up later this legislative session. Skelos, the Senate GOP leader, has expressed a willingness to look at the Dream Fund, a different proposal that would take private money.

To keep those lawmakers on board, Cuomo will have to at least make a strong case that he backs either or both of those measures before those tensions bubble up beyond a symbolic no vote on a budget bill.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo this morning released a video message this morning touting three on time budgets in a row following the Assembly’s completion of the $142 billion spending plan late last night.

In the video, Cuomo said while a string of on-time budgets should not be a major milestone, the streak comes after years of late spending plans that often stretched well into the summer time.

“This week we see another example of the progress we’ve made together. In partnership with the state Senate and Assembly, Democrats and Republicans working together, we have agreed to pass a balanced budget well before the April 1 deadline. This is now the third budget in a row we have passed on time. And while three budgets on time in a row shouldn’t sound like much, this is the first time this has happened in almost 30 years.”

As he has before, the governor sought to draw a stark contrast to the days before he took office in state government.

“The government in Albany hardly worked and when it did it worked for the lobbyists and the special interests than it did for the people,” Cuomo said in the video.

Cuomo touted the budget’s tax cuts aimed at families and businesses, saying that most New Yorkers haven’t had as low a tax rate since Jackie Robinson played for the Dodgers in Brooklyn.

“Overall everyone in New York state pays less taxes than they do when I took office,” Cuomo said, adding, “I had hoped to reduce taxes on the very rich. However, the economy has not rebounded and we could not lose roughly two billion dollars in revenue at this time.”

He also called the $7.25 minimum wage too low, and that raising the wage to $9 by the end of 2015 “the right thing to do and the fair thing to do.”

He added, “New York is coming back. New York is raising and we are building on our strengths.”