With help from Jason Beeferman
The Democratic conference in the New York state Assembly is no exception to the tension roiling the party across the country amid the Israel-Hamas war.
Progressive lawmakers, some of whom were elected with support from the Democratic Socialists of America, have appeared at rallies to protest Israel’s bombing of Gaza in the wake of an attack by Hamas last month on Israeli communities and military bases.
Those appearances have led their fellow Democrats in the Assembly to publicly rebuke them.
“I have colleagues in the Assembly that cannot take themselves to condemn Hamas — a terrorist network — for carrying out the most heinous, egregious attack on civilians,” Assemblymember Simcha Eichenstein, a Brooklyn Democrat, told Playbook. “Are you on the side of humanity, are you on the side of democracy, or are you on the side of a terrorist network?”
Eichenstein in a tweet last month referred to five of his fellow Democratic lawmakers as “the Assembly Hamas Squad” in pushing for a ceasefire.
Emotions also remain raw after the New York City chapter of the DSA promoted a rally in support of Palestine in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, a Queens Democrat who has condemned the Oct. 7 attack on Israel as “horrific,” said Eichenstein’s rhetoric puts him and others in danger.
“When you have a colleague of yours labeling you and a number of other colleagues as being members of the ‘Hamas squad’ — I would say, yes, I do anticipate some tension in the conference,” he told Playbook. “That is the kind of rhetoric that has fatal consequences for Muslims across this country because that’s the kind of rhetoric that animates acts of hatred.”
Eichenstein said violence or threats should have no place in politics. “There is absolutely no room for any of that,” he said.
Support for Israel in New York politics has been a cornerstone principle for more than half a century. Gov. Kathy Hochul visited Israel in the days after the attack last month to affirm solidarity.
But Mamdani believes Democrats at all levels of elected office, including President Joe Biden, are making a mistake by not showing more compassion for Palestinian civilians dying in Gaza during the bombardment.
“This is something that’s going to impact the political fortunes of this party because it’s not motivating for people to see elected officials who are supposed to represent them and their vision for this country be cheerleaders for the massacre of civilians simply because those civilians are Palestinian,” he said.
The disagreements have been noticed by Republicans. Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt has called for DSA-backed members to be removed from office.
Assemblymember Chuck Lavine, a Long Island Democrat who leads the state chapter of the National Association of Jewish Legislators, released a letter last month with more than 60 state lawmakers from both parties backing Israel.
“There’s no doubt that over time there will be a lessening of American support,” Lavine said. “That’s just the way it goes. We’ve seen that with American aid to Ukraine. I thought it was very, very important for us to send a message of strength and unity.” — Nick Reisman
IT’S FRIDAY. Congrats, the weekend is calling. Thanks for reading. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.
WHERE’S KATHY? In Puerto Rico at the SOMOS conference, where she’ll be making an announcement with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and another with Gov. Pedro Pierluisi of Puerto Rico.
WHERE’S ERIC? Touring the USS New York in honor of Veterans Day on Saturday.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I am deeply honored and promised the governor that I will work day and night to help New Yorkers feel less lonely!” — Dr. Ruth Westheimer on being appointed by Hochul as the state’s honorary ambassador to loneliness.
REDISTRICTING SHOWDOWN: Hochul and her 2022 Republican rival, Lee Zeldin, are once again on the opposite side of an issue: the pending Court of Appeals case that could upend the House district boundaries in New York.
The outcome of the case, to be heard by the state’s top court next week, could send the redistricting process back to an independent commission and, if the panel deadlocks, the Democratic-dominated Legislature.
Hochul has formally signed onto a brief backing an effort to overturn the current lines. She called it a matter of following the redistricting procedure properly.
“The lines could end up the same, they could be more favorable for one party or less favorable, I will not weigh in on that,” Hochul told reporters Thursday in Albany. “I’m always going to make sure the process is followed properly here in the state of New York.”
Zeldin, meanwhile, will be making appearances in Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse on Friday alongside Republican Reps. Nick Langworthy, Claudia Tenney and Brandon Williams to argue against overturning the current map and raise public awareness surrounding the upcoming case.
“The case on the merits is crystal clear,” Zeldin told Playbook on Thursday. “It would be impossible for a Court of Appeals justice with a straight face to get rid of the fair House lines that were drawn and created some of the most competitive House races in the country.”
Some Republicans consider the case to be an existential challenge for the party as the GOP seeks to retain the gains made last year in the New York City metropolitan region.
