PLA MORNING DRIVE
May 28, 2014
Your morning reading from PLA – A sampling of today’s New York news
STATE NEWS
Mayor de Blasio privately asks Working Families Party to back Gov. Cuomo for reelection New York Daily News (Ken Lovett and Annie Karni)
He’s a good friend to his frenemy.
Mayor de Blasio met privately Tuesday with leaders of the state Working Families Party, asking that they back Gov. Cuomo for reelection, the Daily News has learned.
The governor was present for the high-stakes sit-down, at an undisclosed location in Manhattan, sources said.
Democratic activist eyes primary challenge to Hochul Buffalo News (Tom Precious)
ALBANY – Bill Samuels, a wealthy Democratic Party activist, has been a public thorn in the side of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo for several years.
Now he says he is seriously considering challenging Cuomo’s running mate, Erie County’s Kathleen C. Hochul, in a Democratic primary.
Samuels, who called Cuomo “Nixonian” for aiding Republicans at the expense of candidates in his own party, said he might run as a way to force Cuomo back to the left of the Democratic Party and to also be a voice in Albany for such things as a state takeover of Medicaid to help lower local property taxes.
Moreland panel records sought Times Union (AP)
A federal prosecutor has asked members of New York’s Legislature to preserve any material relating to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s defunct anti-corruption commission.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, based in Manhattan, has been critical of the Democratic governor’s decision to disband the commission after nine months and acquired the commission documents. Bharara has already asked the two dozen people who served on the commission, many of them county prosecutors, to preserve “all documents that may be under your control relating in any way to the work of the Moreland Commission.”
Lippman looks for legislative help to seal old criminal records Capital New York (Jessica Bakeman)
ALBANY—With just over a month left in the state’s legislative session, the chief judge of New York’s highest court is still searching for a Senate sponsor for one of his top priorities: sealing criminal records for those who committed offenses years ago.
Court of Appeals Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman included in his 2014 State of the Judiciary address a proposal to allow for criminal records to be expunged after 10 years for offenders who committed one non-violent felony, or seven years after one or two misdemeanors.
Marijuana bill sails through Assembly, after long debate Capital News York (Will Brunelle)
ALBANY—After an almost three-hour thrashing by its opponents, Assemblyman Richard Gottfried’s medicinal marijuana bill passed the Assembly late Tuesday.
The measure was ultimately approved by a 91-34 vote, but only after a brutal back-and-forth debate between Gottfried and the largely Republican opponents of the measure.
New, big ticket NY lottery game set to debut June 13 Times Union (Jim Odato)
The New York Gaming Commission on Tuesday agreed to roll out a new multi-state lottery game on June 13 that would pay the top winner $1,000 a day for life.
The numbers game is called Cash For Life and it would replace the Sweet Million drawing. Commission members voted to bring in the new lottery offering at a meeting on Tuesday in New York City. The new game would include New Jersey players and other states might join in after this year. Interested states include Virginia and Ohio.
Tom Precious to write a book on N.Y. casinos Capital New York (Jimmy Vielkind)
ALBANY—In an upcoming book, longtime Capitol correspondent Tom Precious will tell the story of casinos in modern New York, including the current process of siting up to four gambling halls upstate, the pacts between Native American tribes and past governors that gave birth to Turning Stone and the three casinos operated by the Seneca Nation of Indians, as well as the video slot parlors approved by state leaders in 2001, just weeks after the September 11 attacks.
For Precious, who has covered state government for the Buffalo News since 1997, the book will be a chance to examine the true economic effects of casinos, the process by which they were approved and all of the things they illustrate about how New York government works.
Xerox Beats HP for Estimated $500 Million N.Y. Medicaid Deal Bloomberg (Freeman Klopott)
Xerox Corp. (XRX) won an estimated $500 million contract to replace New York’s Medicaid management system, the biggest in the U.S.
The five-year computer-services agreement must still be approved by the state comptroller, according to an e-mail from Bill Schwarz, a spokesman for the New York Health Department. Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC), which runs the current system, didn’t bid.
