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With assist from Shawn Ness
IS IT RIGGED?: Nassau County Government Bruce Blakeman is laying the groundwork to say the bidding course of for the three wildly profitable on line casino licenses could possibly be skewed towards him.
“We’re shifting forward with our plans for a on line casino, and if it is a honest course of — and I am somewhat involved about it — but when it is a honest course of. Nassau County will get that license as a result of we’re one of the best location,” the County Government mentioned final week whereas calling into “Sid & Pals within the Morning,” a right-leaning radio present.
After reiterating the choice is within the palms of a state board, he added, “if it is a honest course of we win.”
The feedback are the primary that Playbook’s ever heard the Republican forged doubt on the integrity of an especially scrutinized and public bidding course of for New York’s downstate on line casino licenses.
However questions have already been raised that the bid for a large on line casino on Lengthy Island could possibly be particularly weak, given Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s management over the Gaming Fee. That’s as a result of the bulk proprietor of the Las Vegas Sands Company is GOP megadonor Miriam Adelson, who — alongside together with her late husband — donated $90 million to a pro-Trump tremendous PAC through the earlier presidential election.
She’s not the one Trump donor vying for a on line casino.
Earlier this week, Mets proprietor and billionaire Steve Cohen’s on line casino desires had been all however crushed by state Sen. Jessica Ramos after she got here out towards the bid. Cohen’s military of lobbyists had been working to place a large on line casino and resort within the parking zone subsequent to Citi Subject, however the proposed web site is situated on state-controlled parkland that wants approval from the state Legislature to change use.
And a bid by the Bally’s Company for a on line casino on the Bronx golf course previously referred to as Trump Hyperlinks additionally wants an identical parkland alienation invoice. Playbook can report that Assemblymember Gary Pretlow, a Mount Vernon Democrat who chairs the decrease chamber’s gaming committee, has launched a parkland alienation invoice for Bally’s.
“What we’re making an attempt to do is have the belief that each [bid] is sweet, till they’re confirmed they don’t seem to be,” Pretlow advised Playbook. “So we need to have the group boards issued and we need to have land points solved.”
Curiously, neither the Senate’s gaming chair, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo, nor any of his colleagues within the Senate have launched the required equal invoice. State Sen. Nathalia Fernandez, whose district contains the golf course, advised us she remains to be weighing the deserves of introducing any parkland alienation invoice this session.
Blakeman, for his half, has mentioned that the Sands venture would convey a $5 billion funding into Nassau County and claims it will doubtless be the best grossing on line casino within the nation. Plans for the on line casino, which might be situated on the web site of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, are presently stalled, although, after neighboring Hofstra College efficiently sued to void the lease between Las Vegas Sands and the county.
When Playbook reached out to Blakeman, the county government declined to enter specifics about his “considerations” in regards to the equity of the bidding course of.
“In fact we’re involved that it is a degree taking part in discipline and that politics aren’t a part of the method,” Blakeman mentioned, obliquely referring to “gossip” he didn’t need to expound upon.
“While you’re speaking about as a lot cash as is concerned in issuing a license,” he added, “you need to be sure that there’s honesty and integrity within the course of with out political bias.” — Jason Beeferman
ASSEMBLYMEMBER FACES ETHICS ACTION: The Meeting’s Ethics Committee has taken motion towards Scott Bendett.
The freshman Republican “made two statements associated to faith and nationwide origin to a world intern,” the committee concluded. “Given Member Bendett’s honest regret and sincere, lively, and forthcoming participation within the course of, coupled with the present extremely emotional local weather associated to worldwide strife,” the committee has ordered him to endure sensitivity coaching.
It’s solely the second motion taken towards a sitting member of the Meeting up to now six years. The committee ordered Democrat Danny O’Donnell to be retrained within the Meeting’s harassment coverage following remarks he made final 12 months.
Bendett is a high goal for Democrats this November. His district, which incorporates suburbs to the south and east of the town of Albany, favored Joe Biden in 2020. Democrats Chloe Pierce and Kent Sopris are operating in a major for his or her social gathering’s nomination to problem him. — Invoice Mahoney
FIGHTING REVENGE PORN: State lawmakers need to broaden New York’s regulation combating revenge porn.
A invoice being thought-about within the ultimate week of the legislative session is supposed to strengthen the preliminary 2019 provision that created felony penalties for the non-consensual launch of intimate photographs and movies.
State Sen. Monica Martinez, a Lengthy Island Democrat, desires to incorporate an growth that might criminalize the specter of disseminating that materials as nicely.
“The specter of releasing compromising private content material may be simply as psychologically damaging to a sufferer because the act itself,” Martinez mentioned in a press release. “This enhancement of the regulation will higher shield New Yorkers from the perpetrator who makes an attempt to make use of disgrace as an instrument of coercion.”
The invoice was beforehand authorised within the Senate, however is but to be authorised within the Meeting. Lawmakers in that chamber have been hesitant to embrace an growth of felony penalties. — Nick Reisman
ACTION ON HEALTH ACT: A decision endorsing the “objectives” of the New York Well being Act — a invoice making a single-payer well being care plan to supply common protection within the state — was authorised for the time by the state Democratic Committee at this week’s conference.
The decision additionally referred to as on the governor and Legislature to “expedite legislative options” to make sure full well being care protection for all New Yorkers.
The vote is symbolic. However supporters of the measure hope it would present a jolt of momentum for the New York Well being Act, which dates again many years and has struggled to win widespread assist amongst Democrats amid opposition from the state’s highly effective public-sector unions.
The invoice was reintroduced in July 2023 by Well being Committee Chairs Assemblymember Amy Paulin and state Sen. Gustavo Rivera.
“This decision unifies the Democratic social gathering within the aim of passing the New York Well being Act, the one laws that gives complete healthcare to each New Yorker with out limitations to care,” mentioned Melanie D’Arrigo, government director of the Marketing campaign for New York Well being and a former Democratic Congressional candidate.
State Democratic Social gathering Chair Jay Jacobs advised Playbook the measure was authorised “understanding there are advanced points to be decided” given the opposition from key constituencies like labor.
However Jacobs can level to areas of clearer settlement for Democrats at its two-day state conference: A decision that condemned antisemitism within the wake of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at school campuses throughout the nation which have created a political headache for Democrats in an election 12 months was additionally authorised.
“The truth that it was unanimous speaks volumes to the place Democrats stand on this subject,” Jacobs mentioned. — Maya Kaufman and Nick Reisman
— HOCHUL’S BIG BUFFALO BILLS PROBLEM: An ethics watchdog company has subpoenaed the Empire State Improvement for data associated to using the state-owned “I Love New York” suite on the Buffalo Payments’ stadium which has been loved by high state lawmakers. (NY Focus)
— CALL IT A COMEBACK: The Supreme Court docket unanimously dominated that an appellate court docket was too fast to throw out the NRA’s claims. Even Democratic justices, like Sonia Sotomayor, who routinely sided towards the NRA, modified issues up and voted of their favor. (POLITICO)
— TRUMP’S TESTIMONY: Donald Trump mentioned he needed to testify throughout his hush cash trial. But it surely was too little too late, and he didn’t need to get hit with a possible perjury cost. (Day by day Information)
Missed this morning’s New York Playbook? Learn it right here.
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