Assembly holding hearing on ADUs tomorrow

We're about to get royally f*cked.

Heeerrrrrrrrrrre's Hiram!

Gothamist


Hiram Monserrate, the Queens Democrat who was expelled from the State Senate for assaulting his girlfriend and later jailed for stealing public funds, is plotting another comeback.
Monserrate, now a Democratic district leader, filed on Tuesday to run against Queens 
 Assemblymember Jeffrion Aubry, a fellow Democrat and one of the highest-ranking lawmakers in the chamber. A source close to Monserrate said the politician has not made a final decision on whether to run but is strongly considering the possibility.

“Hiram is considering a run. He hasn’t made a decision yet,” said the source. “He opened the committee, he’s trying to raise money and see what happens.”

Two years ago, Monserrate ran unsuccessfully for City Council against Francisco Moya, a former assemblymember. Though Moya had the strong support of the Democratic establishment and the city’s major labor unions, Monserrate still managed to garner 44 percent of the vote. Monserrate had held the City Council seat, based in East Elmhurst and Corona, in the early 2000s before he was elected to the State Senate in 2008.

In 2010, Monserrate’s colleagues voted overwhelmingly to expel him the chamber after he was charged with beating and slashing his then-girlfriend, Karla Giraldo. Security camera footage showed Monserrate dragging her by her hair through the lobby of their building, and doctors later said Giraldo needed 40 stitches.

In 2012, Monserrate was sentenced to two years in prison after he plead guilty to misappropriating $109,000 in city grants when he was a member of the City Council.
Were he to run, Monserrate would be competitive. He is a district leader in Aubry’s district, which overlaps with Moya’s Council seat, and maintains a base of support there. Aubry did not immediately return a request for comment.

Paladino, Sullivan, Barnwell, Cruz win primaries

These numbers come from NY1:

STATE ASSEMBLY - QUEENS (D) DISTRICT 30
• Precincts Reported: 82/82

Brian 5,214
Barnwell
64.2%

Melissa 2,902
Sklarz
35.8%


STATE ASSEMBLY - QUEENS (D) DISTRICT 39
• Precincts Reported: 56/56

Catalina 3,736
Cruz
53.5%

Ari 3,016
Espinal
43.2%

Yonel 225
Sosa
3.2%


STATE SENATE - QUEENS (R) DISTRICT 11

• Precincts Reported: 224/224
Vickie 1,640
Paladino
57.3%

Simon 1,220
Minching
42.7%

STATE SENATE - QUEENS (R) DISTRICT 15
• Precincts Reported: 223/224

Thomas 3,188
Sullivan
67.9%

Slawomir 1,508
Platta
32.1%

Another Assembly Member indicted

From NBC:

A New York state assemblywoman from Brooklyn who claims to be an advocate for Sandy victims has been accused of bilking FEMA and New York City's's Build it Back fund out of thousands of dollars following the monster 2012 storm.

Rep. Pamela Harris, a former New York City correction officer, was named in an 11-count indictment charging her with cheating the two storm relief agencies out of thousands of dollars before and after she was elected to the State Assembly in 2017. The indictment also accuses the Coney Island Democrat of stealing from New York City Council coffers while running a nonprofit and lying about her schemes during bankruptcy proceedings in 2013.

Queens Machine chooses Simanowitz's successor

From the Times Ledger:

Following the death of state Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz (D-Flushing), the Queens Democratic Party has nominated David Rosenthal, a Kew Gardens resident.

Rosenthal has worked as district director for Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest) and his nomination came with high praise from the Queens Democratic Party chairman, U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights).

Assembly Member Michael Simanowitz has died

From the Daily News:

Well-regarded State Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz, a devoted father and longtime public servant, died Saturday after battling an undisclosed illness. He was 45.

The Queens native was first elected to state office in 2011, representing a wide area in the center of his home borough — including his old neighborhood of Forest Hills.

He had previously served for 15 years as chief of staff for Assemblywoman Nettie Mayersohn, and worked for the city Housing Preservation and Development department prior to that job.

Simanowitz was eulogized in The Yeshiva World as “a tremendous voice for the Jewish community,” and Gov. Cuomo issued a statement hailing his colleague.

The Democratic assemblyman “worked every day to make life better for his constituents and I join them and all New Yorkers in mourning his sudden passing,” said Cuomo.

Carl Heastie ties up anti-gang legislation

From the NY Post:

The Republican-led state Senate, for the fourth consecutive session, passed legislation to crack down on violent gangs — but Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie shot it down.

The bill comes amid a wave of violence by the MS-13 gang, which has menaced suburban Long Island and other areas.

The bill passed 48-13 — with all the no votes coming from New York City Democrats.

But it hasn’t even come up for a vote in Heastie’s Assembly.

The measure would increase sentences for gang-related felonies and create new felonies for individuals who participate or benefit from gang activity or recruit others to join gangs.

Heastie insisted longer prison sentences are not the answer.

“We support anti-gang initiatives. However, increased penalties are not necessarily a deterrent,” he said. “A better approach is to discourage people from engaging in gang activity in the first place, and that is where the focus should be.”

In fact, the bill offers anti-gang initiatives at the front end.

