Blakeman echoes conspiracy theory that motivated Buffalo mass shooter
And Democrats push for short-term utility bill relief in response to Hochul's Climate Act efforts.
Good afternoon — It’s Thursday and Cheese Doodle Day.
In today’s CapCon:
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman echoed the same conspiracy theory this week that was cited by the shooter who killed 10 people in Buffalo in 2022.
Lawmakers are upping their resistance to Hochul’s efforts to amend the mandates under the state’s Climate Act, employing a new strategy.
New York is proposing new regulations around how frozen sperm donations, eggs and embryos are handled to prevent the spread of disease.
Names in today’s CapCon: Bruce Blakeman, Kathy Hochul, Donald J. Trump, Joseph P. Addabbo, Siela Bynoe, Jeremy Cooney, Pat Fahy, Monica Martinez, Christopher Ryan, Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, James Skoufis, Sam Sutton, Jeremy Zellner, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Michael Gianaris, Didi Barrett, Bill Ferris, Jeffrey Dinowitz, Joseph R. Biden, Cassie Miller, Adrienne Adams, April N.M. Baskin
News on the state budget, including proposals, negotiations and results.
🖋️ Lawmakers push Hochul to focus on short-term utility costs instead of Climate Act overhaul
More than two-thirds of Democrats in the state Senate Thursday doubled down on their opposition to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s efforts to rework the state’s Climate Act mandates.
Hochul still hasn’t sent lawmakers a formal proposal on how she wants to amend the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Lawmakers are trying to get out ahead of that by pressuring her to reverse course.
A group of 29 Democrats in the state Senate sent a letter to Hochul Thursday urging her to abandon those efforts.
They framed their stance as a contrast to the administration of President Donald J. Trump’s recent decision to rescind the federal government’s position that climate change endangers health and the environment.
“That is why we, the undersigned senators, categorically oppose any effort to rollback New York’s nation-leading climate law … and urge you to stand strong in the face of misinformation that seeks to blame the (law) for the energy affordability crisis that fossil fuels have created,” the letter said.
Hochul is seeking to amend the law as a way to prevent what her administration said in a memo last week would be up to $4,000 a year in additional costs for ratepayers if the state proceeds with its cap-and-invest program, where major polluters have to pay for their carbon emissions.
The details of that program haven’t been finalized by the state. That makes the memo unreliable, the senators wrote.
“The memo is based on a specific Cap & Invest program design that has not been shared with the public and clearly does not include any price guardrails, with a completely unrealistic carbon price,” they wrote.
Hochul has argued that the projections included in the memo are evidence that the state should reconsider its approach on energy to prevent utility bills from continuing to rise.
The state’s cost of living has been a top issue for Hochul as she seeks reelection this year. A Marist poll released last week said that about a third of New York residents plan to leave the state. Of those, 40% said it’s because of the cost of living.
The senators who penned the letter argued that the state could continue its pursuit toward renewable energy while providing relief for ratepayers.
They want Hochul to pivot away from amending the law and focus on short-term solutions to lower utility bills. There is no evidence to suggest that utility companies would immediately lower costs if the law is amended in the coming weeks.
“We stand ready to work with you and your administration to implement comprehensive climate policies that truly meet the needs of this moment – but we cannot support abandoning our commitment to climate progress” they wrote.
I thought you might be interested in the Democrats who did not sign on to the letter to Hochul. Those were Sens. Joseph P. Addabbo, Siela Bynoe, Jeremy Cooney, Pat Fahy, Monica Martinez, Christopher Ryan, Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, James Skoufis, Sam Sutton, and Jeremy Zellner.
State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris also weren’t on the letter but that’s not unexpected given their leadership positions.
You can read the full letter here.
🗣️ Democrats in the state Assembly are making a similar push with Hochul
A handful of Democrats in the Assembly — including Assembly Energy Chair Didi Barrett — stood with AARP New York at the state Capitol Thursday to also push for immediate utility bill relief.
The hook was a new survey from AARP New York that found New Yorkers above the age of 50 have been forced to make financial changes because of their rising utility bills.
About half — 49% — said they’ve cut back on basic expenses, like groceries and transportation, to cope with the cost. About a quarter — 22% — said they borrowed money or took on debt as a result of their utility bills.
And if that’s not enough to convince lawmakers to address the issue, 65% said they would be more likely to support a candidate in November who committed to lowering utility rates.
“The moment that we’re in right now is that people can’t afford their bills and really, in our opinion, taking alarming actions in which to afford their utility bill,” said Bill Ferris, legislative representative for AARP New York.
Democrats in the state Assembly sent a letter to Hochul a few weeks ago with recommendations on what could be done immediately to help people afford their utility bills. Those include:
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