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With assist from Shawn Ness
New from New York
Taking place now:
Will this be the yr that lawmakers approve physician-assisted suicide?
Mayor Eric Adams got here to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s protection of her gaffe.
New York sports activities legends visited the state Capitol at this time. Right here’s why.
The state Senate is passing an extended listing of environmental payments.
A LONG SOUGHT LAW: Advocates have fought for a decade to legalize physician-assisted suicide in New York. They’re hoping this yr that the struggle will finish.
Throughout any busy week within the Capitol in Albany, it’s arduous to overlook the throngs of activists donning shiny yellow shirts and doggedly handing out stickers to lawmakers and lobbyists.
Medical help in dying, or the fitting for a doctor to prescribe life-ending remedy to struggling, terminally-ill sufferers, has lengthy been a precedence for tons of of activists who’ve watched their family members endure unnecessarily throughout their last days of life.
However within the final yr, the push to legalize physician-assisted suicide — which is already regulation in California, New Jersey and eight different states — has been gaining floor.
The listing of sponsors for the invoice, now totaling 80 lawmakers, has elevated steadily for the reason that present iteration was launched in 2016. State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and Assemblymembers Amy Paulin and Tony Simone held a packed rally this afternoon outdoors the Senate chamber in favor of the invoice.
And key teams, just like the New York Bar Affiliation and New York Civil Liberties Union, have queued up in assist of the invoice, serving to it acquire new momentum.
The Medical Society of the State of New York additionally reversed its longstanding opposition to the Medical Support in Dying Act final month.
Their trigger is evident: Let individuals die with dignity.
However regardless of the elevated assist, the three individuals with the true energy in Albany — Gov. Kathy Hochul, Meeting Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Chief Andrea Stewart-Cousins — have shied away from taking a place on the invoice.
And Stewart-Cousins advised motion on the invoice this yr — with solely 16 days left of session — is unlikely.
“I imagine this can be a strong dialogue, and clearly, we’re not there but,” she mentioned. “It is a matter of knowledge. It is a matter of schooling, after which we get to see if we are able to truly do issues that change life for the higher.”
And the push to legalize the observe faces opposition. The Catholic Convention of New York strongly opposes the measure.
Some docs have additionally raised considerations that legalizing physician-assisted suicide may create a kind of slippery slope, the place individuals who aren’t gravely terminally-ill, however as an alternative deeply-depressed, may reap the benefits of the regulation to finish their very own life. They level to examples of that taking place in Canada.
Dr. Eve Slater, a professor of medical drugs at Columbia College and former assistant secretary to the U.S. Division of Well being and Human Service, has organized a gaggle of medical professionals who oppose the invoice.
She’s involved physician-assisted suicide violates a key provision of the Hippocratic oath: Primum non nocere. First, do no hurt.
“It’s suicide, and, you realize, they hope that by some means by getting a doctor concerned that by some means makes it OK,” Slater mentioned. She’s additionally apprehensive the invoice offers an avenue for these with non-terminal diseases to chop their life quick.
“The legal professionals go to work and say, ‘Nicely, you realize, how are you going to deny it to my consumer if you’ve allowed it for any person else?’” — Jason Beeferman
ADAMS DEFENDS HOCHUL’S ‘COMPUTER’ ERROR: Mayor Eric Adams strongly defended Hochul after she made an embarrassing gaffe on Monday, and he mentioned those that’ve piled on to criticize the governor are merely taking part in “phrase police.”
“I do know her coronary heart, I do know what she was meaning to say, and he or she was not attempting to be disrespectful of the individuals of the Bronx,” Adams mentioned.
The governor made the now-roundly criticized feedback throughout a fireplace chat with MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart on the Milken Institute World Convention in California.
“Proper now now we have, you realize, younger Black children rising up within the Bronx who don’t even know what the phrase ‘pc’ is,” she advised Capeheart whereas discussing an enormous state funding into synthetic intelligence computing.
She rapidly apologized, saying in an announcement that “I misspoke and I remorse it,” and Meeting Speaker Heastie stood by her saying, “I don’t imagine that’s the place her coronary heart is.” Stewart-Cousins echoed Heastie’s phrases of assist earlier at this time.
Adams spoke at size to defend Hochul at this time throughout his weekly availability with reporters.
