| | | | |  | | By Joseph Spector and Anna Gronewold | Presented by Healthcare Education Project | HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED: Four years ago, at Hofstra University on Long Island, the state Democratic convention was a celebration in the name of Andrew Cuomo, who won the party's nomination for a third term as governor, as Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton feted him from the convention stage. There might be only one similarity on Thursday, when the Democrats gather in Manhattan to nominate their statewide candidates for 2022: Clinton will again be there to give a speech. Beyond that, the convention will be very different. Cuomo is gone, and his successor, Gov. Kathy Hochul, will walk away with the party's nomination. But there will still be some intrigue. Here are five issues to watch as the convention unfolds: — Hochul gives an election speech: Remember, the governor announced as soon as she took over from Cuomo in August that she would seek a full term in 2022. But that was about it: She hasn't done an official campaign kickoff or talked about what she will do over the next four years. Her speech on Thursday afternoon will be her first opportunity to do that as polls show her with a comfortable lead in November. — Tish James and Trump: Another bit of political interest here. James is running for another term as state attorney general after a brief foray into the governor's race. Will it be all love between the two of them now? Will James talk about her ongoing probes of former President Donald Trump, whom she openly vowed to pursue when she first ran four years ago? But this time, she doesn't have a contested primary. — The 25 percenters: Gubernatorial primary candidates Tom Suozzi and Jumaane Williams would love nothing more than to get 25 percent of delegates' votes, which would allow them to avoid the arduous task of gathering petition signatures to qualify for the June primary ballot. But it is unlikely that either will get to that threshold, and as Williams has said, he likes the petition process. — Moderate or progressive: The old adage is you run to the left or right in a primary to appease your base, and then come more to the center in a general election. And this year is a tricky one for Democrats: Republicans are expected to do well in the midterms, and last year showed that even safe Democratic seats can be at risk — evidenced by the narrow victory by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and the defeat of New Jersey's Senate president, Steve Sweeney. So look for themes: Will Democrats like Hochul take a moderate approach or lean left to attract progressives? — What will Hillary say? The marquee name Thursday will be a local woman from Chappaqua. Former Sen. Hillary Clinton, the former first lady and secretary of State, will address delegates. She's done so regularly every four years — since she's still a New Yorker and got to know many of the attendees during her stint as senator from 2001 through 2009. Her message will be interesting at a time when President Joe Biden is struggling in the polls and as Trump likely gears up for another run in 2024. IT'S WEDNESDAY: Welcome back to the second annual installment of PM Playbook, an afternoon check-in to spill the day's tea — as we know it thus far — during one of the busiest seasons in New York politics.
| | | | A message from Healthcare Education Project: When COVID-19 hit New York, frontline healthcare workers answered the call. But as the system was stretched to the limit and New Yorkers struggled to find care, greedy health insurers pocketed billions. Despite these record profits, insurers are back squeezing hospitals for more. Doctors and caregivers can no longer survive on razor thin margins. Join us and help stop for-profit insurers from getting between doctors and their patients. Learn more. | | | |  | From the 3rd Floor | | GOOD-CAUSE TALKS: Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins shed a (somewhat dim) light on where discussions of "good cause" eviction proposals are headed during an appearance with Brian Lehrer on WNYC. "I frankly don't think that the current iteration will be able to pass, but I do know we are continuing to work to make sure we can do something to keep people in their homes," she said. Pressed for more clarity, Stewart-Cousins said that the current proposal seeks to limit rent increases to 3 percent and that others had looked at what to consider "unreasonable increases" in rent. "We're trying to figure out what we can do that will keep people in their homes while we try and continue to grow affordable housing," she added. Stewart-Cousins also continued to defend the exclusion of a "dangerousness" standard in changes to the state's bail laws, despite a push in the opposite direction from New York City Mayor Eric Adams. She pointed out that there's a national spike in crime and argued that blaming bail changes has become a "punctuation point" rather than a reality-based argument. "What we want to do is criminalize criminals … what we want to do is make sure we're not criminalizing poverty," she said. — Marie J. French REGIONAL COUNCILS, SMALL BUSINESS HELP: Lawmakers pressed the new head of Empire State Development, Hope Knight, about the pace of pandemic relief money for smaller businesses going out the door and for a commitment to revamp the Regional Economic Development Councils set up under Cuomo. Knight, who was tapped by Hochul in October, said she's committed to examining the REDC structure and process. "We do need improvement," said Assemblymember Harry Bronson (D-Monroe). "Too often these councils are insular, leaving out many small businesses and minorities. … How can we ensure marginalized people … will be included in the decision-making and the benefits of these projects?" Several lawmakers also asked about challenges by small businesses trying to access a pool of $800 million for pandemic relief, saying some have been denied. Knight provided updated numbers, saying about $500 million has been awarded to 27,000 businesses, most of which have 10 or fewer employees. Lawmakers were also skeptical of a new proposed relief fund of $200 million for small businesses, questioning the rationale for creating a new program. That fund is aimed at companies that started shortly before or during the pandemic, Knight said. Key lawmakers also said they'd push for increased funding for Centers of Excellence and Centers for Advanced Technology beyond the increase Hochul proposed. — Marie J. French
