A Long View From Albany
December was an extraordinarily busy month in government and politics. The Electoral College took place on Tuesday, December 17. Governor Kathy Hochul spoke at the gathering of top elected leaders from across the state, 28 in all, which included a smattering of average, everyday New Yorkers.
Hochul also expressed, as only she can, her disgust with the Electoral College, calling for it to be abolished as she presided over the 60th general proceedings of the state’s delegation to the Electoral College in Albany.
“We are aware that this institution dates back to the founding of our nation almost 250 years ago. There’s a sense of history, tradition, pride, but for some like me, there’s also a questioning,” she said from the rostrum in the State Senate Chamber. “I strongly believe that the people of New York State and the United States of America should and must have their votes count equally, and that the popular vote should prevail. It’s time to amend the Constitution and relegate the institution of the Electoral College to the history books.
“Now, historians tell us that the Electoral College was a result of a compromise devised by our founders in search of a consensus, when a unified United States of America simply didn’t exist…But there are shortcomings that still impact us today. Unfairly, less populated states have outsized influence, and in effect, the votes of their residents count more than the residents of a state like New York. Consider that a single elector in Wyoming – no offense to Wyoming – represents 200,000 residents. And in New York, an elector like you represents 700,000.
“[T]his convoluted process also leads candidates for president to spend an inordinate amount of time in a few swing states, rather than appealing to the voters of our entire country. In the worst-case scenario, it means that a person can become president of the United States even if he or she did not win the popular vote. In short, the Electoral College does not contribute to the overriding objectives set forth in our great Constitution,” Hochul concluded.
On another front, it didn’t take long after Election Day for advocates to begin having news conferences staking out their positions on critical issues for the next legislative session. The Empire State Campaign for Childcare, with support from the so-called Mom Squad, a group of female lawmakers who are mothers or recently had babies, advocated for legislation aimed to ensure that all families – regardless of income, work hours, or job type – have access to affordable childcare, and to address outdated rules so as to provide relief for struggling parents and childcare providers across New York.
Also beginning in December were legislative hearings aimed at deciding what budget priorities should be included in the next spending plan. The chairmen of the legislative committees on veterans’ affairs, local government, energy, judiciary, children and families, and corrections all had their chance to provide testimony either in person or by mailing in their remarks.
Beginning on Sunday, January 5, 2025, congestion pricing tolling will begin in Manhattan. The toll will be $9 below 60th Street from the East Side to the West Side, excluding the FDR Drive and the West Side Highway. Written into the fine print of the bill was an additional charge for days of high congestion alerts, such as when the United Nations meets or when the president comes to Manhattan. The toll will be $11.25 on those days.
Also written into the fine print are tolls for the 59th Street Bridge going from Manhattan to Queens, making a toll-free bridge now a toll road. A simple fix of dedicating two lanes for bridge access with no toll gantry overhead could keep the bridge toll-free. On the Brooklyn Bridge, another toll-free bridge until now, motorists will be forced to travel 80 feet on a city street to get to the bridge which snags them on the toll gantry. In those two cases I would honestly say that this was a money grab. Be prepared to see an extra cost of living in Manhattan to help the budget-struggling MTA out of its financial woes.
Another note of interest is that Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie picked Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D – Mt. Vernon, Westchester County) as the next chairman of the powerful Assembly Ways and Means Committee, passing over the more qualified Assemblyman David Weprin (D – Hollis, Queens) for the post based on seniority. Weprin will likely remain chairman of the Assembly Insurance Committee. No other committee appointments have been revealed yet.
Finally, coming up on Tuesday, January 14 is Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State message to the Legislature and Judiciary. This event will be livestreamed from the Kitty Carlisle Hart Theatre in the Egg on the Empire State Plaza in Albany.
The swearing-in of state lawmakers has begun in their local districts, and the formal swearing-in takes place in Albany on Wednesday, January 8, the first day of the 62-day legislative session.