A new Criminal Street Gang Prevention Fund would be established to support a gang violence prevention curriculum in schools, for example.

An important update from Mike Miller

Mike Miller newsletter by queenscrapper on Scribd

Assembly Member Mike Miller would like to update us on all the important things he has been doing in office.

Goldfeder not running again

From NY1:

Queens State Assembly Member Phil Goldfeder will not seek re-election when his term ends at the end of the year, his office confirmed Thursday.

Goldfeder said he will not be seek a fourth term as the 23rd District's representative in Albany, a district that includes the Rockaways, Ozone Park, Howard Beach, and Broad Channel.

Speaking to the newspaper The Wave, Goldfeder said he is leaving office to spend more time with his family.

Ethics reform bills proposed

From the Daily News:

State Assembly Democrats have introduced legislation that would increase public disclosure requirements for groups that lobby in New York.

The bill, according to officials, would also specifically exempt from the definition of lobbying any communications with news outlets, including editorial boards.

In a controversial order that has sparked lawsuits from several public relations firms, the state ethics commission recently enacted a requirement that would require communication consultants who speak with editorial boards about issues before the state to register as lobbyists.

Currently, groups, including noncharitable, nonprofit organizations, that spend more than $50,000, at least 3% of which is devoted to lobbying in New York, are required to disclose the identities of donors who gave them more than $5,000.

Under the Assembly Democrats’ bill, which is sponsored by Assemblyman Matthew Titone (D-Staten Island), the amounts would be significantly lowered.

The bill, officials said, would require organizations registered to lobby in New York and that spend more than $5,000 to disclose the names of all donors who gave them more than $1,000. They would also have to disclose the exact amount donated and how the funding was used.

Under federal law, donations to nonprofits cannot be tax deductible if the money is used for lobbying, Assembly officials said. The bill would make it easier to figure that out.

From the Daily News:

The Democrat-controlled state Assembly is looking to crack down on a major source of outside cash for lawmakers — referral fees.

A plan released by the Assembly on Friday would require legislators employed as private lawyers to disclose the legal work they did.

What idiots came up with this?

From Gotham Gazette:

As New Yorkers begin a year of many voting opportunities, there are important questions that elections will help answer - like who the next U.S. President will be and which party will control the state Senate - but also concern about voter fatigue and thus, turnout.

There will be at least four chances for New Yorkers to cast votes in 2016, with three different primary election days leading up to November’s general election. There will be a presidential primary vote in April; congressional primaries in June; and state legislative primaries in September. There will also be special elections sprinkled in to fill empty seats in the state Assembly and Senate.

On April 19, New Yorkers will vote in their party primaries for president; on June 28, it will be primaries for all 27 New York members of the House of Representatives, with Senator Chuck Schumer on the ballot, too; and on September 13, primaries for all 63 seats of the State Senate and all 150 seats of the State Assembly.

No date has been set by the governor yet for special elections in the state legislature, including those to replace former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, whose 2015 corruption convictions created vacancies.

In 2015, some New York City voters cast ballots for new district attorneys, judges, and city Council members, among others. By the time New Yorkers vote for president in November, it could be their sixth trip to the polls in 14 months.

Calling for an end to Citizens United

From Gotham Gazette:

In a landmark year for corruption in the state legislature, 2015 saw the arrest and conviction of two of the most powerful political leaders in New York. A crescendo of voices across the state -- from good government watchdogs to lawmakers -- expressed outrage and demanded stronger ethics laws and campaign finance reforms. In one sense, Albany now has the opportunity to put its money where its mouth is -- and all it needs is one signature.

New York is one signatory away from becoming the 17th state in the country to call for a constitutional amendment to negate the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in the Citizens United case, which gave entities such as corporations and unions the same rights as individuals in contributing to electoral campaigns.

A successful bipartisan appeal for a federal constitutional amendment in the State Assembly has yet to be replicated by the State Senate, where 31 senators -- one short of a majority -- support overturning Citizens United to minimize the role of money in politics. While agreement by a majority of each house from New York would only be advisory, like the other states that have reached consensus, a groundswell for negating Citizens United could influence Congress.

Marge Markey sends out anti-corruption mailer

I'm not really sure why the Times Ledger felt that an article about Marge Markey's re-election fundraiser was newsworthy without at least mentioning that she has a Democratic opponent in the primary. But she would like her constituents to know that she is not corrupt, as evidenced by this mailer, the fact that she voted with Sheldon Silver something like 99% of the time and has been a Crowley clubhouse girl since 1999.

(She also doesn't represent Glendale, but don't tell the Times Ledger that.)

On second thought...

From Gotham Gazette:

Two days after announcing that he would be joining a consulting firm as a partner while retaining his seat in the New York State Assembly, Michael Blake has changed his mind.

"I've decided that the clear priority is and always has been the constituents of my district, and I'm not going to allow anything to distract from that. I'm not going to be a partner at Hilltop," Blake told Gotham Gazette Sunday evening, meaning Hilltop Public Solutions, the consulting firm.

