With assist from Shawn Ness
THEY DON’T HAVE THE VOTES: Gov. Kathy Hochul continues to be MIA since her last-minute resolution to droop congestion pricing Wednesday morning by way of video message. And a legislative chief’s transatlantic trip threatens to make sure New Yorkers are left with out a answer to the $1 billion gap for the nation’s largest transit system as legislators head residence for the 12 months.
Lawmakers proceed to scramble in Albany throughout the ultimate hours of this 12 months’s legislative session after the governor’s congestion pricing reversal pressured them to seek out $1 billion value of the income they’ve misplaced from the nixed toll plan.
The issue is that they’ve simply hours — not days — to resolve this funding emergency. And an excellent larger drawback is that a lot of them don’t wish to.
“The governor is pointing an unloaded gun at us and asking us to give her the ammunition to shoot us and our constituents,” state Sen. Julia Salazar stated in an announcement.
At the least two options to repair the funding hole have already failed to fulfill the mark thus far. An eleventh-hour plan to enhance a tax on New York Metropolis companies died Thursday after lawmakers instantly nixed it. One other proposal was panned this morning after it turned clear there wasn’t sufficient help. Distinguished Democrats, together with Manhattan Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Queens Sen. Jessica Ramos, stated they might not vote for the second concept of dipping into the state’s basic fund to supply $1 billion a 12 months as a assure in opposition to a bond.
Now Democratic legislative leaders try to plan a 3rd answer they will gin up help for earlier than heading residence. Legislators are agency on leaving Albany by sunup tomorrow — they usually’re not coming again up till January. (Meeting Speaker Carl Heastie is claimed to have booked a ticket on a jet aircraft to Europe tomorrow.)
When requested repeatedly about his journey overseas — which makes all of it however sure that the decrease chamber gained’t have any time tomorrow to repair the problem — Heastie didn’t deny his journey to reporters. He then turned to your Playbook reporter and snapped, “Where are you going tomorrow?”
And within the midst of all of it, the governor has sequestered herself behind closed doorways — declining to reply questions or face the general public after making some of the consequential coverage choices of her tenure.
However she will be able to’t cover ceaselessly. She’s scheduled to make a fundraising look at a brunch sponsored by the Saratoga County Democrats on Saturday forward of the Belmont Stakes.
“She’s wrong to not take questions,” Ramos stated. “It’d be really disappointing if she’s avoiding the public unless people are donating.”
One other lawmaker provided an analogous take: “If [Hochul] actually believed her congestion pricing betrayal was popular, you’d think she’d be out there bragging about it. Instead she’s hiding,” Assemblymember Emily Gallagher posted on X.
Hochul’s political and authorities communications groups didn’t reply to Playbook’s requests for remark. — Jason Beeferman
A PURRFECT END TO SESSION? Each homes of the Legislature are advancing a invoice to ban the surgical devocalization of cats and canines.
“It is a horrific practice to literally rip the vocal cords out of an animal because you don’t like the sound they make,” Senate sponsor Mike Gianaris stated. “Anyone who’s willing to do that to their pets doesn’t deserve to have a pet.”
The invoice handed the Senate this afternoon. A model within the Meeting sponsored by Ken Zebrowski has been transferring by way of committee in current days; Zebrowski says he “hopes to get it done” earlier than the chamber wraps up within the coming hours.
“Devocalization is a convenience surgery that can cause long-term harm to the animals affected by it, and it doesn’t address the root cause of the barking,” stated the Humane Society of the USA’ Brian Shapiro. “It’s an animal in distress, and this type of convenience surgery is not in the best interest of the animal.” — Invoice Mahoney
— FOLLOW THE UNEXPECTED LEADER: State legislators wish to import medicine from Canada in bulk, a transfer that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis applied in his residence state earlier this 12 months. The state is trying to import medicine to deal with illnesses like HIV and AIDS, varied psychological diseases and prostate most cancers. (POLITICO Professional)
— NY HEAT ON ICE?: Lawmakers within the Meeting are nonetheless trying to cross the NY HEAT Act, which may wind up in a “Big Ugly” omnibus invoice. Many lawmakers are cautiously optimistic that the invoice will cross however have come to phrases that will probably be nowhere near what it appeared like when initially proposed. (State of Politics)
— TRACKING AMMO: Maintaining with Hochul’s emphasis on public security, lawmakers wish to advance a invoice that might enable bank card firms to trace gun and ammunition purchases. However it’s nonetheless unclear if Hochul will signal the invoice if it passes the Meeting right now. (Instances Union)
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