Source: Politics<\/p>\n
With help from Shawn Ness<\/p>\n
Happening now:<\/span><\/p>\n Will this be the year that lawmakers approve physician-assisted suicide? A LONG SOUGHT LAW:<\/span> Advocates have fought for a decade to legalize physician-assisted suicide in New York. They are hoping this year that the fight will end.<\/p>\n During any busy week in the Capitol in Albany, it\u2019s hard to miss the throngs of activists donning bright yellow shirts and doggedly handing out stickers<\/a> to lawmakers and lobbyists.<\/p>\n Medical aid in dying, or the right for a physician to prescribe life-ending medication to suffering, terminally-ill patients, has long been a priority for hundreds of activists who have watched their loved ones suffer unnecessarily during their final days of life.<\/p>\n But in the last year, the push to legalize physician-assisted suicide \u2014 which is already law in California, New Jersey and eight other states \u2014 has been gaining ground.<\/p>\n The list of sponsors for the bill, now totaling 80 lawmakers, has increased steadily since the current iteration was introduced in 2016. State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and Assemblymembers Amy Paulin and Tony Simone held a packed rally this afternoon outside the Senate chamber in favor of the bill.<\/p>\n And key groups, like the New York Bar Association and New York Civil Liberties Union, have queued up in support of the bill, helping it gain new momentum.<\/p>\n The Medical Society of the State of New York also reversed<\/a> its longstanding opposition to the Medical Aid in Dying Act last month.<\/p>\n Their cause is clear: Let people die with dignity.<\/p>\n But despite the increased support, the three people with the real power in Albany \u2014 Gov. Kathy Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins \u2014 have shied away from taking a position on the bill.<\/p>\n And Stewart-Cousins suggested movement on the bill this year \u2014 with only 16 days left of session \u2014 is unlikely.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe this is a robust discussion, and obviously, we’re not there yet,\u201d she said. \u201cIt’s a matter of information. It’s a matter of education, and then we get to see if we can actually do things that change life for the better.\u201d<\/p>\n And the push to legalize the practice faces opposition. The Catholic Conference of New York strongly opposes the measure.<\/p>\n Some doctors have also raised concerns that legalizing physician-assisted suicide could create a sort of slippery slope, where people who aren\u2019t gravely terminally-ill, but instead deeply-depressed, could take advantage of the law to end their own life. They point to examples of that happening<\/a> in Canada.<\/p>\n Dr. Eve Slater, a professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University and former assistant secretary to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, has organized a group<\/a> of medical professionals who oppose the bill.<\/p>\n She\u2019s concerned physician-assisted suicide violates a key provision<\/a> of the Hippocratic oath: Primum non nocere. First, do no harm.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is suicide, and, you know, they hope that somehow by getting a physician involved that somehow makes it OK,\u201d Slater said. She\u2019s also worried the bill gives an avenue for those with non-terminal illnesses to cut their life short.<\/p>\n \u201cThe lawyers go to work and say, \u2018Well, you know, how can you deny it to my client when you’ve allowed it for somebody else?\u2019\u201d \u2014 Jason Beeferman<\/p>\n ADAMS DEFENDS HOCHUL\u2019S \u2018COMPUTER\u2019 ERROR: <\/span>Mayor Eric Adams strongly defended Hochul<\/a> after she made an embarrassing gaffe on Monday, and he said those who\u2019ve piled on to criticize the governor are simply playing \u201cword police.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know her heart, I know what she was intending to say, and she was not trying to be disrespectful of the people of the Bronx,\u201d Adams said.<\/p>\n The governor made the now-roundly criticized comments during a fireside chat with MSNBC\u2019s Jonathan Capehart at the Milken Institute Global Conference in California.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now we have, you know, young Black kids growing up in the Bronx who don\u2019t even know what the word \u2018computer\u2019 is,\u201d she told Capeheart while discussing a massive state investment into artificial intelligence computing.<\/p>\n She quickly apologized, saying in a statement that \u201cI misspoke and I regret it,\u201d and Assembly Speaker Heastie stood by her<\/a> saying, \u201cI don\u2019t believe that is where her heart is.\u201d Stewart-Cousins echoed Heastie\u2019s words of support earlier today.<\/p>\n Adams spoke at length to defend Hochul today during his weekly availability with reporters.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you make thousands of speeches, when you\u2019re in front of the cameras all the time, when you\u2019re trying to be authentic and say the things that you\u2019re really feeling, one could sit back and do a critical analysis of every sentence you say and say \u2018Oh you didn\u2019t say it this way or that way,\u2019\u201d the mayor continued.