State Senate Dems Secure Supermajority + WFP Announces City Council Endorsements
No 194
Monday, November 30, 2020
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Local News
- NY State Senate Democrats have secured the 42 seats needed for a veto-proof supermajority. The new political landscape gives state Democrats the power to override the Governor’s veto, potentially allowing them to implement legislation such as marijuana legalization, increased taxes on the wealthy, rent cancellation, and an eviction moratorium. It will also give Democrats control over the upcoming redistricting process.
- With Republicans losing influence in the New York State Senate, many of them are going to work for Andrew Cuomo in the Governor’s office.
- The first tenant was (legally) evicted in New York City since the pandemic started.
- NYC public elementary schools will reopen for in person learning and abandon the hybrid learning model.
- The US Supreme Court intervened to side with the religious communities who claimed that Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order limiting congregation sizes in COVID hot spots is a violation of the First Amendment.
- Many prisoners who have been approved for release based on the State’s new COVID guidelines remain behind bars, even as cases are surging again.
- Some city politicians, including mayoral candidate Eric Adams, have launched criticisms of ranked choice voting, which the City will begin using in next year’s primaries, after being approved by voters via ballot initiative in November 2019.
- Polly Trottenberg, a candidate for US Transportation Secretary under Biden, resigned as NYC Transportation Commissioner.
- David Dinkins, New York City’s first (and so far only) Black mayor, died at age 93.
- A proposed constitutional amendment would permanently expand voting by mail in New York. Proposed legislation, meanwhile, would speed up the vote counting process.
Elections
- The Working Families Party announced another round of endorsements for the 2021 City Council races, including an endorsement of NYC-DSA endorsed Adolfo Abreu in the Bronx.
- Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D-Poughkeepsie), a member of the centrist New Democrat Coalition, is in the running to lead the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The previous head, Rep. Cheri Bustos, stepped down after a poor showing by House Democrats in this month’s elections.