FULL COURT PRESS: New York Democrats scored yet another victory in the state’s highest court when judges upheld a measure that allows for early voting by mail. The ruling comes as the Court of Appeals — appointed by all Democratic governors — has become favorable ground for the party. The top court late last year ordered a new round of redistricting for House lines, a decision that ultimately threw the process back to the Democratic-led Legislature. Those rulings come after Senate Democrats in 2023 rejected Hochul’s initial nominee to become chief judge of the Court of Appeals, Hector LaSalle, amid opposition from progressive advocates and union leaders. Hochul’s second choice to lead the court, Chief Judge Rowan Wilson, sailed through the Senate. Democrats have insisted the drama over the LaSalle nomination was not rooted in political considerations like redistricting or more expansive voting options. Indeed, top Democrats said Tuesday they were correct on the merits of ensuring access to voting by mail. “The right to vote is the cornerstone of our nation, and government should make it easier for citizens to have their voices heard, not harder,” said Attorney General Tish James, who defended the law in court. “While some want to put up roadblocks and stifle New Yorkers’ ability to exercise their Constitutional right to vote, I will always stand up and protect this basic, yet essential, freedom.” Republicans, meanwhile, have seen the court, like so many levers of power in New York over the last three decades, slip from their grasp. “This ruling is another indication of what one-party rule means for New York State,” New York Republican Chair Ed Cox said. “The legislature and governor act contrary to law and our highest court turns a blind eye.” — Nick Reisman THE SKELOS-RFK CONNECTION: Days after he lost a ballot access case in New York, questions are being raised in Arizona over how Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign submitted nominating petitions. And a man with ties to both Kennedy and disgraced former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos is reportedly involved. The New York Times reported Tuesday that questions are being raised over how a super PAC backing Kennedy helped gather signatures on his behalf for the Arizona ballot. The Times reported a friend of Kennedy’s named Glenn Rink submitted the signatures. Aficionados of New York public corruption cases might remember Rink: He is the founder of AbTech Industries, a company that sells filters that remove pollutants from water. A decade ago, AbTech was drawn into the corruption case Skelos, then the most powerful Republican in the state Legislature. Federal prosecutors accused Skelos of pressuring Nassau County to give the little-known company a contract after the firm employed his son Adam Skelos as a consultant. Dean and Adam Skelos were both convicted on bribery and fraud charges. The conviction was later overturned and both men were subsequently found guilty again on eight felony charges in a retrial. Rink, who could not be reached for comment, was never accused of any wrongdoing. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — The owners of an upstate bitcoin mine are suing New York over the pending closure of a natural gas plant. (Gothamist) — Flavored vaping products are illegal in New York, but they aren’t impossible to get. (News 10) — Hochul says she stood with Biden until the very end out of respect for him to make his own decision in the race. (Buffalo News)
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