<\/p>\n \u201cSo those who want to word police in this business, you go right ahead. The people of the Bronx knew where her heart was. She\u2019s sincere about uplifting the people. We don\u2019t always get it right.\u201d \u2014 Jason Beeferman<\/p>\n TAKING A TEST DRIVE: State Sen. Andrew Gounardes stepped into the BMW for a test drive outside the state Capitol today. It was for a purpose: in support of legislation to install speed limiters on peoples\u2019 cars.<\/p>\n The bill<\/a> is designed to curb traffic fatalities, where excessive speed plays a factor in roughly one-third of deaths<\/a>.<\/p>\n It would require the speed limiters, also known as \u201cgovernors,\u201d to override the vehicle\u2019s acceleration, preventing it from going over the speed limit. It would only be installed for \u201crepeat offenders,\u201d defined as people who have gotten over 11 points on their license in an 18-month period, or have received six speed camera or red light camera tickets during a 12-month period.<\/p>\n The technology uses geolocation to get an accurate roadmap of speed limits. It is accurate enough to even distinguish between passing lanes and standard driving lanes.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing is in our laws today to crack down on the most reckless drivers on our streets. So we’re here to say that enough is enough. We don’t have to search for a brand new idea under the sun in order to solve this crisis,\u201d Gounardes, a Manhattan Democrat and sponsor of the bill, said.<\/p>\n After the test drive, Gounardes said that the car would not accelerate past the speed limit, despite his best efforts.<\/p>\n \u201cThe drive was really smooth, but the tech works\u2014even when I floored it, I couldn’t accelerate beyond what the device permitted. It’s easy to use, there’s no jerking of the wheel or distracting beeps. You just drive,” he said.<\/p>\n Dash cam footage was recorded of his drive<\/a>. \u2014 Shawn Ness<\/p>\n FOREIGN DEBT: The former president of Costa Rica made an appearance outside of the Assembly chambers in the Capitol today to advocate for the Sovereign Debt Stability Act.<\/p>\n The bill<\/a> gives countries that are in debt options to restructure their debts to help limit forced migration of people from the struggling countries.<\/p>\n \u201cMore than half of the world\u2019s private debt is located [in New York],\u201d former president of Costa Rica, Carlos Alvarado Quesada, said. \u201cCreating a procedure for readjusting debt is critical for developing countries.\u201d<\/p>\n Seventy-six percent<\/a> of asylum-seekers in New York hail from countries that have debt crises.<\/p>\n \u201cI am convinced that this is something or state can do, and must do,\u201d state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, the bill\u2019s sponsor said. \u201cThese institutions are here, they are based here, and they do what they do because we allow them to.\u201d \u2014 Shawn Ness<\/p>\n FANTASY ISLAND: Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Chair Joe Addabbo wants to expand gambling options. And he brought some New York sports history firepower to the argument.<\/p>\n Addabbo today in Albany was flanked by former Yankee first baseman Tino Martinez and ex-Giant wide receiver David Tyree to push for a measure<\/a> that would expand daily fantasy sports wagering.<\/p>\n In essence, the bill would allow for bets on the individual outcome of an athlete\u2019s performance (placing a wager, for instance, on whether Bills quarterback Josh Allen throws for more than 200 yards in a game).<\/p>\n \u201cMy mom is 82 years old, and she plays fantasy football and it keeps her involved with the grandkids,\u201d Martinez said. \u201cIt\u2019s a great way for the family to come together.\u201d<\/p>\n If approved, the measure would be added to the suite of offerings for sports gamblers, which currently include sportsbooks in casinos as well as mobile sports betting. New York already has the highest grossing online sports betting operation in the nation.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a parallel track,\u201d Addabbo said of his fantasy sports bill. \u201cFantasy sports is certainly separate from mobile sports betting. It enhances it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Queens Democrat also wants the age of participation to be 21 and insisted the measure includes \u201csafeguards\u201d meant to prevent addiction as well as corrupt outcomes in games.<\/p>\n He expects the measure would generate $150 million in tax revenue for the state.<\/p>\n Having Tyree and Martinez in Albany, meanwhile, helped heighten interest in the measure. Athletes have often been enlisted to help promote legislation (and allow lawmakers, lobbyists and yes, even reporters, to geek out a bit<\/a>).<\/p>\n Tyree said it was \u201ca weird question\u201d and \u201cno comment\u201d when asked if he was being compensated for the appearance. Martinez said he was not paid an appearance fee. \u2014 Nick Reisman<\/p>\n ERA OPPONENTS WIN: Republicans have won the first round in a legal fight<\/a> over whether New York\u2019s Equal Rights Amendment should appear on the ballot this November.