Gov. Kathy Hochul is aiming to recruit more troopers to address concerns about crime. | Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images
Gov. Kathy Hochul is funding the police — and her $252 billion budget includes a push to recruit more cops as she tries to address Republican attacks over crime.
She wants to raise the mandatory retirement age for members of the State Police from 60 to 63 to solve a consistent worry over trooper retention.
“It’s keeping people with the skill set on longer as we on-board more troopers,” Budget Director Blake Washington told Playbook. “They’re a real asset to keep around a little longer. A couple extra years goes a long way.”
The governor has spent the last several years trying to boost the ranks of the State Police, an agency that has some 3,500 troopers. She’s pressed for more women to be part of the agency and widened eligibility requirements for recruits.
Raising the retirement age is part of that strategy.
New York State Trooper PBA officials acknowledge retention has become a problem, but they’re worried the retirement change won’t fully address the issue.
PBA President Charles Murphy said, “There are more effective approaches to accomplish this goal.”
“Our union will continue to advocate for policies that provide fairer treatment for well-qualified candidates with out-of-state law enforcement experience and military service, who deserve credit for their hard work toward their pensions,” he added.
Hochul’s public safety posturefollows polling that shows crime remains a preeminent concern for New York voters. The issue has dogged Democrats like Hochul in recent elections, and she’s worked to neutralize Republican attacks.
Hochul has maintained the crime concern is borne of New Yorkers’ perception and that a variety of fixes like more visible cops in public places will address those worries.
The governor’s budget plan introduced this week includes a combined $833 million for law enforcement programs meant to crack down on illegal guns, strengthen anti-hate crime efforts and build a new crime analysis headquarters.
She’s backed $8 million to expand the State Police’s presence on the Canadian border — a move meant to address heightened concerns over international smuggling.
And Hochul is wading into the politically thornier concerns that could once again scale back left-leaning criminal justice law changes GOP candidates have blamed for a rise in crime.
Hochul wants administrative changes to New York’s 2019 discovery law, which requires prosecutors to turn over evidence more quickly to criminal defense lawyers.
The changes — which includemaking it harder to dismiss cases based on discovery errors and expanding the scope of automatic redaction of sensitive information — have been embraced by the District Attorneys Association of New York.
The discovery debate represents a truce in the fight over the cashless bail law — a more controversial measure that is also better known to the general public.
Hochul has won some changes that narrow the bail law. But those changes have been decried by the left and knocked by Republicans for not going far enough.
“It certainly gives me a breath of fresh air that voters are waking up on some of these issues and are looking at things far more discerningly on public safety and seeing just how far the other side has gone in recent years,” Republican state Sen. Tom O’Mara told Playbook. “Election results speak a lot toward that.” — Nick Reisman
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WHERE’S KATHY? Appearing on Spectrum News' Capital Tonight.
WHERE’S ERIC? Participating in a media engagement with “Our Time Press.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY:“To the extent that Eric Adams decides to seek reelection, the voters in the Democratic primary in New York City will make a decision, perhaps decisively, as to whether he is the right person to lead the great city of New York moving forward.” — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, forebodingly, when asked by NY1 about Mayor Eric Adams’ warm relationship with President Donald Trump
ABOVE THE FOLD
Republicans are aiming to defeat Gov. Kathy Hochul in the upcoming election for New York governor. | Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images
LASER FOCUS ON HOCHUL: New York Republicans fêting Trump’s inauguration are also fixating on their chances of toppling Hochul next year.
Over breakfasts, over drinks and in between at New York GOP events earlier this week in Washington, the ambition to unseat the Democratic governor dominated conversations — even though the GOP has yet to coalesce around a nominee.
“What he’s doing for the nation is important for New York,” State GOP Chair Ed Cox told Playbook of Trump before quickly pivoting: “Politically, we have our own fight in New York in order to establish common sense policies. … 2026, you bet, the governor’s race.”
Republicans, including Lee Zeldin who in 2022 came closer than Democrats expected to defeating Hochul, believe that congestion pricing, outmigration and other factors make the governor politically vulnerable. And GOP leaders predict they’ll have the votes of fed-up Democrats.
But they’ll be competing in a congressional midterm year with a Republican president, and precedent dictates that the pendulum will swing toward Democrats.
Hochul has the advantage of incumbency in a conventionally blue state and the Democratic establishment behind her — as well as $10 million and counting for her campaign and state Democrats. She’ll also maintain the ground game of the coordinated campaign she helped launch for her party in 2024.
That doesn’t appear to concern members of the state’s GOP, though. At least, not yet. Earlier this week, two potential Republican challengers contented themselves with ripping into Hochul as they hyped up their own party.
