May 30, 2022
City & State New York
5
“I’ve never seen so many rats in my life.” – New York City Council Member Erik Bottcher, who introduced a bill meant to curb the rat population, via the Daily News Responding to two recent mass shootings in Texas and New York by 18-year-old men, Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed raising the age to own an AR-15-style assault rifle to 21.
MORE GUN PROPOSALS ON THE AGENDA
Following a horrific mass shooting at a Texas elementary school that left 19 children and two teachers dead, Gov. Kathy Hochul said she would work with the state
Legislature to approve legislation to raise the age to purchase an AR-15. Currently, a buyer only needs to be 18 years old, but Hochul wants to raise it to 21. But she will likely face an uphill challenge considering that California’s semiautomatic weapons ban for people
under the age of 21 was recently struck down by a federal appeals court. New York did, however, gain a victory on its gun laws. A federal judge upheld a state law that makes it easier to sue gun manufacturers when violence is committed with their weapons.
ANOTHER LG IS ON THE JOB The job of lieutenant governor may not have much weight or responsibility, but it’s far from a political dead-end job, as Govs. Kathy Hochul and David Paterson would tell you. But as Antonio Delgado gave up his seat in Congress to be sworn in as New York’s next second-in-command last week, he likely had one thing on his mind. To use the position as a political springboard, Delgado first has to win the Democratic primary next month and the general election in November.
“I know Albany. The last week is when stuff gets done up there.” – New York City Mayor Eric Adams, expressing confidence that his state-level priorities will be passed before state lawmakers break for the year, via the Daily News
After commissions and lawsuits and so many draft maps, New York finally has new district lines for the state Senate and Congress. The lines came after a long process that saw the maps drawn by Democrats in the state Legislature thrown out by a judge – the congressional lines were tossed due to gerrymandering and the state Senate lines on procedural grounds. So the process went to a court-appointed special master to draw new maps, the final versions of which came out after he heard from New Yorkers about his original drafts. The new districts will shake up a number of races, including by pitting Reps. Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney against each other and creating a new open seat in lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. That 10th District race has already attracted some high-profile candidates, including Rep. Mondaire Jones from the Hudson Valley, former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou. In the state Senate, a number of incumbents found themselves drawn out of their districts, with several already announcing their plans to move to a nearby district without an incumbent to avoid primarying their colleagues.
DARREN MCGEE/OFFICE OF GOV. KATHY HOCHUL; DON POLLARD/OFFICE OF GOV. KATHY HOCHUL; EMIL COHEN/NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL; MICHAEL APPLETON/MAYORAL PHOTOGRAPHY OFFICE
REDISTRICTING (FINALLY) FINALIZED