| | The Campaign Trail | | RUNNING TOGETHER, YET APART: Suozzi picked a formidable candidate as his running mate today. It's former New York City Council Member Diana Reyna, whom Suozzi noted high in his press release was "named by then-Brooklyn Borough President and current NYC Mayor Eric Adams, as his Deputy Borough President." This doesn't mean that Suozzi is about to pull off a coup and soon land Adams' coveted endorsement, but it does mean Reyna brings experience and connections to the lieutenant governor race against Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin, who was appointed by Hochul and is from Manhattan. And remember: Lieutenant governors in New York run separately in a primary from governors but as a ticket in November. So there's always the chance that there could be strange bedfellows on the party line this Election Day. DEMOCRATS FOR A DEMOCRAT: James picked up reelection endorsements from 16 House members from New York: Greg Meeks, Nydia Velazquez, Yvette Clarke, Adriano Espaillat, Ritchie Torres, Kathleen Rice, Mondaire Jones, Joe Morelle, Grace Meng;,Hakeem Jeffries, Jerry Nadler, Carolyn Maloney, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, Sean Patrick Maloney and Brian Higgins. Not on the list, so far at least: Suozzi, Antonio Delgado and Paul Tonko. — State Sen. Todd Kaminsky won't seek reelection, via Newsday.
| | | |   | | | | | On the Beats | | ADAMS' FIRST BUDGET: Mayor Eric Adams rolled out a $98.5 billion budget proposal Wednesday for the fiscal year that kicks off this summer. The budget, his first, imposes a 3 percent cut on almost all city agencies, leading to a $2.3 billion reduction in the size of the spending plan compared with previous projections. As part of the cuts, the city reduced its budgeted workforce by 3,200 in the current fiscal year and 7,000 in fiscal year 2023 — but this was done by taking vacant positions off the books, not laying off workers. "Fiscal discipline will be a hallmark of my administration," Adams said. The budget increases spending in certain areas , including $79 million to expand the city's summer youth jobs program to 100,000 jobs; $75 million for the Fair Fares program offering discount subway rides to low-income New Yorkers; and $30 million for health care and home visits for new moms. "New York City's future will be built on a strong foundation of fiscal discipline and wise investment," Adams said. — Erin Durkin CANNABIS BIZ: State cannabis regulators released proposed rules for New York's medical marijuana program that would implement provisions as outlined in the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, including formally shifting it from the Department of Health to the new Office of Cannabis Management. The Cannabis Control Board will consider the proposed regulations at its Thursday meeting. If approved, they will be subject to a 60-day public comment period. The proposed regulations, among other things, would allow flexibility for pharmacists to provide their services remotely while maintaining a minimum staffing requirement for dispensaries; let OCM modify product testing requirements as necessary, rather than through regulation; and remove restrictions on naming conventions for products. Chris Alexander, executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management, said that "by implementing the provisions of the Cannabis Law, we're updating the program to expand access, and streamline processes." "We are excited to advance these regulations to the Board and look forward to working with members for their approval and, if received, connecting with the public to hear their recommendations," he said in a statement. — Shannon Young
| | AROUND NEW YORK | | — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer endorsed Rep. Jamaal Bowman's reelection, and in the release, Bowman, the "Only Man in the Squad," endorsed Schumer right back. — Three top NXIVM loyalists have been ordered to appear in federal courton Thursday in connection with online threats to publicly identify the sex cult's victims. — A conservative group is running a digital ad blasting Rep. Hakeem Jeffries for paying just $213 a year in property taxes on his $1.2 million condo. — Ulster County has unveiled the first of its fleet of green buses. — Chief Judge Janet DiFiore says her top priority is overhauling the state's trial court structure. — Former New York Observer editor Ken Kurson entered a guilty plea to state cyberstalking charges. Trump, father-in-law of Kurson's friend Jared Kushner, pardoned Kurson for similar federal charges.
| | | | A message from Healthcare Education Project: Whether it's increasing out-of-pocket expenses, denying claims, or excluding hospitals and caregivers from their networks, greedy, for-profit insurance companies have been profiting off of hardworking New Yorkers for too long. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, heroic frontline healthcare workers stepped up, saved lives, and kept families healthy. But the pandemic devastated our entire healthcare system and pushed it to the brink. Even as New Yorkers struggled to find care and healthcare workers made gut-wrenching sacrifices to fight the pandemic, insurers put profits ahead of patients - muscling the doctors and hospitals that saved lives during COVID-19. Last year the top 10 health insurers pocketed more than $40 billion. Join our movement to demand NYS lawmakers put patients before profits. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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