Hochul on Columbia arrests, should N.Y. move more elections to even years?

Plus: Kennedy's off to Congress, and On The Bill looks at free tuition at SUNY

Good afternoon — it’s Wednesday, and May Day.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2024

TODAY’S CAPCON:

• Hochul comments on Tuesday night’s arrests at Columbia and City College

• Should N.Y. move more elections to even years? New legislation is in

• The veteran who lied about migrants displacing homeless veterans faces charges

• Walter Mosley nominated for Secretary of State

• Kennedy wins in special NY-26 election. What’s the impact?

• On The Bill looks at an expansion of free tuition at SUNY schools

🔨 Is Tomorrow a Session Day? No.

☁️ Tonight’s Weather: Albany: Partly cloudy, low 50s. New York City: Mostly cloudy, high 50s. (National Weather Service)

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🗣️ Hochul defends NYPD arrests at Columbia and City College of New York

🚔 The NYPD arrested protesters at the two colleges Tuesday night as rallies continued to escalate.

New York City Mayor Eric ADAMS said Wednesday that the NYPD arrested nearly 300 protesters between the two college campuses Tuesday night.

• He’s said those protests had become violent and crossed a line between peaceful and violent demonstrations.

He blamed the escalation of those protests on “outside agitators” who he and the NYPD have said influenced student protesters, but didn’t immediately identify them.

• The NYPD limited press access to the encampments and released their own video and materials for reporters to use.

• “The press had gotten in the way of our operation,” said Kaz Daughtry, deputy commission of operations at the NYPD.

Gov. Kathy HOCHUL defended how the NYPD disbanded the protests and carried out arrests, saying officers behaved “in an extremely professional way.”

• And like Adams, she said those actions were necessary after the demonstrations became increasingly hostile and, at times, violent.

“As I called for de-escalation of their activity, they decided to take a different approach,” she said. “They escalated the violence and vandalism yesterday, continuing to occupy a building at Columbia, barricading the doors, refusing entry of others who are lawfully entitled to go.”

That was a small part of Hochul’s prepared remarks during a press gaggle following an unrelated press conference Wednesday. 

She made a point of saying she respected the right to free speech and protest in the First Amendment, but said those rights have their limits.

“Universities have always been a place of robust debate. I know I was once a university student,” Hochul said. “But free expression has its limits.”

It’s a situation that’s shined a spotlight on a rift among Democrats in New York (and across the nation).

• Some progressive Democrats have defended the protests, and said they’ve been mischaracterized by elected officials and law enforcement.

• Others, like Hochul and Adams, have viewed the protests as antisemitic and unnecessarily violent.

Support for Israel has also inspired a handful of primary challenges against Democrats in the state Legislature, who are up for reelection this year.

• That’s been a factor in races for Congress as well, including the primary between Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Westchester County Executive George Latimer.

House Minority Leader Hakeem JEFFRIES, a Democrat from New York, had the same position as Hochul and Adams when asked about the protests Wednesday.

“The First Amendment is an important part of the fabric of America,” he said. “Peaceful protest is an important part of the fabric of America … but we shouldn’t see any protest, ever, veer into threatening the safety and security of others and to antisemitism or racism, xenophobia, islamophobia.”

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📜 Should N.Y. move more elections to even years? Bills have been filed to do just that.