With six House seats on the line in New York, control of the narrowly divided chamber is at stake.
“Voters have made it clear they don’t want hyper partisan gerrymandered lines drawn by the state legislature,” Zeldin said. — Nick Reisman
END OF EAST BRONX RACE: Incumbent Democratic City Council member Marjorie Velázquez conceded Thursday to her GOP rival, putting newcomer Kristy Marmorato on the path to becoming the first Republican elected in the Bronx in two decades.
“While this is not the outcome we wanted, I know that if we continue the hard work of organizing for values of inclusion, acceptance and diversity — this community will ultimately reject fear in favor of hope,” Velázquez said in a statement. “Representing the East Bronx as the first Latina Councilmember for District 13 has been one of the greatest honors of my life.”
While Velázquez was toppled in Tuesday’s races, it was a good night elsewhere in the city for incumbent Democrats. — Emily Ngo
MIGRANTS’ NEXT STEPS: The city’s Asylum Application Help Center in midtown Manhattan is making steady progress in helping migrants with paperwork.
According to numbers provided by City Hall, the site has, since it opened, has filed:
- 6,768 asylum applications.
- 1,265 Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, applications.
- And 1,495 work authorization applications.
The Adams administration announced a separate effort earlier this month to file work permit applications for migrants in its care in conjunction with the state, the federal government and nonprofits. A similar so-called sprint last month processed 1,700 applications in two weeks. — Emily Ngo
BRING BACK THE BAN: Mayor Eric Adams is leading a call with 61 of the nation’s mayors for the reinstatement of an assault weapons ban.
In a letter written by Adams and cosigned by the mayors of Houston, Cleveland, Seattle and others, Adams called on new House Speaker Mike Johnson to take action.
“Thoughts and prayers are not enough,” Adams said Thursday. “You have the power, Mr. Speaker, use it to protect American lives.”
But reporters questioned the mayor on the political likelihood of the return of such a broad-sweeping ban in a Republican-controlled House, especially when federal gun laws have changed little over recent decades despite mass shootings.
Adams was joined on the call by the mayors of Highland Park, Ill.; Monterey Park, Calif.; and Buffalo who said their communities are still reeling from mass shootings.
“I think there’s a window of opportunity,” Adams said. “The American people, once again, believe this is a time to put in place a real true assault weapons ban.” — Jason Beeferman
More from the city:
— As a candidate, Adams promised a new kind of policing. But some fear that increased stops and aggressive tactics will erode trust. (The New York Times)
— Students and teachers ditched school early on Thursday to rally in support of Palestinians, to the dismay of some lawmakers. (POLITICO Pro)
— The Taxi and Limousine Commission must stop processing applications for new electric rideshare vehicles as a lawsuit trying to keep a cap in place works its way through court. (Daily News)
DO YOUR SOMOS HOMEWORK: The Somos conference in Puerto Rico is always fighting the junket allegations — and it didn’t help that the Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force that hosts the thing infamously never, ever published its promised reports on the actual work.
But Assemblymember Karines Reyes, in her first year as task force chair and de facto Somos host, just published a report from the March Somos conference in Albany on Thursday. It’s eight months late and isn’t going to change the world, but at least it’s out there.
Reviews of the panels and workshops were produced by students from Fordham University and Hunter College’s Center for Puerto Rican Studies, and students were back on the ground Thursday as legislators spoke at another round of panels in San Juan. — Jeff Coltin
DEAL TRACKER: Hochul’s office unveiled a revised website Thursday to help the public better track economic development incentives and spending in the state.
The website is meant to make it easier for people to see how public money is being spent, how much and on which projects.
“This new database of economic incentives is the latest step my administration is taking to improve transparency and restore New Yorkers’ trust in their government,” Hochul said in a statement. “With a new user-friendly interface and up-to-date data on key projects, this new tool will help to shed light on economic developments initiatives throughout the state and make data more accessible to all.” — Nick Reisman
More from Albany:
— The rate of overdose deaths in New York prisons has tripled in the last five years, while a treatment program has struggled to get off the ground. (New York Focus)
— Embattled Queens Assemblymember Juan Ardila officially filed for reelection Wednesday. (Queens Chronicle)
— The communications director for both the Brooklyn Democratic Party and Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn’s government office has a third job — as a director for Mercury Public Affairs. (Brooklyn Downtown Star)
THE BATTLE BEGINS: Battleground New York just launched Thursday with the plan to run massive field campaigns to flip Republican-held House seats. And the coalition — of 1199 SEIU, CWA District 1, Indivisible, Planned Parenthood and the Working Families Party — first told Playbook it’s planning to make a splash next week with rallies in vulnerable members’ districts.