“If you make 1000’s of speeches, if you’re in entrance of the cameras on a regular basis, if you’re attempting to be genuine and say the issues that you just’re actually feeling, one may sit again and do a important evaluation of each sentence you say and say ‘Oh you didn’t say it this fashion or that approach,’” the mayor continued.
“So those that wish to phrase police on this enterprise, you go proper forward. The individuals of the Bronx knew the place her coronary heart was. She’s honest about uplifting the individuals. We don’t at all times get it proper.” — Jason Beeferman
TAKING A TEST DRIVE: State Sen. Andrew Gounardes stepped into the BMW for a check drive outdoors the state Capitol at this time. It was for a goal: in assist of laws to put in pace limiters on peoples’ vehicles.
The invoice is designed to curb site visitors fatalities, the place extreme pace performs a consider roughly one-third of deaths.
It might require the pace limiters, also called “governors,” to override the car’s acceleration, stopping it from going over the pace restrict. It might solely be put in for “repeat offenders,” outlined as individuals who have gotten over 11 factors on their license in an 18-month interval, or have obtained six pace digital camera or purple gentle digital camera tickets throughout a 12-month interval.
The know-how makes use of geolocation to get an correct roadmap of pace limits. It’s correct sufficient to even distinguish between passing lanes and customary driving lanes.
“Nothing is in our legal guidelines at this time to crack down on probably the most reckless drivers on our streets. So we’re right here to say that sufficient is sufficient. We do not have to seek for a model new thought beneath the solar in an effort to clear up this disaster,” Gounardes, a Manhattan Democrat and sponsor of the invoice, mentioned.
After the check drive, Gounardes mentioned that the automobile wouldn’t speed up previous the pace restrict, regardless of his finest efforts.
“The drive was actually clean, however the tech works—even once I floored it, I could not speed up past what the gadget permitted. It is simple to make use of, there isn’t any jerking of the wheel or distracting beeps. You simply drive,” he mentioned.
Sprint cam footage was recorded of his drive. — Shawn Ness
FOREIGN DEBT: The previous president of Costa Rica made an look outdoors of the Meeting chambers within the Capitol at this time to advocate for the Sovereign Debt Stability Act.
The invoice offers nations which might be in debt choices to restructure their money owed to assist restrict compelled migration of individuals from the struggling nations.
“Greater than half of the world’s personal debt is situated [in New York],” former president of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado Quesada, mentioned. “Making a process for readjusting debt is important for growing nations.”
Seventy-six p.c of asylum-seekers in New York hail from nations which have debt crises.
“I’m satisfied that that is one thing or state can do, and should do,” state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, the invoice’s sponsor mentioned. “These establishments are right here, they’re based mostly right here, they usually do what they do as a result of we permit them to.” — Shawn Ness
FANTASY ISLAND: Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Chair Joe Addabbo desires to broaden playing choices. And he introduced some New York sports activities historical past firepower to the argument.
Addabbo at this time in Albany was flanked by former Yankee first baseman Tino Martinez and ex-Large broad receiver David Tyree to push for a measure that will broaden day by day fantasy sports activities wagering.
In essence, the invoice would permit for bets on the person end result of an athlete’s efficiency (putting a wager, for example, on whether or not Payments quarterback Josh Allen throws for greater than 200 yards in a sport).
“My mother is 82 years previous, and he or she performs fantasy soccer and it retains her concerned with the grandkids,” Martinez mentioned. “It’s an effective way for the household to come back collectively.”
If authorised, the measure could be added to the suite of choices for sports activities gamblers, which at present embrace sportsbooks in casinos in addition to cell sports activities betting. New York already has the very best grossing on-line sports activities betting operation within the nation.
“It is a parallel monitor,” Addabbo mentioned of his fantasy sports activities invoice. “Fantasy sports activities is actually separate from cell sports activities betting. It enhances it.”
The Queens Democrat additionally desires the age of participation to be 21 and insisted the measure consists of “safeguards” meant to stop habit in addition to corrupt outcomes in video games.
He expects the measure would generate $150 million in tax income for the state.
Having Tyree and Martinez in Albany, in the meantime, helped heighten curiosity within the measure. Athletes have usually been enlisted to assist promote laws (and permit lawmakers, lobbyists and sure, even reporters, to geek out a bit).
Tyree mentioned it was “a bizarre query” and “no remark” when requested if he was being compensated for the looks. Martinez mentioned he was not paid an look price. — Nick Reisman
ERA OPPONENTS WIN: Republicans have received the primary spherical in a authorized struggle over whether or not New York’s Equal Rights Modification ought to seem on the poll this November.