“In 2026, we can end one-party Democratic rule in Albany by kicking Kathy Hochul’s ass out,” Rep. Mike Lawler said during a GOP breakfast speech, knocking her as “inept, feckless and incompetent.”
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman similarly urged the party to put in the work to expand its influence in conventionally blue New York, saying, “We can’t rest on our laurels, we’ve got to take our state back.”
Neither Lawler nor Blakeman have committed to a gubernatorial run, with Blakeman telling Playbook he wants to be the best county executive he can be and “two years is a long, long way away in politics.”
“New York’s Republican delegation should stop obsessing over Governor Hochul and start following her lead in delivering lower costs for their constituents,” Hochul campaign spokesperson Jen Goodman responded, condemning the GOP over the pardons of Jan. 6 rioters and saying Republicans are “standing silently by while Donald Trump released cop-beating criminals back into our communities.”
Lawler has said he continues to oppose the pardoning of those who stormed the U.S. Capitol, especially those charged with violent offenses, as Playbook has reported. — Emily Ngo
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CITY HALL: THE LATEST
Former Assemblymember Inez Dickens doesn’t have the votes to appointed as a Board of Elections commissioner. | William Alatriste for the New York City Council
NO ‘PERK’ FOR DICKENS: Former Assemblymember Inez Dickens’ would-be appointment as a Board of Elections commissioner seems dead on arrival.
She doesn’t have the votes she’d need from the Manhattan City Council delegation, two members told Playbook. And that was even before a third member got “a ton” of constituent calls after government reform group Common Cause sent an email denouncing Dickens’ designation.
BOE appointments “should not be political patronage positions, and we cannot treat the BOE like a retirement perk for older politicos,” Executive Director Susan Lerner wrote.
Former Assemblymember Danny O’Donnell was Manhattan Dem Leader Keith Wright’s first pick, but he pulled his name to be considered for the Parole Board instead, Playbook first reported.
County party director Kyle Ishmael praised Dickens’ knowledge and experience and said the party planned to proceed with the nomination process. — Jeff Coltin
FELLOW JERSEY RESIDENTS: Adams’ campaign finance charges were invoked in the race for New Jersey governor, our Garden State colleague Madison Fernandez reports.
Steven Fulop is accusing Democratic primary opponent Mikie Sherrill of improperly using her federal account for her statewide campaign.
“We have seen abuses of public financing systems in recent years across the country, most prominently with Mayor Eric Adams,” Fulop wrote in a complaint to state regulators. “It was only through strict auditing and oversight that his criminal conduct was discovered, and so we ask the same of Sherrill.” — Jeff Coltin
More from the city:
— City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams charged that Mayor Adams’ administration had “no plan” to oppose Trump’s far-right agenda. (amNewYork)
— A group challenging the city’s notoriously byzantine property tax system argues this year’s assessments blatantly disregard a 2024 court ruling. (Crain’s)
— Mayoral candidate Brad Lander slammed the city’s planned closure of five child care centers, his latest attempt to position himself as a leader of the universal child care movement. (POLITICO Pro)
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NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY
Cook Political Report says Gov. Kathy Hochul is likely to be reelected. | Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of the Governor
NOW WE’RE COOKING: Hochul’s prospects for reelection have a positive rating from the Cook Political Report — though not as good as some other deep blue state governors.
The website on Thursday rated the New York governor’s race as a “likely D” result, a designation that’s in line with the chances of battleground Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
By contrast, states like California (an open governor’s seat) and the reelections of Govs. JB Pritzker of Illinois and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont are considered “solid D.” — Nick Reisman
POLLING AND PRICING: A bill that would cap prices on routine health care services is being bolstered by labor support — and new polling.
A survey of 1,000 registered New York voters conducted by Tulchin Research and shared with Playbook found broad support for the measure, which is meant to end vast price differences between hospital-owned facilities and physicians.
The poll found that 89 percent of voters backed the idea, which drew high levels of support from Democrats, Republicans and independent voters.
Politically influential labor union 32BJ SEIU has been pressing lawmakers to back the measure over the objections of hospital networks.
“This poll shows that New Yorkers are saying no to the status quo when it comes to unfair hospital pricing. Across all political parties and every region of the state there are overwhelming super-majorities of support for the Fair Pricing Act,” 32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich said. “We hope this data serves as a wake up call for action because healthcare shouldn’t cost more just because a hospital took over the doctor’s office it’s served in.”
The Greater New York Hospital Association knocked the survey as “divorced from reality” and raised potential negative consequences of the bill.
“Everyone likes a cheaper price, but would New Yorkers say yes to that cheaper price if it forced their hospital to reduce services or even close their doors? I don’t think so,” said Ken Raske, the group’s president. “Let’s get real — hospitals and doctor’s offices are not the same. Only hospitals deliver care 24/7 and accept any patient who walks through their doors. This bill will leave New Yorkers with fewer health care options.” — Nick Reisman
$5 BILLION CASINO: Resorts World NYC unveiled a 3D model of their massive proposal for a Queens casino Thursday.