They’ll hit Reps. Marc Molinaro on Monday, Brandon Williams on Tuesday, Mike Lawler on Wednesday and a combined Anthony D’Esposito and George Santos rally on Thursday.
One name missing: Long Island Rep. Nick LaLota, who the Cook Political Report ranks as less vulnerable than his fellow freshmen, including Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan. — Jeff Coltin
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: While Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been a top champion of legalizing marijuana, he has yet to weigh in on a likely ban of menthol cigarettes. It’s an issue the Food and Drug Administration is working on and one with an outsized impact on Black smokers. The FDA sent the final rule to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review last month.
A Schumer spokesperson said the senator has never taken a position on the ban, adding, “For nearly a decade, Sen. Schumer has led the fight against marketers and e-cig makers that use child-friendly flavors and marketing tactics to peddle their dangerous products to children.”
Opponents of the menthol ban say a federal ban would disproportionately hurt smokers in the Black and Hispanic communities, the same groups that would be helped by Schumer’s stance on marijuana. Schumer has said legalizing marijuana “will be a catalyst for change.”
According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 81 percent of Black smokers preferred menthol cigarettes. In many states, purchasing menthols would be classified as a felony, which can carry significant penalties, including jail time.
Last year, the mothers of Eric Garner and Trayvon Martin, as well as the brother of George Floyd, wrote a letter to the White House, urging the Biden administration to work to fully understand the criminal justice implications that a menthol ban could have on the Black community.
Supporters of the ban say that it would help people stop smoking and save hundreds of thousands of lives over the next four decades, according to a 2022 study. — Daniel Lippman
— State regulators slapped Rochester Regional Health with a $925,000 penalty for violating Hochul’s order that hospitals reopen hundreds of psychiatric beds taken offline during the pandemic. (POLITICO)
— The race for Harrison town supervisor still hasn’t been called, with 19 votes separating the two frontrunners and a furious write-in campaign for a third challenger. (LoHud)
— The fate of Las Vegas Sands’ $4 billion Long Island casino project is now up in the air after a State Supreme Court judge voided its 99-year lease agreement. (Newsday)
MAKING MOVES: Chatodd Floyd, deputy secretary for legislative affairs and policy for Gov. Kathy Hochul, has joined the Greater New York Hospital Association.
— Melissa Kaplan-Macey is joining The Housing Collective team as the chief initiative officer. She was vice president for state programs and Connecticut director at the Regional Plan Association.
— World Bank climate adviser Stephen Hammer is now CEO of the New York Climate Exchange.
— The Parkside Group has hired Beth Warren, former senior adviser to New York City Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, as deputy chief operating officer; Kat Gordon, former government affairs director at the Healthcare Association of New York State, as vice president of government relations; and Shakiya Booker, founder of Afro Puff Co., as Albany policy associate.
IN MEMORIAM: Alan Hevesi, the former state and city comptroller who served prison time for corruption, died at 83 of Lewy body dementia. (The New York Times)
— Elizabeth Moynihan, engine of the senator’s success, died at age 94. (The New York Times)
— Brian Fox, who ran for New York City Council against Justin Brannan in 2021, died Wednesday night. (h/t Liam McCabe)
MEDIAWATCH: “G/O Media shuts down Jezebel as layoffs hit company,” by The Daily Beast’s Lachlan Cartwright and Corbin Bolies
FOR YOUR RADAR: “Jewish billionaire Henry Swieca quits Columbia board over ‘abhorrent’ threats to Jews on campus,” by the New York Post’s Jorge Fitz-Gibbon
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reuters’ Nandita Bose … Amanda Ashley Keating of FGS Global … Jim Kuhnhenn of WaVe Communications … CBS’ Alan He … ABC’s Josh Margolin … POLITICO’s Declan Harty … Kristin Stiles … Jared Miller
WAS THURSDAY: Daniel Squadron … Amy Aronson … David Levine
— Tuesday’s GOP victory in the Bronx could be bad news for Eric Adams’s housing plan. (Crain’s New York Business)
— Rent prices in New York City are finally dropping. (Bloomberg)