<\/p>\n A judge hearing a challenge brought in Livingston County concluded today that the Democratic-dominated Legislature didn\u2019t take the proper steps before bringing the amendment for a vote, since they didn\u2019t give the attorney general the constitutionally-mandated 20 days to review the language.<\/p>\n \u201cIn their rush to pass this amendment, the legislature never held a single hearing on the proposal, never consulted with outside constitutional experts, and falsely asserted this amendment was necessary to protect abortion rights in the state,\u201d state GOP Chair Ed Cox said in response to the ruling.<\/p>\n Democrats, who are planning to use the amendment\u2019s language on abortion to motivate their base this November, promise an appeal.<\/p>\n \u201cAccording to the reading of all of our very competent counsel, the lack of the AG\u2019s opinion does not negate the validity of our amendment,\u201d Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. \u201cWe will certainly appeal that so that people will have the right to vote this November in terms of codifying our reproductive choices.\u201d<\/p>\n For her part, Hochul vowed that the ERA will make the November ballot.<\/p>\n \u201cOur decades-long fight to protect equality and reproductive freedom will not be thrown off track by one extremist judge, and I look forward to casting my ballot for the Equal Rights Amendment in November,\u201d she said in a statement. \u2014 Bill Mahoney<\/p>\n WEED RAIDS: The city did coordinated raids on illegal weed shops across all five boroughs today, ramping up enforcement weeks after getting greater enforcement powers<\/a> in the state budget.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to close them down. And if you\u2019re out there, we have a lock with your name on it,\u201d Adams said in his weekly press conference.<\/p>\n With cinematic flair, City Sheriff Anthony Miranda appeared live on camera during the briefing from inside a shop down the street from City Hall that he accused of selling illegal mushrooms, cannabis and cigarettes.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have violated every statute that we have, in terms of the new laws and protections that we have,\u201d Miranda said. \u201cAnd we\u2019ll be sealing these locations after the inspections.\u201d<\/p>\n The city wasn\u2019t previously shutting down shops caught violating cannabis control laws. Now they can, deeming it \u201cOperation Padlock to Protect.\u201d But Adams warned that shop owners could still challenge the rulings and apply to reopen again. \u201cThere\u2019s still a procedure,\u201d he said. \u2014 Jeff Coltin<\/p>\n DATA BREACH AT CITY SCHOOLS: City Hall is continuing to work to address a data breach to the city\u2019s public school system.<\/p>\n \u201cThe safety and well-being of our students is always the priority,\u201d Camille Joseph Varlack, chief of staff to Mayor Eric Adams, told reporters at a press conference at City Hall today, adding the city has been engaging Illuminate, its former software vendor. \u201cWe have been working closely with Illuminate for a while now on this particular breach.\u201d<\/p>\n An additional 380,000 current and former students saw their personal data compromised in a digital attack that took place from late December to early January 2022, the New York Post reported Sunday<\/a>. The agency originally said 800,000 pupils were affected by the infiltration.<\/p>\n Varlack said no financial information or Social Security numbers were impacted. The Department of Education is also offering two years of free credit and identity monitoring services to any individual who received a letter from the agency.<\/p>\n Adams said his predecessor Bill de Blasio informed him that cybersecurity \u201cis a real issue.\u201d Matthew Fraser, the city\u2019s chief technology officer, opened an office that trains young people in cybersecurity, he added.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re encouraging young people to go into the field,\u201d the mayor said. \u201cOther cities have been hacked, held hostage, sent ransom notes. It\u2019s a global problem, and we are being inundated every day by outside influence, other countries trying to hack our systems.\u201d \u2014 Madina Tour\u00e9<\/p>\n SENATE MOVES EARTH DAY BILLS: A belated celebration of Earth Day in the Senate means the passage of several environmental measures, with uncertain prospects for passage as the session careens toward a close.<\/p>\n \u201cOur words are only as good as our actions, which is why it’s imperative that we modernize our energy systems, protect our clean drinking water and address climate change,\u201d said Stewart-Cousins at a press conference today.<\/p>\n Among the bills slated for passage today is the Climate Change Superfund<\/a> measure, which would charge fossil fuel companies for historical emissions that have contributed to climate change. The measure would raise $3 billion annually for investments to adapt to climate impacts in New York, but it doesn\u2019t have support from Assembly leaders or Hochul.<\/p>\n \u201cTaxpayers shell out hundreds of millions of dollars a year on just trying to mediate and repair damage caused by climate change,\u201d said state Sen. Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat who sponsors the bill.