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With assist from Shawn Ness
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Occurring now:
Michael Carey, an advocate for disabled sufferers and a daily presence on the state Capitol, mentioned he was pushed by state Sen. Kevin Parker.
Labor chairs of the state Legislature wish to do extra to guard retail staff.
Efforts to maneuver migrants upstate to 5 counties has been gradual going.
There was a brand new graduating class of the State Police in the present day.
CAPITOL FIGHT: State Sen. Kevin Parker allegedly shoved incapacity rights advocate Michael Carey earlier than the beginning of the Senate Vitality Committee assembly in the present day, in accordance with Carey and two different people who witnessed the altercation.
Carey, who is understood to be vocal with lawmakers, shared with POLITICO a replica of a police report he filed, which will be learn right here.
In it, Carey alleges the lawmaker obtained in his face and screamed “I don’t care,” earlier than placing his palms on him twice and shoving him in entrance of a room full of individuals, in accordance with the report and a subsequent interview.
On the similar time the incident was unfolding, shouting will be heard on the recording of the elections committee taking place subsequent door on the Capitol’s first ground.
Parker didn’t reply to a number of requests for remark from Playbook.
He’s recognized for his explosive outbursts and bodily altercations, which embrace allegedly shoving a legislative staffer, breaking a New York Publish photographer’s digital camera and cursing out different lawmakers. Carey mentioned he had been fully unaware of that historical past, which incorporates being convicted of a misdemeanor for the altercation with the Publish photographer.
“That is a number of conditions,” Carey mentioned. “He is a hazard to different folks. He was a hazard to me.”
The incapacity advocate mentioned the incident began minutes earlier than the committee assembly, when he requested Parker to cosponsor a 911 civil rights invoice, which he’s making an attempt to make regulation in reminiscence of his son who died in 2007 at a bunch house.
When Parker, chair of the power committee, mentioned he was wanting into the matter, Carey mentioned he advised Parker the difficulty was analogous to Martin Luther King Jr.’s combat towards discrimination and reminded Parker of his son’s loss of life. Parker then yelled “I don’t care” when Carey introduced up his useless son and obtained inches away from Carey’s face earlier than shoving him, in accordance with Carey.
Witnesses, who have been granted anonymity to debate a delicate matter, mentioned Carey was additionally shouting at Parker in the course of the incident.
Carey then mentioned he left the assembly and requested a State Police officer come to the scene. He requested the officer to tell Parker that if he apologized to Carey he wouldn’t press prices. Parker didn’t apologize and as an alternative invoked his proper to counsel, Carey mentioned.
“I used to be sort of shocked, he didn’t apologize,” he mentioned.
State Sen. Mario R. Mattera, a Lengthy Island Republican who serves because the rating member on the Vitality Committee, additionally mentioned he witnessed the altercation however declined to enter element.
“There was tensions, sure, there was tensions, and it was unlucky in numerous methods, however that is one thing that Senator Parker and that gentleman have to get by means of, and hopefully they will,” Mattera mentioned.
He additionally mentioned it was inappropriate for Carey to take up the difficulty of the invoice on the committee assembly as an alternative of making an attempt to talk with Parker in his workplace.
Carey mentioned he needs a restraining order towards the senator.
“I perceive when folks don’t take care of anger points, they’ll go on to harm different folks,” Carey mentioned. — Jason Beeferman
RETAIL CRIME IS NOT OVER: Gov. Kathy Hochul pushed arduous to get a funds deal that included cracking down on retail theft, however the Legislature’s labor chairs mentioned that state authorities must go additional to guard staff.
“There have been some issues performed within the funds relating to retail staff that have been punitive and all about regulation enforcement,” Assemblymember Harry Bronson, a Rochester Democrat, mentioned. “We want greater than that.”
The funds upgraded assaults on retail staff from a misdemeanor to a felony. It additionally created devoted retail theft groups for state and native regulation enforcement and added $5 million in tax breaks for retailer safety cameras and different anti-theft bills.
However labor advocates say they want extra proactive, as an alternative of “punitive,” measures to guard retail staff.
They’re pushing for the Retail Employee Security Act, sponsored by Bronson and state Sen. Jessica Ramos, that may require retailers within the state to coach workers on de-escalation and violence prevention ways.
The 2 lawmakers additionally rallied for 3 different labor payments this week: to scale back warehouse employee accidents; to set requirements for excessive temperatures whereas working in agriculture, development and different industries and a 3rd to supervise nail salon staff’ rights.
“We’ve a vital resolution to make on whether or not we will tilt the scales in direction of the employees or we will proceed to permit for the dimensions to be tilted in direction of the bosses,” Ramos mentioned Tuesday at a rally on the Capitol. “And I say no to that. I say, ‘Sure’ to protections for the employees.”
The Retail Council of New York State is working to counter Ramos and Bronson’s Retail Employee Security Act.