NYC NEWS
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Decides Against Bid to Host 2024 Olympics Wall Street Journal (Michael Howard Saul)
Mayor Bill de Blasio has ruled out any possibility that New York City will submit a bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, a top member of his staff said Tuesday.
The administration decided not to pursue the Games after looking at the pros and cons of bidding for and hosting the event, said Alicia Glen, deputy mayor for housing and economic development.
City Council schedules hearing on ‘Avonte’s Law’ school-exit alarms New York Post (Carl Campanile)
The City Council will finally hold a public hearing on a bill that would require alarms on the exit doors of public schools to prevent tragedies such as the disappearance and death of Avonte Oquendo.
The June 12 hearing was announced just hours after The Post reported that the council’s Education Committee was dragging its feet in taking up “Avonte’s Law” — despite support from 46 of the 51 council members and all major parent groups.
De Blasio’s Latest Break With His Predecessors: Ending a Ban on Ferrets New York Times (Michael M. Grynbaum)
Mayor Bill de Blasio prides himself on confronting New York’s knottiest civic problems, such as expanding classroom time for preschoolers and lowering the cost of urban housing.
Now his administration is sinking its teeth into a friskier challenge: legalizing ferrets.
Carriage horse drivers taking their fight to Albany Wednesday New York Daily News (Glenn Blain)
Carriage horse drivers are taking their fight against City Hall to the state Capitol Wednesday.
Up to 15 drivers plan to spend the day in Albany meeting with lawmakers and building support for legislation that would stop the city from canceling their licenses.
“We want the lawmakers to meet with people from the carriage industry,” said driver Stephen Malone. “We want to educate them about the rules and regulations that are already in place to protect the horses and to let them know you just can do away with an industry at the drop of a hat.”
Brooklyn leads the five boroughs for job growth: study New York Post (Amber Sutherland and Pat Bailey)
Here’s one more trend in which Brooklyn is leading the city — jobs.
The borough of artisanal cheese shops and fair-trade clothing stores has become New York’s most burgeoning employment market, according to a new state report.
Employers say that work is flowing to Brooklyn because the area is the laid-back anti-Manhattan.
BUFFALO/WESTERN NY NEWS
Democrats backing Panepinto to oppose Grisanti Buffalo News (Robert J. McCarthy)
Attorney Marc C. Panepinto is expected to receive the Democratic endorsement tonight for the 60th State Senate District seat after his two main intraparty competitors ended their candidacies Tuesday.
North Council Member Joseph Golombek Jr. and Hamburg Trustee Laura Palisano Hackathorn both said they are yielding to the strength Panepinto brings to the contest against Republican incumbent Mark J. Grisanti in the November general election.
Trump would put up his own money for new Bills stadium if bid is accepted Buffalo News (Jerry Zremski)
WASHINGTON – Billionaire developer Donald Trump said Monday that he’s willing to put up some of his own money to help build a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills if his bid to buy the team is successful.
Asked about contributing money to a new Bills stadium during a brief interview before a speech at the National Press Club, Trump said, “I think I would. If my bid were accepted, I would certainly do what I could do.”
CAPITAL REGION/NORTH COUNTRY NEWS
Ark supporters seek about-face by SUNY Times Union (Rick Karlin)
Supporters of the Ark Community Charter School tried to turn up the heat on state university officials Tuesday with a rally decrying what could happen if SUNY officials go ahead and close the facility due to its poor test scores.
“Its closure would be devastating,” said Barbara Higbee, a board member of the Howard and Bush Foundation, which helped fund the charter school’s start 13 years ago.
LONG ISLAND NEWS
Nassau Democrats endorse Denenberg for Senate Newsday (Robert Brodsky)
Nassau County Democrats on Tuesday endorsed county Legis. Dave Denenberg (D-Merrick) at their nominating convention for the State Senate seat vacated last year by Republican Charles Fuschillo Jr.
“I am honored to receive the Democratic nomination and pleased to be working with Carmen,” Denenberg said. “This race is about protecting Long Island taxpayers for generations to come.”
Freeport Village trustee Carmen Piñeyro, who waged a primary run, dropped out and endorsed Denenberg at the party’s convention in Garden City.
