READING THE ROOM: Democratic state lawmakers have little desire to take up proposals that would further pare back New York’s criminal justice laws after sweeping Republican victories across the country. Their posture is a disappointment to left-leaning advocates, who this year will push for changes meant to reduce criminal sentences. But Democrats in Albany are aware of the verdict rendered at the federal level on Election Day: Republicans will control all branches of government in Washington, while polls show voters continued to be frustrated by crime and inflation. “I don’t think there’s going to be a warm embrace for making changes to criminal justice in terms of loosening things up,” Assemblymember John McDonald, a Democrat from the Albany area, told Playbook. Democratic state Sen. James Skoufis, who’s running a longshot bid for Democratic National Committee chair, told Playbook lawmakers should be cognizant of voters’ general mood. “There are reforms to pursue that won’t impede public safety, and there are public safety measures that won’t contribute to injustice,” Skoufis wrote in a text. “That said, we have to be mindful next session of voters who, fair or unfair, continue to rank crime as a very significant concern.” Democrats, empowered by majorities in both state legislative chambers, have backed measures that overhauled juvenile justice laws, limited when cash bail is required in criminal cases and required criminal defendants to have faster access to evidence. Republicans have linked the changes to a spike in violent crime and have wielded concerns over crime in recent elections. GOP gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin blasted the bail law for much of the 2022 race against Gov. Kathy Hochul – and lost by a comparatively narrow margin in the Democratic-heavy state. But supporters of making further criminal justice changes weighted toward defendants or people already convicted are disappointed that some Democrats lack an appetite this year to take on the issue. At the Capitol on Monday, a small gathering of advocates from the Center for Community Alternatives urged both parties to take up sentencing changes that would reduce the time people are in prison. “When it comes to the politicians, they need to listen to us more,” said Jaime Bailey-Warren, an advocate with the group. — Nick Reisman ORTT’S BACK: Republican state Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt was reelected Monday to lead his conference. A Western New York lawmaker, Ortt has led the GOP conference since 2020. His victory on Monday means all four legislative leaders in Albany — Speaker Carl Heastie, Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay and state Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins — are set to return as the top lawmakers in 2025. It’s an era of stability for the state Legislature after years of upheaval in the top posts. — Nick Reisman BAGEL BATTLE: Incoming Democratic Assemblymember Micah Lasher is trying to fill a bagel-sized hole in his West Side district. Lasher, a former Hochul adviser who was elected this year to the Assembly, has decried the closure of bagel spot Absolute Bagels. Lasher has joined a neighborhood-wide push to get the business reopened with a new owner who’ll still sell the iconic bagel. “It is hard to overstate the connection that West Siders, including myself, feel to Absolute Bagels,” Lasher told Playbook. “It’s been a cornerstone of the neighborhood for 30 years and a purveyor of the city’s best bagels that we were fortunate to have in our midst.” The assemblymember-elect, along with state Sen. Cordell Cleare and Council Member Shaun Abreu wrote a letter to Absolute Bagel’s owner and the building’s landlord with a pitch: Keep a bagel business going at the location and officials will provide support for the ownership change. The offer includes providing “meaningful assistance” with the New York City Department of Health to resolve code violations while still ensuring compliance. Lasher’s effort has been an energetic one: He’s posted to X multiple times in the last several days about the closure of Absolute Bagels in order to preserve a neighborhood staple. “This is a story that in different ways plays out and is playing out in every neighborhood of the city,” he said. “A lot of people can relate to that, and we’re determined to do everything we can to find a happy ending to this story.” — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Most of the state government’s highest-paid workers are employed at hospitals or universities. (Newsday) — The cannabis industry wants Hochul to restructure rules for filing taxes. (Times Union) — Republican Mary Beth Walsh has been given a new leadership post in the Assembly. (Spectrum News)
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