Would a more progressive Albany be a better Albany? Or will progressives become the new machine? That's a question that should be asked. I get the impression from progressives that they want power and to subjugate everybody to their power while pushing policies that take away individual ownership/agency. This is worse than what the old style machines ever were.
Actually Ross if you reduced the number of Assembly districts you would probably subsume progressives into larger districts and reduce the number of progressives. Don’t worry; it’s unlikely, extremely unlikely that Assembly members will vote to reduce districts and reduce the number of members.
Would reducing the number of journalist credentials improve journalism?
The NYS legislatures mirror Congress, the leaders dominate, Nancy Pelosi and Carl Heastie; It take years until you move up the seniority ladder, in the Congress and the Assembly.
Gottfried, the senior member of the Assembly and the chair of the Health committee didn’t get the New York Health Act to come up for a vote due to opposition by the public employee unions who were concerned that the bill would result in reducing their benefits.
The ball reform and other similar legislation was opposed by police unions and District Attorneys, and the opposition did’t reconate with the public.
Over the 2018 and 2020 election cycles the legislature membership has changed dramatically; some in primaries, others moving on to other jobs.
Yes, in the Senate (63 members) the new “progressives” were effective in passing legislation, and this year both houses are far less progressive. Crime will be the overriding issue in both the June 28th Democratic Primary and the November General election.
The month of March is a budget month, one House budgets melding with the Governor’s budget.
The “three men in a room,” of course now the two women and a man, dominate the process, followed by an Easter/Passover break and a June 2nd adjournment. The legislature will return after the primary w/ major, contentious issues on the agenda: how do you address bail reform and other crime related issues?
The Republicans will scream Crime! Crime! Crime!
The question is how far back Hochul and the legislative leaders are able to roll back the 2018/20 Crime Reform legislation?
"Heastie is not personally opposed [to the Good Cause bill]. But he is wary of bucking members who are."
An interesting observation because it suggests that the Speaker is not all-powerful despite the conventional wisdom. Three decades ago, as a social work intern, I attended a community meeting where the local Assembly member -- who had just been elected to what would be a 26-year tenure -- reported that in the Democratic Assembly caucus Sheldon Silver -- himself no more than two years into his Speakership -- regularly polled the members, thumbs up/thumps down, on bills to decide what the party line would be.
Would a more progressive Albany be a better Albany? Or will progressives become the new machine? That's a question that should be asked. I get the impression from progressives that they want power and to subjugate everybody to their power while pushing policies that take away individual ownership/agency. This is worse than what the old style machines ever were.
Actually Ross if you reduced the number of Assembly districts you would probably subsume progressives into larger districts and reduce the number of progressives. Don’t worry; it’s unlikely, extremely unlikely that Assembly members will vote to reduce districts and reduce the number of members.
Would reducing the number of journalist credentials improve journalism?
The NYS legislatures mirror Congress, the leaders dominate, Nancy Pelosi and Carl Heastie; It take years until you move up the seniority ladder, in the Congress and the Assembly.
Gottfried, the senior member of the Assembly and the chair of the Health committee didn’t get the New York Health Act to come up for a vote due to opposition by the public employee unions who were concerned that the bill would result in reducing their benefits.
The ball reform and other similar legislation was opposed by police unions and District Attorneys, and the opposition did’t reconate with the public.
Over the 2018 and 2020 election cycles the legislature membership has changed dramatically; some in primaries, others moving on to other jobs.
Yes, in the Senate (63 members) the new “progressives” were effective in passing legislation, and this year both houses are far less progressive. Crime will be the overriding issue in both the June 28th Democratic Primary and the November General election.
The month of March is a budget month, one House budgets melding with the Governor’s budget.
The “three men in a room,” of course now the two women and a man, dominate the process, followed by an Easter/Passover break and a June 2nd adjournment. The legislature will return after the primary w/ major, contentious issues on the agenda: how do you address bail reform and other crime related issues?
The Republicans will scream Crime! Crime! Crime!
The question is how far back Hochul and the legislative leaders are able to roll back the 2018/20 Crime Reform legislation?
The 2018/20 Blue Wave is turning Red.
"Heastie is not personally opposed [to the Good Cause bill]. But he is wary of bucking members who are."
An interesting observation because it suggests that the Speaker is not all-powerful despite the conventional wisdom. Three decades ago, as a social work intern, I attended a community meeting where the local Assembly member -- who had just been elected to what would be a 26-year tenure -- reported that in the Democratic Assembly caucus Sheldon Silver -- himself no more than two years into his Speakership -- regularly polled the members, thumbs up/thumps down, on bills to decide what the party line would be.
Also possible the dynamic is just different than it was in Silver's day for various reasons