"I'm not going to let the noise that's been out there continue," he added, referring to the immediate negative response that the announcement garnered from good government advocates and in the media. "I'm not going to let this be a distraction for the people. I want to be focused on the work and focused on my family."

Assembly Member and a consultant at the same time

From DNA Info:

On the same day one of the most powerful lawmakers in the state was convicted of selling his office, Bronx Assemblyman Michael Blake announced he was taking a job with an influential political consulting firm.

Blake will join Hilltop Public Solutions as a partner, the firm announced in a press release Friday afternoon.

"I am excited to be joining Hilltop,” Blake said in the release, which did not mention he was an Assemblyman. “I look forward to working with the team and helping as we focus on progressive issues around the country.”

Blake, in a telephone interview, said there is no conflict of interest between his two jobs because he will work only on national and international projects for Hilltop. He said the release did not mention his role as an elected official because he wanted to make it clear the two aren't related.

"No conflict at all," said Blake who said the position was approved by the legislative ethics commission. "I understand the sensitivity," he added.

Ron Kim nabs purse snatcher

From Eyewitness News:

A New York State assemblyman from Queens was walking down the street when he saw a woman being robbed.

The assemblyman played high school football in the Bronx and college football upstate, and it served him well Thursday.

"It was a crazy day," State Assemblyman Ron Kim said.

It was a crazy day for two-term Assemblyman Kim who found himself redefining the term constituent service, detaining a would-be purse snatcher on a busy Flushing sidewalk.

Moments earlier, he'd turned the corner as a woman with an infant was trying to chase the man down.

"I have a nine month old baby and all I could think was my wife walking the streets every single day and it happening to her," Assem. Kim said.

The man ducked into an office building, and for a moment Kim lost him and got on the phone to call 911.

But then, a Good Samaritan spotted the suspect, now wearing different clothes, and he charged up Main Street.

The assemblyman was still on the phone with police as he tackled him.

Cocklofts will hopefully be phased out at some point

Photo from the Forum

From the Queens Chronicle:

When state Sen. Joe Addabbo’s (D-Howard Beach) plan to give tax credits to property owners who seal off cocklofts passed the state Senate on June 18, he grabbed the bill and ran to Assemblyman Joe Lentol (D-Brooklyn), who was sponsoring the legislation in the lower chamber.

“I said ‘Joe, it just passed the Senate we got to get it passed,’” Addabbo told the Queens Chronicle in a telephone interview last Friday.

But the bill sat in the Ways and Means Committee, of which Lentol is a member, as the legislative session in Albany came to an end on June 25.

Big Bad Bill doesn't impress anyone in Albany

From AM-NY:

Who's afraid of Mayor Bill de Blasio in Albany?

Not state Senate Republicans, who denied his request for permanent mayoral control of New York City schools, granting him one year instead.

Not Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who didn't deny he and his team were the unnamed officials in news reports who belittled the mayor as "incompetent" and clueless on influencing the legislative process.

Not advocates for charter schools, who won a lifting of a cap for new schools over de Blasio's opposition in the three-way agreement last week among Cuomo, state Senate Republicans and the Democrat-led state Assembly.

"There isn't a fear factor with Bill. There is a fear factor with Andrew," political consultant George Arzt said.

After the legislature went home, mayoral aides who spoke on condition of anonymity sought to paint a more positive picture of how de Blasio fared, saying they secured the affordable housing requirement he had championed in the real estate tax abatement known as 421-a.

Aides also indicated they had no plans to rethink their approach in Albany. The mayor said he didn't regret campaigning aggressively, albeit unsuccessfully, against state Senate Republicans last year.

Hevesi bill seen as a slap at Cuomo

From the Daily News:

In what some see as a direct shot at the governor, a bill moving through the state Legislature would give state Controller Thomas DiNapoli the power to more aggressively go after fraud, waste and abuse in state agencies.

The bill requiring agencies and public authorities to provide the controller's office a treasure trove of electronic data that can be quickly analyzed is sponsored by Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Queens).

Hevesi’s father, Alan, is a former state controller who went to prison as a result of a massive pension fund pay-to-play investigation headed by Cuomo, who at the time was state attorney general.

Andrew Hevesi denied his bill, which passed the Assembly unanimously last week, is an attempt at some form of payback.

David Weprin staying put

From the Observer:

Assemblyman David Weprin announced tonight he will not run for his brother’s soon to be vacant City Council seat, ending days of speculation and hand-wringing among some Queens Democratic insiders.

Mr. Weprin told supporters at a fundraiser in Manhattan that he had weighed the merits of serving in the Council and Assembly and decided, in light of his recent promotion to a leadership position in the State Legislature, that he would remain in Albany.

“This year I became part of the leadership in the Assembly. I was appointed by Speaker Carl Heastie as secretary to the Democratic Conference,” Mr. Weprin said, adding that he was also appointed to a post “near and dear” to his heart, an Assembly task force on people with disabilities.

“I’ve decided that I plan on running for re-election to the Assembly,” he continued. “I’ve enjoyed what I’ve accomplished so far in the Assembly. I think I have a lot more to do. I’ve developed a lot of seniority in a short time–a lot of people have left.”

He added that he thinks he has “a big future ahead in the State Assembly.”