Colby Hamilton

Mandate relief is a big issue for local governments, and Governor Andrew Cuomo has promised to (continue to) do something about it. He announced that a new council, born out of the passage of mandate relief signed into law last year, will be meet tomorrow to "[review] and [advance] proposals to reduce the statutory and regulatory burden on local governments and school districts."

"For too many years local governments and school districts have been burdened with growing costs, driving up property taxes and cutting into the delivery of vital services," Cuomo said in a statement. "My budget already includes billions of dollars of relief to help lower costs for taxpayers and this council will continue to build on that effort to ensure more savings for New Yorkers."

Members of the Council include:

• Lawrence Schwartz, Chair, Secretary to the Governor
• Mylan Denerstein, Counsel to the Governor
• Robert Megna, Director of the Division of the Budget
• Cesar Perales, Secretary of State
• David Wakelyn, Deputy Secretary for Education
• James Introne, Deputy Secretary for Health
• Kristin Proud, Deputy Secretary for Human Services, Operations, and Technology
• Senator Elizabeth Little (appointed by the Temporary President of the Senate)
• Senator Jack Martins (appointed by the Temporary President of the Senate)
• Assemblyman Carl Heastie (appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly)
• Assemblyman William Magnarelli (appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly)

Tomorrow's 10 am meeting in Albany is the first public meeting, and will be followed by meetings throughout the state.

Today on "The Capitol Pressroom":

See if you can follow this thread… Does New Jersey’s Governor Chris Christie – who we are trying to land an interview with – support the plan to expand gambling on Port Authority land?

It’s an important question since in part, that land is owned by the Port Authority of the State of NY & NJ. It would seem unlikely that the Governor of New Jersey, home to a well-established gambling destination, Atlantic City, would support a proposal that could draw tourists away from the Garden State. Here’s another question about the land that Genting is looking to expand on: Will NYRA, the New York Racing Association support such a move? They also own part of the land that the Port Authority doesn’t. NYRA has been on the sharp end of the Cuomo Administration’s stick on several occasions. In addition, today we may see the results of an audit done by the Comptroller’s office on NYRA. As you may know, the Comptroller and the Governor haven’t seen eye to eye on pension reform.

Today NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli joins us to discuss his own priorities for this session, as well as offer up his thoughts on Governor Cuomo’s budget initiatives, including pension reform.

Meanwhile, the Governor did not provide money for foreclosure relief in his budget, although he did assign Ben Lawsky the job of forming a foreclosure commission to look into the problem. Is that enough? We hear reaction from Kirsten Keefe, senior staff attorney with the Consumer Housing, C.A.S.H. and Community Development Unit in Empire Justice Center’s Albany office as well as Hilary Lampishaw, housing counselor at TRIP/ NeighborWorks Alliance NYS.

For show archives, please visit The Capitol Bureau's website here.

Courtesy of CSPAN

Governor Andrew Cuomo is calling for a new pension tier for future state workers, which would give them the option of enrolling in a 401(k)-style retirement plan. But the state’s top fiscal officer, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, calls making decisions about the pension system based on today’s fiscal troubles “might not be the smartest move.”

“We can no longer sustain the current pension system,” Cuomo saidduring his budget address in Albany last week. He went on to call the rising costs to state and local government “devastating.”

The City Council got its newest member to the Democratic majority today, as now-former Republican Peter Koo made the change official. But, as the full statement below shows, Koo didn't mention the word "Republican" once in his comments today:

Today on "The Capitol Pressroom":

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb joins us in the studio.

Dr. Rick Timbs of the Statewide School Finance Consortium, an advocate for low wealth schools, got half of what he wanted from the Governor’s budget. Now what?

The redistricting maps will be released this week (today?) Barbara Bartoletti of the League of Women Voters offers us a primer on how to quickly deduce the story behind the lines.

And Debra Winger is in town for a huge rally along with other celeb & non-celeb-anti-frackers.

For show archives, please visit The Capitol Bureau's website here.

