New York won’t see a budget this week

Presented by NY Renews, a project of Tides Advocacy

You already know what time it is: extender time (pt. 4)!

The 20-day-late budget ain’t coming this week, according to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, so lawmakers need to pass another temporary filler by this afternoon to ensure about 1,000 emergency workers from the Division of Military and Naval Affairs are paid.

This is another short one. It only lasts through Monday, when they’ll need to approve another extender to get most of the state workforce paid, according to the state comptroller.

Why not just pass a weeklong extender today, if what ASC says is true? (This is not a rhetorical question. We don’t know. Please help.)

Albany veterans who used to regularly watch budgets drift into summer months still say they are unbothered by the current state of play, but the lack of urgency from leadership is jarring.

Some smaller issues are falling — or are likely to fall — off the negotiating table, but no one will 100 percent commit to any of those yet either. So nothing will close until everything is closed, frustrated staff say.

Some of the issues looking less likely include Hochul topline proposals such as tuition hikes at SUNY and CUNY schools, POLITICO reported yesterday.

A person familiar with the negotiation conversations this week said the Assembly has reiterated they are “significantly opposed” to any inclusion of Hochul’s idea to ban flavored tobacco.

The housing deal (in partial state of collapse, depending on who you ask) is earning a growing number of opponents who say they’d rather nix it from the budget entirely than include a plan without tenant protections, City & State reports. A renewal of the controversial 421a tax break is unlikely, but a replacement — which drives a big part of Hochul’s proposal — remains elusive.

A deal on bail laws? Probably complete, but maybe subject to change. Here’s a guide to its entire journey.

IT’S THURSDAY. Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: [email protected] or on Twitter: @annagronewold

WHERE’S KATHY? In Albany with no announced public schedule.

WHERE’S ERIC? In Brooklyn and New York City announcing the release of PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done, the city’s strategic climate plan, He will later deliver remarks at the Life Sciences Advisory Council and Real Estate Life Sciences Advisory Board joint meeting, and at the Young Future Leaders “We Trending” youth panel and resource fair. In the evening, the mayor will host the City of New York’s first Nowruz celebration. Then, he will deliver remarks at REBNY’s 127th Annual Gala, and at the Hispanic Federation’s Annual Fundraiser and Gala.

WHAT CITY HALL IS READING

White House ‘has failed’ New York City over migrant crisis, mayor says, by POLITICO’s Zachary Schermele: Against a backdrop of drastic charts and flanked by senior members of his administration, Mayor Eric Adams made perhaps his most forceful case yet Wednesday for more money from the federal government to address the city’s costly migrant crisis. The city is already out $817 million because of it, said Jacques Jiha, his budget director. And it’s staring down a $1.4 billion price tag for the fiscal year that ends June 30.

“Scott Stringer and allies allege his accuser Jean Kim lied about sexual misconduct claims in flurry of sworn statements,” by Daily News’ Michael Gartland: “Scott Stringer — the former city comptroller whose visions of becoming New York mayor faded away after being accused of sexual misconduct — filed several sworn statements Wednesday contending his accuser Jean Kim lied about specific circumstances surrounding their relationship.”

“Manhattan DA Bragg investigating collapsed parking garage as New Yorkers worry about their buildings,” by WNYC’s David Brand: “The sudden and fatal collapse has left many New Yorkers concerned about the safety of their own buildings. It’s a scary thought. New York City has more than 1 million buildings, and many of them are over a century old. Collapses like the one at the Ann Street parking garage are rare, but tend to happen more frequently at active construction sites. The effects can be devastating, and sometimes lethal.”

“Brooklyn GOP taps ex-N.Y. Senate candidate who declared ‘hate’ for borough to run in City Council race, infuriating community leaders,” by Daily News’ Chris Sommerfeldt: “A former state Senate candidate who made waves during the pandemic by declaring that he despises ‘f---ing Brooklyn’ has been handpicked by the borough’s Republican Party to run as its candidate in a high-stakes City Council race this year, according to paperwork reviewed by the Daily News. The Brooklyn GOP’s decision to tap Vito LaBella, a former NYPD officer, as its candidate for the 43rd Council district infuriated local Asian community leaders, who sent a letter Wednesday to the party’s chairman, Ted Ghorra, urging him to backtrack.”