<\/p>\n \u201cWe continue to pass our bills and we continue conversations and I’m sure they’ll be moving on things too,\u201d said Stewart-Cousins when asked about what conversations she\u2019d had with Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie about the Climate Superfund bill and NY HEAT. \u201cSo we will get there.\u201d<\/p>\n Other bills the Senate plans to pass, versions of which passed last year and died in the Assembly, include state Sen. Pete Harckham\u2019s measure (S2994<\/a>) to phase out No. 4 fuel oil in buildings by 2028; his expansion of the food scrap donation program (S5331<\/a>); state Sen. Nathalia Fernandez\u2019s measure (S3328<\/a>) to require more fenceline monitoring of air emissions at industrial sites; state Sen. Brad Holyman-Sigal\u2019s measure (S1535<\/a>) to require EV chargers at some state parking lots and garages and his proposal to ban PFAS in anti-fogging sprays and wipes (S992<\/a>); state Sen. Leroy Comrie\u2019s wildlife crossing bill (S4198<\/a>); and state Sen. Jose Serrano\u2019s bill to prohibit gas drilling on state lands (S724<\/a>).<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the Assembly Democrats did not provide a list of environmental bills planned for a vote in the chamber this week. \u2014 Marie J. French<\/p>\n PUSH FOR GUN REFORM: A group of moms, students, advocates and lawmakers rallied at a church blocks away from the state capitol today to support a package of legislation on gun reform.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n One bill introduced<\/a> by state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and Assemblymember Michaelle Solages would prohibit the sale of any semi-automatic handguns that can easily be converted into fully automatic machine guns through the use of a Glock switch.<\/p>\n Current Glock owners would no longer be allowed to use the mechanism. The bill would also bar the sale, possession and manufacturing of Glock switches, and it would make clear that a pistol with the mechanism is considered to be a machine gun.<\/p>\n Another bill sponsored by Senate and Assembly Education Committee chairs Shelley Mayer and Michael Benedetto would mandate the state Education Department to create informational materials to educate parents on safe storage laws.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we have many parents who really are new to this country, new to our communities, even people that have been here a long time, they don\u2019t know what we pass,\u201d Mayer said. \u201cWe have to do more than expect that people will know. Given the history of gun violence we have to actually get out there and make sure that they know.\u201d<\/p>\n New York United Teachers President Melinda Person said many parents are often unaware of gun storage laws for households with children under age 18.<\/p>\n \u201cIf this notification is something that gets into the backpack mail and saves one life, it’s worth it,\u201d Person said to POLITICO. \u2014 Katelyn Cordero<\/p>\n ACTORS PUSH FOR A.I. REGULATIONS: A star studded press conference took place on the Million Dollar Staircase in the Capitol, where lawmakers were joined by Rosario Dawson, John Carroll Lynch and Samantha Mathis in a push to pass legislation that will regulate the use of artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry.<\/p>\n The group is looking to pass three bills, the first requires employers to provide<\/a> legal representation when a contract involves the rights of digital replication of a person\u2019s voice or likeness in place of physical work.<\/p>\n This bill is on the move, as it passed the Senate Judiciary Committee today, and bill sponsor state Sen. Jessica Ramos said she is hopeful it will pass both houses by the end of session next month.<\/p>\n \u201cAI is here to stay, and I\u2019d like to say our responsibility is to ensure that labor law is keeping pace with the changes in this and all other industries where workers are trying to earn a dignified wage,\u201d Ramos said to reporters.<\/p>\n \u201cThese motion picture companies are pretty much allowing these performers to lend their voice and their likeness to feed into AI, that should not happen without informed consent of the performer.\u201d<\/p>\n A second bill would prohibit<\/a> the state\u2019s film tax credit for use on productions that plan to use artificial intelligence in the place of employees.<\/p>\n And the final bill would require<\/a> all advertisers to disclose when they are using artificial intelligence in their content. Violators would have to pay a $1,000 penalty for their first violation. After the first violation they would pay $5,000 for each penalty. \u2014 Katelyn Cordero<\/p>\n \u2014 A prominent transit union leader plans to sue Columbia University over alleged mistreatment of school staffers during a building seizure last week. (POLITICO<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u2014 After a tenant in Manhattan was treated for arsenic poisoning, she and her neighbors are demanding tests of their tap water. (POLITICO<\/a>)<\/p>\n \u2014 Adams says New York City is \u2018ready\u2019 if former President Donald Trump is jailed. (POLITICO<\/a>)<\/p>\n
\n Mayor Eric Adams came to Gov. Kathy Hochul\u2019s defense of her gaffe.
\n New York sports legends visited the state Capitol today. Here\u2019s why.
\n The state Senate is passing a long list of environmental bills. <\/p>\n