A choose listening to a problem introduced in Livingston County concluded at this time that the Democratic-dominated Legislature didn’t take the right steps earlier than bringing the modification for a vote, since they didn’t give the lawyer basic the constitutionally-mandated 20 days to evaluate the language.
“Of their rush to cross this modification, the legislature by no means held a single listening to on the proposal, by no means consulted with outdoors constitutional specialists, and falsely asserted this modification was crucial to guard abortion rights within the state,” state GOP Chair Ed Cox mentioned in response to the ruling.
Democrats, who’re planning to make use of the modification’s language on abortion to encourage their base this November, promise an attraction.
“In accordance with the studying of all of our very competent counsel, the dearth of the AG’s opinion doesn’t negate the validity of our modification,” Senate Majority Chief Andrea Stewart-Cousins mentioned. “We will definitely attraction that so that individuals could have the fitting to vote this November by way of codifying our reproductive selections.”
For her half, Hochul vowed that the ERA will make the November poll.
“Our decades-long struggle to guard equality and reproductive freedom won’t be thrown off monitor by one extremist choose, and I sit up for casting my poll for the Equal Rights Modification in November,” she mentioned in an announcement. — Invoice Mahoney
WEED RAIDS: The town did coordinated raids on unlawful weed outlets throughout all 5 boroughs at this time, ramping up enforcement weeks after getting larger enforcement powers within the state price range.
“We wish to shut them down. And should you’re on the market, now we have a lock along with your identify on it,” Adams mentioned in his weekly press convention.
With cinematic aptitude, Metropolis Sheriff Anthony Miranda appeared reside on digital camera throughout the briefing from inside a store down the road from Metropolis Corridor that he accused of promoting unlawful mushrooms, hashish and cigarettes.
“They’ve violated each statute that now we have, by way of the brand new legal guidelines and protections that now we have,” Miranda mentioned. “And we’ll be sealing these areas after the inspections.”
The town wasn’t beforehand shutting down outlets caught violating hashish management legal guidelines. Now they’ll, deeming it “Operation Padlock to Defend.” However Adams warned that store house owners may nonetheless problem the rulings and apply to reopen once more. “There’s nonetheless a process,” he mentioned. — Jeff Coltin
DATA BREACH AT CITY SCHOOLS: Metropolis Corridor is continuous to work to deal with an information breach to the town’s public college system.
“The security and well-being of our college students is at all times the precedence,” Camille Joseph Varlack, chief of workers to Mayor Eric Adams, advised reporters at a press convention at Metropolis Corridor at this time, including the town has been partaking Illuminate, its former software program vendor. “We’ve been working carefully with Illuminate for some time now on this explicit breach.”
A further 380,000 present and former college students noticed their private knowledge compromised in a digital assault that came about from late December to early January 2022, the New York Put up reported Sunday. The company initially mentioned 800,000 pupils had been affected by the infiltration.
Varlack mentioned no monetary data or Social Safety numbers had been impacted. The Division of Training can be providing two years of free credit score and identification monitoring providers to any particular person who obtained a letter from the company.
Adams mentioned his predecessor Invoice de Blasio knowledgeable him that cybersecurity “is an actual difficulty.” Matthew Fraser, the town’s chief know-how officer, opened an workplace that trains younger individuals in cybersecurity, he added.
“We’re encouraging younger individuals to enter the sector,” the mayor mentioned. “Different cities have been hacked, held hostage, despatched ransom notes. It’s a world drawback, and we’re being inundated day by day by outdoors affect, different nations attempting to hack our methods.” — Madina Touré
SENATE MOVES EARTH DAY BILLS: A belated celebration of Earth Day within the Senate means the passage of a number of environmental measures, with unsure prospects for passage because the session careens towards an in depth.
“Our phrases are solely nearly as good as our actions, which is why it is crucial that we modernize our vitality methods, shield our clear consuming water and tackle local weather change,” mentioned Stewart-Cousins at a press convention at this time.
Among the many payments slated for passage at this time is the Local weather Change Superfund measure, which might cost fossil gas corporations for historic emissions which have contributed to local weather change. The measure would elevate $3 billion yearly for investments to adapt to local weather impacts in New York, however it doesn’t have assist from Meeting leaders or Hochul.