The new look comes as about a dozen companies are vying for the three lucrative downstate licenses that are set to be awarded by the state by 2026.
The company is widely seen as a favorite to win one of the licenses. They already operate a floor with slot machines and electronic table games and would have an easier time ramping up to a full-scale casino compared to other bids hoping to start from scratch.
The $5 billion South Queens bid — which would triple the size of the current site with 1,600 new hotel rooms and a 7,000-seat entertainment venue — could also grow if Resorts World wins another giant RFP down the road.
In 2026, the state is expected to finish consolidating all downstate horse racing activities to Belmont Park. That means the state-owned horse racing track adjacent to the Resorts World property will be up for redevelopment, and the company already has its eyes on winning that massive RFP as well. Together, it would create a $10 billion combined complex, their optimistic 3D rendering shows.
But don’t get too wide-eyed by those numbers. It’s all par for the course. Steve Cohen’s “Metropolitan Park” casino plan stands at $8 billion. And Related Companies’ bid for a casino in Hudson Yards is a $12 billion project. — Jason Beeferman
More from Albany:
— Hochul wants to spend $400 million on cameras in New York prisons following the death of Robert Brooks. (LoHud)
— New York could receive as much as $250 million in settlement funds to combat the opioid epidemic. (Gothamist)
— Hochul’s budget plan does not include new funding for town bridge and highway repairs. (WKBW)
KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION
Rep. Adriano Espaillat has kept himself relatively neutral on Mayor Eric Adams cozying up to President Donald Trump. | Andrew Harnik/AP
NEUTRAL FOR NOW: Rep. Adriano Espaillat declined at least three times this week to speak ill of Adams as the mayor deepens his bond with Trump. But the House member, who endorsed Adams for mayor in 2021, hasn’t exactly defended the mayor either.
“I don’t have a comment on that,” said the Manhattan Democrat, who was attending a Martin Luther King Jr. event that Adams snubbed to trek to Washington. “What I could tell you is that this morning, I started the day with a group of immigrants and advocates, and today I’m here at Convent Avenue Baptist Church, and now I’m going to the Washington Heights part of my district. And I’m not in Washington” at the inauguration."
Playbook then asked Espaillat on Tuesday about Adams sitting down with Tucker Carlson and declining to push back on the hardline host’s anti-immigrant rhetoric. The House member began by discussing where he stands rather than where Adams does. Pushed on the mayor’s remarks, Espaillat said, “What I read was that he’s not going to facilitate the federal authorities to proceed with enforcement. That’s what I read so far.”
And at a Thursday news conference in Washington, Espaillat — who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and is a leader of the charge against Trump’s immigration agenda — was asked again about the mayor and again sought to express that he is reassured by Adams, so far.
“He has said that the city of New York would not cooperate with the massive deportation apparatus that’s about to be put in place,” he said. “And so I will take that as meaning that sensitive locations like schools, emergency rooms, churches, funeral homes will be just that: sensitive locations.” — Emily Ngo with Jeff Coltin
More from Congress:
— Some New York House Dems call on Adams to be more forceful in pushing back on Trump. (NY1)
— Democrats have narrowed the number of potential candidates to run for Rep. Elise Stefanik’s seat. (Spectrum News)
— House Republicans in competitive districts warned GOP leaders against gutting Obamacare to pay for a massive border, energy and tax bill. (POLITICO)
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NEW YORK STATE OF MIND
— A city Department of Transportation report found tickets and crashes have declined after the installation of speed cameras. (NY1)
— Columbia University is drawing growing criticism for keeping its campus locked off to the public, nine months after the school called in the NYPD to arrest student protesters. (Hell Gate)
— A Canadian ship carrying wheat and 17 people has been trapped in Lake Erie ice. (Buffalo News)
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MEDIAWATCH: CNN announces about 200 layoffs as it attempts to modernize business. (CNBC)
FIRST IN NY PLAYBOOK: Nikki Waller on Wednesday left the Wall Street Journal where she served as coverage chief for life and work. Waller, who spent 17 years at the paper, declined to comment on her next step.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: New York City First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer … Assemblymember Tony Simone … Judge Matthew Titone … WSJ’s Gerry Baker … AP’s Byron Tau … Eric Schultz … Edelman’s Melanie Trottman ... PBA vet Al O’Leary … Retail Council Melissa O’Connor … NYSUT’s Belinda Heckler … James Amen … Andrew Palombaro … (was Thursday): Raymond J. McGuire … Bruce Ratner
Missed Thursday’s New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.