Courtesy of the Governor's office

Governor Andrew Cuomo first officially announced the plans to build the nation’s largest convention center at the Aqueduct racino in Queens during his State of the State speech earlier this month. Since then, the Governor has pushed the plan as a no-cost winner for economic development.

“All the construction work would be done privately. The state wouldn’t put in a dollar. The state wouldn’t have to pick up a shovel. It would all be done by a private company,” Cuomo said yesterday after an even at Queens College yesterday. “What they want is additional racino machines.”

The racino machines are only part of the equation. Genting is also seeking a change to the rate it pays the state on gaming revenues to help make, as one Genting-associated person put it, “the convention center economically viable.”

Today on "The Capitol Pressroom":

Analysis of the Governor’s budget address featuring AP Capitol Editor Michael Gormley & Bloomberg News’ Freeman Klopott.

Prison guards are not feeling the love from taxpayers these days. Donn Rowe, the president of the union that represents them, NYSCOPBA, joins us to discuss the groups new public awareness campaign as well as how the closure of upstate prisons is effecting safety.

According to attorney Michael Kink, it’s not only the millionaires who are getting away with paying less than their fair share: It’s the corporations too. We speak with Kink, the Executive Director of the Strong Economy for All Coalition about specific corporate tax loopholes he would like to see address during this session, and which legislators he will be holding accountable.

Tomorrow is the two-year anniversary of the Citizens United Supreme Court case, which allows an unrestricted flow of money into the political process and has sent campaign finance advocates into a spasm of rage.

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio has been as vocally opposed to the court's ruling as anyone, and, to mark the anniversary, he's taking his case to the Twitter world. Beginning a little over ten hours ago, de Blasio started a 24-hour-Tweetathon to protest the case.

It's all part of a campaign "urging citizens to join him in demanding that corporations once and for all come clean and disclose their political spending." It's called Save Our Elections and has a website (of course), and a big supporting cast, such as Common Cause NY, Citizens Action in New York, and a host of progressive City Councilmembers.

“I am launching this effort because as Public Advocate it is important that I help give citizens the opportunity to voice their contempt for corporate spending in our elections and effect change,” de Blasio said in a statement. “Corporations are on the verge of buying the Oval Office right out from under our noses thanks to the unlimited amounts of secret cash they are now allowed to funnel into elections. It is imperative that we send a clear message to the SEC that it must use its power to keep publicly traded companies honest and accountable if they’re going to weigh in on elections.”

By WNYC's Ilya Marritz

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (Matt Ryan / WMHT)

The Attorney General of New York is one of the most powerful law enforcement jobs in the country. But stepping into the shoes recently worn by now-Governor Andrew Cuomo and Eliot Spitzer can’t be easy. Each man had a loud voice and a powerful presence.

A little more than one year into the job, their low-key successor, Eric Schneiderman, has nonetheless established a national profile and won many fans in politically liberal circles.

When MSNBC host Rachel Maddow had the 57-year old Manhattanite on her show in October, she concluded the interview by urging viewers to set up Google alerts for Schneiderman, because he would be a likely source of “accountability” for banks.

“People aren’t sure what happened but they know that this was a man-made catastrophe there are people who caused bubble and crash,” Schneiderman recently told WNYC.

Read more here.

Assemblywoman Meng with US Senator Charles Schumer (Courtey of the Assemblywoman's office)

The New York City press corps waited excitedly for embattled Comptroller John Liu’s latest campaign finance report. On top of a sort of a schadenfreude-like desire to see just how bad Liu got hurt by his fundraising scandal, reporters also anticipated the list of other bundlersthe Comptroller had been so reticent to reveal.

They were rewarded this week when the semi-annual filings came due on January 17. Within hours the world saw the list of intermediaries, who “bundle” multiple donations together on behalf of a candidate. The infamous Pan, who is accused of trying to help an FBI agent posing as a wealthy donor to skirt campaign finance laws, was there among them.

And so was Queens Assemblywoman Grace Meng.

