With help from Shawn Ness
The Senate’s Cool Secret: It’s been decades, but some lawmakers say they’ve never heard of it.
The backroom nature of the state Senate’s business rules group is documented in a New York Focus article published this morning.
And while the group exists (WRGFor those of you who know) was mentioned in a news article long before today’s Focus article. This story shines a new spotlight on how Albany works for New Yorkers, but it often goes unnoticed.
“There is no transparency in the legislative process,” Democratic state Sen. Leroy Comrie of East Queens told Playbook. “Who said there was transparency? We are in the state legislature. Business rules have been around for decades, and people who worry about transparency aren’t focused on what’s important.”
Comrie’s flippant remarks may be shocking to the government, but they are also a sobering analysis of how bills become law, not just in the state Senate but in the entire legislature.
As one state representative pointed out, lawmakers who face constant restrictions on journalists’ access outside the chamber due to COVID-19 are also making important decisions with little explanation to their ranks and the public.
“We don’t have a working rules committee,” Daniel O’Donnell, an Upper West Side Democrat, told Playbook. “We have a rules committee. But it’s up to Carl to decide which bill will pass. It’s the same thing.”
“How does this bill get on the Rules Committee agenda? It’s called Carl Heastie’s Head,” O’Donnell noted, referring to the council president.
The Senate’s Working Rules Group is made up of about 10 members and senior lawmakers who meet behind closed doors in the final week of the session to decide which bills can be brought to the floor and which can be killed. Lawmakers say this is a vital tool they will use to cut thousands of bills remaining as the session draws to a close.
“It’s about bringing together a diverse group of lawmakers of all races, genders, geographies and political opinions to solve problems for the best interests of everyone,” said Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger. Manhattan Democrat. “That’s our model for anything controversial in the Senate. I think that’s a sign of Andrea Stewart-Cousins’ great leadership in terms of how we work.”
Senate Majority Leader Mike Murphy agreed and made it clear that any bill could be brought to full session at any time, no matter what happens in WRG. The group only meets for about a week between sessions, he said.
Lawmakers told Playbook that bills sometimes end up in secret groups without the knowledge of their main sponsors, and even die there.
“Sometimes we hear that a bill has been moved to the (work rules group), but that doesn’t happen automatically,” said state Sen. Julia Salazar.
Although the Focus story has made the group’s existence inauspicious, most lawmakers approached by Playbook were willing to discuss, at least grudgingly, the open secrets on the record.
That is, except for State Senator James Skoufis of Orange County. “I don’t have time to talk about work rules,” Skoufis said with a smile. “Still, thank you for persistently asking.”
Skoufis is listed as one of the WRG members in the Focus story. State Sen. Jamaal Bailey, a Heastie supporter who is also a member of the group, gave a similar response.
“I don’t want to talk about the conversations or the inner workings,” he said. “I think this is a conversation for leadership. I think it’s important to be able to move bills.” — Jason Bipperman
New York provides energy assistance: New York is the first state to receive federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act for energy efficiency projects for low-income residents. U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm highlighted the new program with Gov. Kathy Hochul and Sen. Chuck Schumer on Thursday in New York City.
“We are making real progress,” Hochul said. “We will impact people’s ability to adjust, adapt and lower their energy bills.”
The Department of Energy announced last month that the state had approved the first application under the $8.8 billion federal program to help homeowners cut energy costs and make their properties more energy efficient.
New York is now launching the first phase of its $158 million home electrification and appliance rebate program, the state’s EmPower+ program, which serves homeowners and renters with incomes below 80% of the area median. We will do this through . Homes of up to four families are eligible in the first phase, which supports installation of air seals, insulation, ventilation, heat pumps and other electrical upgrades. Granholm said up to $14,000 in rebates are available per household.
Hocheol repeatedly praised President Joe Biden for supporting the program. “This president is getting things done,” she said.
Previous iterations of EmPower limited eligibility to 60% of the state median income, which was criticized for excluding many low-income New York City residents.
Officials said today that three more states – Massachusetts, Michigan and Rhode Island – have applied to launch their own programs, bringing the total number of states that have applied for at least one of the home energy rebate programs funded by the law to 17. — Marie J. French, Kelsey Tamborrino
Truck prices against congestion: The Trucking Association of New York is suing the MTA over its implementation of congestion pricing, arguing the policy will unfairly target trucking and logistics companies because it imposes higher rates.
Under the pricing plan, trucks would be charged $24 or $36 each time they pass through a congested area, depending on size and time, while cars would only pay $15.
“To be clear, we are not fundamentally opposed to the concept of congestion pricing.” Association President Kendra Hems said during the webinar. However, “we cannot back down on plans that unfairly target industries that have no choice but to enter congested areas,” he said.
The lawsuit comes as drivers brace for the long-awaited policy to take effect within a month and highlights continued opposition.
The association is not seeking a complete repeal of the plan, but instead is asking the MTA to “go back to the drawing board” to find a fair solution for all users.
Truck drivers do not have the freedom to drive into congested areas during off-hours, as the MTA proposes. Because truck drivers are tied to delivery schedules. To that end, the lawsuit alleges that MTA officials, aware of truckers’ inflexible schedules, are unfairly targeting truckers with higher rates.
“Like all responsible companies, we deliver when our customers request delivery, during the most important hours of business hours. That won’t change now, but it will result in higher costs for New Yorkers,” Joe Fitzpatrick, vice president of the association’s board of directors, said in a statement. — Sean Ness
COVID-19 Committee: State lawmakers and Ho Chul’s office have discussed creating a commission to examine COVID-19 pandemic policies in recent days, four sources familiar with the negotiations told Playbook.
Legislation to create the commission has been stalled in Albany for years. But the issue is set to be considered on the final day of the legislative session, as former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is scheduled to testify June 11 before a Republican-led House subcommittee examining pandemic-era policies.
Cuomo’s early response to the pandemic made him a national star. But he soon came under criticism for his administration’s policy requiring nursing homes not to turn away coronavirus-positive patients. It was a rule his team defended as broadly consistent with federal health guidelines at the time. The Justice Department also declined to open a civil rights investigation into the matter.
Cuomo resigned in 2021 amid multiple allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.
But even though the former governor has not ruled out running for mayor of New York, supporters of forming the commission insist the state investigation is not intended to target him.
“I have always emphasized that I do not view this bill as an attempt to blame anyone,” said former House Health Chairman Richard Gottfried, who helped write the bill. “I think we need an objective, professional analysis of what New York did right and what New York did wrong.”
The commission being considered by lawmakers would have subpoena power and would be made up of public health experts appointed by the governor and top Republican and Democratic leaders. — Nick Reisman
—Pauline fight: Westchester Democrat Amy Paulin had a “long, heated conversation” with Rep. Latrice Walker during the meeting. Walker worked to defeat Pauline’s sex crimes bill, written after Harvey Weinstein’s conviction was overturned. (Spectrum News)
— DINAPOLI TALKS ABOUT THE STATE GENERAL RETIREMENT FUND. Once the final numbers are tallied, the fund is likely to exceed long-term return projections.. (National Assembly Press Room)
— Former state Sen. Jeffrey Klein is taking a page from Cuomo’s playbook. Klein was accused of forcibly kissing a female employee and later became the subject of a state ethics commission investigation. Now he’s claiming the body has no constitutional authority to do so. (Times Union)
Did you miss this morning’s New York Playbook? read here.