“Should New York City Have Free Buses?” by The New York Times’ Winnie Hu and Asmaa Elkeurti: “On Tuesday morning, Mayor Eric Adams voiced his approval of the pilot program in a video posted on Twitter and Instagram by Assemblyman Zohran Kwame Mamdani, a Queens Democrat and a sponsor of the proposal.”

WHAT ALBANY'S READING

HOT JOB(S) ALERT: Jay Jacobs is staffing up. The state Democratic Party is hiring an AAPI outreach director, Hispanic outreach director, press secretary and regional political director, with “more to come” as leaders strategize recovery efforts heading into 2024.

“Halligan confirmed to Court of Appeals, cementing liberal majority,” by Times Union’s Joshua Solomon: “The Court of Appeals is poised to soon have a full seven-member bench for the first time in over eight months, marking the end of an historic fight over the future of the state’s highest court. The months-long political fight, which pegged liberal and moderate Democrats against one other, appeared to conclude with the confirmation of former state Solicitor General Caitlin Halligan as associate judge to the Court of Appeals on Wednesday.”

“Victim’s Father Breaks Down as Bail Is Denied in Wrong-Driveway Shooting,” by The New York Times’ Jesse McKinley, Jay Root and Chelsia Rose Marcius: “A man accused of shooting a young woman who had inadvertently driven up his driveway in a rural area of upstate New York was returned to jail without bail on Wednesday, a move that the victim’s shattered family hailed, even as the prosecutors in the case said more charges could be forthcoming.

— A lack of cell service in the remote area where the shooting occurred has emerged as a factor in Washington County killing, via Times Union’s Brendan J Lyons.

TRUMP'S NEW YORK

THOUGHTFUL! “Trump Says He May Skip Rape Case to Spare New Yorkers Traffic Hassles,” by The New York Times’ Benjamin Weiser: “Former President Donald J. Trump wants to come to a Manhattan trial over allegations he raped a woman nearly 30 years ago, but he may stay away to spare New Yorkers the traffic jams, blocked streets and high security that would inevitably accompany him, his lawyer said on Wednesday.”

“Trump’s former financial chief Weisselberg gets out of jail,” by The Associated Press’ Michael R. Sisak: “The 75-year-old emerged from New York City’s Rikers Island jail complex facing the same pressures he was under three months ago, when he started serving time for tax evasion.”

FROM THE DELEGATION

“Rep. Dan Goldman knows Washington. Now he’s getting to know his NYC district.,” by WNYC’s Brigid Bergin: “Rep. Dan Goldman doesn’t deny he needs to know more about his district. It was one of the recurring knocks against the 47-year-old Democrat and heir to the Levi Strauss denim fortune when he was running in a crowded race to represent the 10th Congressional District, which covers parts of Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.”

AROUND NEW YORK

— The Associated Press thoroughly fact-checked claims about crime in NYC. The verdict won’t surprise you: It’s not as bad as some congressional Republicans are saying.

— GlobalFoundries is suing IBM in federal court over claims IBM stole chip technology and employees.

— State officials touted New York’s cryptocurrency laws to Congress as potential models for federal legislation.

— New York’s primary ethics panel has added two new names.

SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Joanna Coles … NBC’s Carol Lee and Annalise Anderson … Time’s Molly Ball … Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin … Lee Ferran … Daniela Plattner … Jon Daugherty … Chudi Motanya

MAKING MOVES — Justin Herring has joined Mayer Brown as a partner. He most recently was executive deputy superintendent of the cybersecurity division at the New York State Department of Financial Services.

Real Estate

“City Looks to Rehab ‘Chronically Vacant’ Rent-Stabilized Apartments to House Homeless,” by City Limits’ Jeanmarie Evelly: “Last year, 38,621 of the roughly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments in the five boroughs were registered as vacant—an affront, housing advocates say, at a time when the city faces record-high rents and more than 70,000 people sleeping in homeless shelters each night. Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday said his administration will spend $10 million to renovate 400 of those units this year so tenants with housing vouchers, who often face discrimination from landlords and brokers when searching for a rental, can move in.”