Seeing Meng’s name might have surprised some observers; it was the understandable but ultimately unfair negative association the term “bundler” has received, especially when connected with the Liu campaign.

“The issue is not that he used intermediaries, because intermediaries are built into the law. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have forms to register and such,” said political consultant Michael Tobman, who has worked with Meng since her 2008 primary. “The issue is who called, how much pressure, what was said, and where were the calls made.”

All the potential 2013 Democratic candidates use intermediaries. Council Speaker Christine Quinn actually has more listed in her campaign filings than John Liu. Even so, Meng’s name appearing in Liu’s filing stood out.

For those who know Meng’s history, the real surprise was that she was helping Liu at all.

The New York Times first reported earlier that Republican City Councilman Peter Koo of Flushing is planning on switching party registration. A source confirmed the story. Koo is scheduled to announce the switch on Monday, according to the Times story.

The source, who is close to Flushing politics, pointed out that there were reports Koo was dissatisfied with the Queens Republican Party. This dissatisfaction played in the Councilman's decision the source said, who went on to say Koo was feeling "under appreciated."

But Koo has also apparently found being a Republican in New York City too isolated.

"He probably wants to be united with people," the individual said. "It's probably hard to do, being a Republican [in New York City]."

Koo has apparently also mentioned in the past wanting the chance to introduce legislation and to have the chance to chair a committee--things that will be next-to-impossible in the council's tiny minority.

The Observer's Colin Campbell spoke with Eric Ulrich--who has himself felt the effects of his county party's divisiveness--who said he "can't blame" Koo for making the switch.

Peter is a rock star and a superstar in his community. He represented the future of this party and I tried to do everything I could to help him stay in the Republican Party. But I don’t think people at county level or the local level were particularly helpful in respect to that.

Hinchey announcing his retirement. (Courtesy of the Congressman's office.)

While it is incredibly hard to leave a job I truly love, I know in my heart of hearts that now is the right time for me to move on. I want to thank the people of New York's 22nd District and the people of the former 26th District who put their trust in me to be their congressman.  I am forever grateful for their support over the years.  They afforded me the opportunity of a lifetime.  Every day I've spent in Congress was a day I spent fighting for those who I represent. The people from the Hudson Valley, the Catskills, the Southern Tier and the Finger Lakes were always, and continue to be, at the front of my mind and the focus of everything I do as their congressman.

A reader sent over photos of Councilman Lew Fidler, who's running to replace Carl Kruger, campaigning among the ladies in the ultra-Orthodox community in his district last night. The event was a fundraiser for an organization called MEKIMI, which, according to the reader, is a "cheer up squad for the sick."

Fidler spoke to the women at about 11 pm before heading out to talk with the men outside.

Fidler speaking at an ultra-Orthodox fundraiser in Brooklyn. ( )

Outside the fundraiser. ( )

By Karen DeWitt, New York State Public Radio Capital Bureau Chief

Courtesy of the Governor's office.

Governor Andrew Cuomo is for the second year in a row asking the state legislature to enact some changes that promise to shake up business as usual at the Capitol. While, the governor was successful in persuading the legislature to adopt his ideas during his first year in office, it’s not yet known whether he have as much luck in the second year.

Cuomo’s budget plan contains at least two major policy shifts that the governor admits “pose dramatic change” that will unsettle the “big players” in Albany: pension reform and statewide teacher evaluation systems.

In both proposals, Cuomo is taking on powerful unions of state workers and teachers, who have long been allies of the Democrats who lead the Assembly and even Republicans who in charge of the state Senate. It’s an election year for all 212 members of the legislature, and unions often provide support for field campaigns in the form of volunteers to staff phone banks and to drop off campaign literature door to door.

Despite that, legislative leaders did not rule out backing Cuomo’s plans.

Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos worked cooperatively with the Democratic governor last year to enact a property tax cap. He also permitted the historic Senate vote on gay marriage, even though Skelos personally opposes same sex marriage. The Senate leader predicts that the budget will once again be on time, and that the legislature will ultimately approve Cuomo’s proposal for a new pension tier with fewer benefits for future workers.

