| | | | |  | | By Katelyn Cordero and Madina Touré | Presented by Philip Morris International | With help from Irie Sentner
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Education Commissioner Betty Rosa agreed the budget proposal would put districts in a difficult financial situation. | Will Waldron/The Albany Times Union via AP | The education budget hearing this morning started with a recurring, bipartisan theme: The state needs to restore foundation aid. During Education Commissioner Betty Rosa’s three-hour testimony, lawmakers expressed their dismay over Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to cut foundation aid — which largely goes to high-need schools. Nearly 340 districts would face cuts. Rosa agreed the proposal would put districts — who are already facing fiscal woes due to the expiration of federal stimulus funds — in a difficult financial situation. She noted that while there are districts with reserve funds, that money was supposed to prevent a financial cliff, not make up for cuts to state aid. And she said SED was hoping to do a review of the foundation aid formula — not the changes in Hochul’s budget proposal. “We know that one of the issues for us is being funded to do the (new) foundation aid formula,” Rosa told reporters. “So our position has been that we really truly need to do this work and need to do it in a way, with support from experts. And that $1 million to do (the research) is critical.” There’s also signs Rosa isn’t shying away from enforcing a new state law mandating lower classes in New York City public schools: She revealed the department withheld funding from the Department of Education due to issues with the first draft of the city’s class size plan. Rosa said officials eventually released the money to the city on Dec. 18. “We had several questions, sent it to them and by the time I received the plan itself, I did have some serious concerns that I felt that several of the questions needed to be further explored and needed additional explanation and clarification,” she said. Banks hit back at Rosa. The city submitted the report “in a timely fashion,” he said, insisting it was merely a two-week holdup after a “standard” process. (City education officials said it was $50 million). During his budget testimony, Banks faced tough questioning from state Sen. John Liu, who heads the Senate’s New York City Education Committee. Liu raised concerns over what he called insufficient planning for how to fund certain education programs when federal stimulus money expires. He also urged the city to comply with the class size law. Now that the state has sent money owed to the city via foundation aid, the city must adhere to the state law on city class sizes, Liu charged. “I implore you…tell us that you are going to be in compliance and you’re gonna start taking actions now. You can’t wait until year three,” he said. Officials said the DOE has cut spending in some areas, including reducing headcount at its offices, but it’s not enough to cover the loss of funds once federal dollars dry up. Banks also warned of a price tag between $1.4 billion to $1.9 billion to hire 10,000 to 12,000 educators. “That’s on top of the funding that we already have,” he said.
| | | | A message from Philip Morris International: At PMI, we are working to replace cigarettes with smoke-free alternatives. These products, such as ZYN nicotine pouches, are a better choice than continuing to smoke. We believe that by working together, we can look forward to a future without cigarettes—one in which we continue to guard against underage access AND provide accurate information about products that help adults 21+ move away from cigarettes for good. Watch the video and learn more. | | | |  | From the Capitol | | |  The “1964: New Yorkers Who Shaped History” exhibit will be located on the second floor of the Capitol in the War Room. | Shawn Ness / POLITICO | BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Hochul announced today the creation of a new exhibit in the Capitol to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the New Yorkers who fought for it. “New York State has played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement and this exhibit will showcase the influential men and women who advocated for justice leading up to the passage of the Civil Rights Act,” Hochul said in a statement. The “1964: New Yorkers Who Shaped History” exhibit will be located on the second floor of the Capitol in the War Room. There are four New Yorkers featured in the exhibit: Dorothy Height, Bayard Rustin, Philip Randolph and Ella Baker. Height is credited with founding the YWCA’s Center for Racial Justice in New York City. Rustin was one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s closest advisers and a key planner of the March on Washington. Randolph founded the nation’s first Black labor unions in 1925, and Baker founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. The exhibit will be open until the end of February. — Shawn Ness PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION UPGRADES: Hochul also attended the opening of a new Gangway train, as well as the addition of security cameras to 1,000 subway cars in New York City. The new R211T gangway subway cars will run on the C line, which runs between Washington Heights and East New York. A gangway subway car is a special type of train car with a connector between cabins to allow for safe passage between cars. “The subway is the lifeblood of New York City, and we’re making record investment so it’s safe, efficient and successful,” Hochul said during her inaugural train ride in Washington Heights. She said the inclusion of security cameras will make the entire subway system safer for decades to come. The initiative marks the first time an open gangway subway car has operated anywhere in the nation since the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corp. ran a three-car gangway system that ceased operation in 1965. — Shawn Ness