“The expensive mandates proposed within the invoice — together with onerous recordkeeping necessities, panic buttons and extra safety guards — will do little, if something, to handle recidivists coming into shops with the intent to interact in criminality corresponding to shoplifting and assault,” Melissa O’Connor, the group’s president, wrote in a memorandum of opposition.
Justin Henry, a spokesperson for Hochul, didn’t touch upon the labor chairs’ payments, however as an alternative pointed to Hochul’s feedback on the retail theft earlier this month:
“Nobody needs to see the outlets of their neighborhood boarded up as a result of enterprise homeowners merely say, ‘I can not do that anymore. It is simply not working. It is not price it,’” Hochul mentioned at a post-budget retail theft press convention. “That threatens the very vitality of those communities, which I’ll cease at nothing to guard.” — Jason Beeferman
MIGRANT RELOCATION: After the state launched a program to relocate migrant households shifting to New York Metropolis to upstate areas final August, it has solely relocated 283 households, in accordance with the Workplace of Momentary and Incapacity Help, which administers this system. Learn the complete story right here.
Solely 5 counties have obtained households: Albany, Erie, Monroe, Westchester and Suffolk; all of which have below-average housing emptiness charges. Practically 1,000 households have been placed on a ready record or have been deemed ineligible after being referred to this system.
“We’re just about maxed out. We have been maxed out. I solely have 320,000 residents on this county, and we have already got a housing disaster,” mentioned Albany County Government Dan McCoy. “We’re having points placing folks in housing.”
And plans to supply bonuses and incentives to landlords to affix in on this system haven’t been very profitable. Regardless of these woes, the state remains to be dedicated to relocating households.
“OTDA is dedicated to aiding migrant households that select to relocate by means of the Migrant Relocation Help Program,” the company mentioned in an announcement. — Shawn Ness
GRAD SZN: The State Police pressure is now as much as 4,977 officers after Hochul congratulated 228 new troopers after they graduated from the academy in the present day.
“At present’s graduates have devoted themselves to a lifetime of public service and are making a dedication to serve and shield all New Yorkers,” Hochul mentioned in an announcement.
Three completely different awards have been additionally introduced to a choose few graduates. Nicholas Krafft was given the Tutorial Efficiency Award; Matthew Grant was given the Firearms Proficiency Award; and Dominick Battaglia was given the Investigator Joseph T. Aversa Bodily Health Award.
“At present’s ceremony is one among our most interesting traditions and introduces a brand new technology of extremely skilled women and men to the New York State Police. These new Troopers will serve New Yorkers with honor, integrity, and bravado, and I welcome them to our ranks,” state police superintendent Steven James mentioned in an announcement. — Shawn Ness
POLL OBSERVER PUSH: Advocates are calling on lawmakers to cross a invoice to let nonpartisan teams be licensed to ship impartial observers to ballot websites on Election Day.
“On this extremely polarized context, having impartial eyes on the bottom to have the ability to confirm what’s truly taking place in our polling locations, which 99 % of the time is organized and precisely as we wish to it’s, helps to extend transparency and to enhance the general public’s religion in elections,” Frequent Trigger New York govt director Susan Lerner mentioned.
She famous that below present regulation, the one individuals who will be licensed to be observers are picked by candidates and events.
“This appears to be a fairly simple and commonsense resolution to an issue that sometimes arises, the place a voter is badly turned away for no matter motive,” mentioned state Sen. James Skoufis, who sponsors the invoice with Assemblymember Amy Paulin. — Invoice Mahoney
MIGRANT CRISIS: Assemblymember Ed Ra and different lawmakers within the GOP minority convention are calling for a legislative listening to with New York Metropolis officers and organizations which are below contract to supply migrant-related companies.
The Instances Union reported on Monday about ongoing considerations with one of many key distributors, DocGo.
“This 12 months, the state funds allotted $2.4 billion to handle the migrant disaster, a substantial enlargement of an expenditure for New York’s taxpayers to shoulder. With out the guardrails wanted for fiscal accountability, these funds are susceptible to the fraud and abuse now we have change into accustomed to with emergency authorities contracts that lack transparency and oversight steering,” Ra, a Lengthy Island Republican, mentioned in an announcement.
Republicans are additionally calling for the passage of one among Ra’s payments that may mandate the reporting and auditing on how cash for migrant packages are being spent. It’s co-sponsored by fellow Republicans. — Shawn Ness
— Two New York Democrats have reintroduced a federal invoice that restricts the general public’s entry to physique armor in the future after the two-year anniversary of the Buffalo Tops capturing. (State of Politics)
— State legislators are engaged on passing a invoice to incentivize emergency medical service suppliers to maintain working. (Instances Union)
— The Seneca Nation of Indians remains to be in tense negotiations with the state on its compact. (POLITICO Professional)
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