“Taxpayers shell out tons of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} a yr on simply attempting to mediate and restore harm attributable to local weather change,” mentioned state Sen. Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat who sponsors the invoice.
“We proceed to cross our payments and we proceed conversations and I am certain they’re going to be transferring on issues too,” mentioned Stewart-Cousins when requested about what conversations she’d had with Meeting Speaker Carl Heastie concerning the Local weather Superfund invoice and NY HEAT. “So we’ll get there.”
Different payments the Senate plans to cross, variations of which handed final yr and died within the Meeting, embrace state Sen. Pete Harckham’s measure (S2994) to section out No. 4 gas oil in buildings by 2028; his enlargement of the meals scrap donation program (S5331); state Sen. Nathalia Fernandez’s measure (S3328) to require extra fenceline monitoring of air emissions at industrial websites; state Sen. Brad Holyman-Sigal’s measure (S1535) to require EV chargers at some state parking heaps and garages and his proposal to ban PFAS in anti-fogging sprays and wipes (S992); state Sen. Leroy Comrie’s wildlife crossing invoice (S4198); and state Sen. Jose Serrano’s invoice to ban fuel drilling on state lands (S724).
A spokesperson for the Meeting Democrats didn’t present a listing of environmental payments deliberate for a vote within the chamber this week. — Marie J. French
PUSH FOR GUN REFORM: A gaggle of mothers, college students, advocates and lawmakers rallied at a church blocks away from the state capitol at this time to assist a package deal of laws on gun reform.
One invoice launched by state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and Assemblymember Michaelle Solages would prohibit the sale of any semi-automatic handguns that may simply be transformed into absolutely computerized machine weapons by way of using a Glock swap.
Present Glock house owners would now not be allowed to make use of the mechanism. The invoice would additionally bar the sale, possession and manufacturing of Glock switches, and it will clarify {that a} pistol with the mechanism is taken into account to be a machine gun.
One other invoice sponsored by Senate and Meeting Training Committee chairs Shelley Mayer and Michael Benedetto would mandate the state Training Division to create informational supplies to teach mother and father on protected storage legal guidelines.
“I feel now we have many mother and father who actually are new to this nation, new to our communities, even individuals which were right here a very long time, they don’t know what we cross,” Mayer mentioned. “We’ve to do greater than anticipate that individuals will know. Given the historical past of gun violence now we have to really get on the market and guarantee that they know.”
New York United Academics President Melinda Individual mentioned many mother and father are sometimes unaware of gun storage legal guidelines for households with youngsters beneath age 18.
“If this notification is one thing that will get into the backpack mail and saves one life, it is price it,” Individual mentioned to POLITICO. — Katelyn Cordero
ACTORS PUSH FOR A.I. REGULATIONS: A star studded press convention came about on the Million Greenback Staircase within the Capitol, the place lawmakers had been joined by Rosario Dawson, John Carroll Lynch and Samantha Mathis in a push to cross laws that can regulate using synthetic intelligence within the leisure business.
The group is trying to cross three payments, the primary requires employers to offer authorized illustration when a contract entails the rights of digital replication of an individual’s voice or likeness rather than bodily work.
This invoice is on the transfer, because it handed the Senate Judiciary Committee at this time, and invoice sponsor state Sen. Jessica Ramos mentioned she is hopeful it can cross each homes by the top of session subsequent month.
“AI is right here to remain, and I’d wish to say our accountability is to make sure that labor regulation is maintaining tempo with the modifications on this and all different industries the place employees are attempting to earn a dignified wage,” Ramos mentioned to reporters.
“These movement image corporations are just about permitting these performers to lend their voice and their likeness to feed into AI, that ought to not occur with out knowledgeable consent of the performer.”
A second invoice would prohibit the state’s movie tax credit score to be used on productions that plan to make use of synthetic intelligence within the place of staff.
And the ultimate invoice would require all advertisers to reveal when they’re utilizing synthetic intelligence of their content material. Violators must pay a $1,000 penalty for his or her first violation. After the primary violation they might pay $5,000 for every penalty. — Katelyn Cordero
— A outstanding transit union chief plans to sue Columbia College over alleged mistreatment of college staffers throughout a constructing seizure final week. (POLITICO)
— After a tenant in Manhattan was handled for arsenic poisoning, she and her neighbors are demanding exams of their faucet water. (POLITICO)
— Adams says New York Metropolis is ‘prepared’ if former President Donald Trump is jailed. (POLITICO)
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