“I believe there will be a three way agreement on pension reform,” said Skelos. “Which is significant.”

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who made a point recently of speaking to a rally organized by a group allied with the teachers union, says he thinks Cuomo’s plan to force teacher evaluation agreements makes sense.

“He’s on target,” said Silver. “It gives the incentive to both sides in the collective e bargaining process to come to an agreement.”

Although the governor’s policies, if enacted, will likely anger many established groups in Albany, lawmakers may conclude that they are taking an even greater chance if they alienate the extremely popular governor.

Rumors have been circulating for some time now but it's now official: Upstate Democratic Congressman Maurice Hinchey will announce he will retire at the end of his term this year. The official announcement came from his office.

Hinchey has been battling colon cancer--though the statement said his latest treatment showed he was cancer free--and was considered unlikely to serve much longer. His name usually came up in redistricting conversations, as New York needs to loose two seats this year. The loss of an incumbent means one less voice arguing for the best lines, and could result in major shifts to what is currently the 22nd Congressional District. The district stretches from Ithaca, through Binghamton, over to Poughkeepsie.

The press conference announcing his retirement is scheduled for 1 pm on Thursday.

NYPIRG's Bill Mahoney continues to update his spreadsheet showing the results of the latest fundraising filings this week. The results so far show that Governor Andrew Cuomo hasn't just been busy with legislation. His campaign fundraising efforts show an equal verve.

As Mahoney points out, Cuomo has blown by the previous elected governor's fundraising numbers at the same time in their tenures. According to Mahoney, Governor Cuomo has raised nearly twice what Governor Spitzer had raised after his first year in office.

As it stands, Cuomo is sitting on more than $14 million in campaign funds. The Governor's top-ten donors in this filing (list below) consist of corporate and personal injury law firms,a prominent arts philanthropist who is married to a hedge fund manager, the head of a hotel company, and a real estate developer, among others.

By WNYC's Brain Zumhagen

Courtesy of the Governor's office

Governor Andrew Cuomo continues to defend his plan to deny school districts additional state funding unless they put in place a method for evaluating teachers.

Speaking to reporters in Yonkers, the governor pointed out that U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has already threatened to withhold $1 billion in combined Race to the Top and other federal dollars from New York unless the evaluations are established. Cuomo said he can understand that teachers' unions have concerns about the evaluation system.

"I also understand that the students deserve it," the governor added. "The state said they were going to do it two years ago. The unions said they were going to do it two years ago. They haven't done it."

"The state can't afford to lose $1 billion in federal funds," Cuomo said.

The governor was in Yonkers Wednesday to present his budget plan to an audience of city officials and local high school students.

Meanwhile in New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters that he remains optimistic that his administration can reach a deal on evaluations with the United Federation of Teachers.

A spokesman for the UTF said the union's president, Michael Mulgrew, hopes the governor's comments will spur Mayor Bloomberg to return to the bargaining table.

A letter signed by prominent members of clergy from throughout New York calls on Governor Andrew Cuomo to "stand up for the rights of every vote" when it comes to redistricting.

The letter comes as the bipartisan legislative committee responsible for drawing new political boundaries is set to release draft maps in the next week or so, according to Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. The clergymen say they are worried the process will "the unjust opportunity to choose which voters they represent and not allowed the voters to choose their representatives."

The full text of the letter signed by dozens of faith leaders from across New York is below.

Minority communities, good government groups and others have vocally called for a redistricting process they say will more fairly represent them in the state and Federal legislatures.

With all the 2013 periodic filings in, WNYC's John Keefe has updated our map to show where candidates have been raising funds over the past year.

It's interesting to see the top tier candidates pulling big bucks from the Mill Basin/Marine Park section of Brooklyn--one of the borough's wealthier areas, and decidedly conservative. Only Liu has really avoided the area.

Also, it's fun to pull back and go upstate to see the fundraising drive of all the candidates marching up the Hudson River.