| | | | A message from Philip Morris International:   | | | | | FROM CITY HALL | | |  Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine was joined by state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal; City Councilmembers Erik Bottcher and Keith Powers; and Assemblymembers Tony Simone and Alex Bores. | Jeff Coltin/POLITICO | YES TO ‘YES’: Manhattan elected officials rallied in support of a plan pushed by Mayor Eric Adams to let residential developers build 20 percent more housing that zoning would currently allow, as long as they’re all income-restricted affordable units. Called the “Universal Affordability Preference” or UAP, it’s part of Adams’ “City of Yes for Housing Opportunity” proposal. “This would not be dramatic in any neighborhood,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, “but what it would add up to is potentially tens of thousands of additional units of affordable housing that we would not otherwise have.” He was joined by state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal; City Councilmembers Erik Bottcher, Keith Powers and Gale Brewer; and Assemblymembers Tony Simone and Alex Bores. Diane Savino, who works in intergovernmental affairs for Adams, stood by the rally and remarked she was happy for the support — leaving it unsaid that the electeds gathered often disagreed with Adams on policy specifics. The UAP is likely to be one of the more controversial pieces of the Zoning Text Amendment, which is scheduled to enter the formal public review stage this spring. — Jeff Coltin
| | On The Beats | | | | 
French ad agency Publicis was accused of developing predatory and deceptive marketing strategies to increase the sales of opioids, state Attorney General Tish James announced. | AP Photo/Seth Wenig | ANOTHER OPIOID SETTLEMENT: New York will receive over $19 million for opioid abatement, treatment and prevention under a $350 million multi-state settlement agreement with Purdue Pharma’s former advertising company, Publicis, state Attorney General Tish James announced. Publicis, which is part of the French media conglomerate Publicis Groupe, S.A., was accused of developing predatory and deceptive marketing strategies for Purdue to increase the sales of opioids, such as OxyContin. “No amount of money can compensate for lives lost and addiction suffered, but with this agreement, Publicis will cease their illegal behavior and pay $350 million to help our communities rebuild,” James said in a statement. Publicis is required to pay the settlement amount within 60 days. — Maya Kaufman RAISING AWARENESS ON LITHIUM BATTERIES: Hochul said the state is embarking on a “Buy Safe, Charge Safe” campaign to raise the awareness of fires caused by faulty lithium-ion batteries. The campaign comes after her proposal in her State of the State address last month to ban the sale of unsafe lithium-ion batteries used in electric bikes, scooters, smartphones and laptops. “As our technology develops, sometimes at a blistering pace, it can make our lives easier and more enjoyable. It can also bring risks we’re not accustomed to, and our first line of defense is awareness,” Hochul said in a statement. The campaign consists of different agencies like the Department of State, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. The campaign, which started today, will utilize targeted ads on social media sites and focused on what consumers should look for when buying devices with lithium-ion batteries, as well as how to use and dispose of them safely. — Shawn Ness PUBLIC FINANCING HITS A MARK: The Public Campaign Finance Board said that New York’s new campaign finance system has crossed a milestone: 200 candidates have declared their interest in participating. Candidates who opt in will be able to receive matching funds from the state if they hit certain small donor milestones. Anybody who’s running for one of the 213 legislative seats this November will need to declare their interest by Feb. 26. While Republicans have been critical of the cost of the system, many have registered now that it’s something their opponents will be able to take advantage of – including, in the past few weeks, Sen. Rob Rolison and Assemblymembers Chris Tague, Stephen Hawley and Alec Brook-Krasny. Nearly every candidate who has opted in so far has done so for the 2024 elections. But Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, a longtime supporter of the small donor system, filed his 2026 campaign with the system over a year ago. — Bill Mahoney
| | | | A message from Philip Morris International: At PMI, we are working to replace cigarettes with smoke-free alternatives. These products, such as ZYN nicotine pouches, are a better choice than continuing to smoke. These products are highly regulated, and government data has shown that usage levels are actually extremely low among youth.
We believe that by working together, we can look forward to a future without cigarettes—one in which we continue to guard against underage access AND provide accurate information about products that help adults 21+ move away from cigarettes for good.
Watch the video about ZYN nicotine pouches from Dr. Moira Gilchrist, Chief Communications Officer at Philip Morris International. | | | | | | | 
Rep. Tom Suozzi voiced his support for stronger gun control measures at a rally in Glen Cove today. | Jason Beeferman / POLITICO | TOM ‘CENTER LANE’ SUOZZI: Former Rep. Tom Suozzi touted his record on public safety and boasted his "F" rating from the NRA at a rally with the Moms Demand Action gun-control group in his hometown of Glen Cove earlier today. The event was an opportunity for Suozzi’s campaign to double down on his support for both police officers and stronger gun laws as he continues to assert himself as a moderate and centrist in the race — even while his opponent Mazi Pilip says he’s a far-left friend of “The Squad” on Capitol Hill. “I've proven, as Newsday said, (that) Suozzi sticks to the center lane,” Suozzi said, referencing an article from the Long Island newspaper. “Anything that she says trying to portray me as a far lefty is laughable.” The ex-congressman and former Nassau County executive used the rally to call for the reinstatement of a federal ban on AR-15s and other semi-automatic weapons. He also claimed Pilip has the “exact same position” on gun laws as former Rep. George Santos, who infamously sported an AR-15 lapel pin in Congress and backed a bill that would have made the rifle the “national gun of the United States.” “Another Suozzi lie with no basis in fact. It’s clear Sanctuary Suozzi is desperate and becoming increasingly irrational,” Pilip’s spokesperson, Brian Devine, told Playbook. Devine said Pilip has never interviewed with the NRA and has no rating with the organization. He would not answer if Pilip supports any federal restrictions on semi-automatic weapons.— Jason Beeferman
| | AROUND NEW YORK | | — Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck are gearing up to fight for groundhog oracle supremacy ahead of Groundhog Day tomorrow. (Fox 5) — Manhattan Councilman Shaun Abreu was told not to attend Adams’ press conference announcing a trash containerization program in his district. (Daily News) — At least 20 Long Islanders are accused of stealing more than $47.9 million in Covid-19 loans and grants. (Newsday) | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
